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Could the Buccaneers' cornerback room be turning into a strength?
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- Could the Buccaneers' cornerback room be turning into a strength?
For much of the offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ' cornerback room was viewed as one of the less certain areas of the roster. Injuries created even more questions during training camp, forcing the team to rely on young players who entered the summer without a clear path to significant playing time. Instead of allowing the injuries to expose Tampa Bay 's lack of depth, several young corners have used the additional opportunities to make a case for themselves. Ayden Garnes and Damarion "Pepe" Williams have been at the center of that development, and their performances are beginning to give the Buccaneers some legitimate depth options.
Garnes has been particularly impressive. The undrafted rookie took advantage of first-team repetitions in camp and carried that momentum into the preseason opener against the New York Jets . Garnes intercepted Bailey Zappe and returned the pick 47 yards for a touchdown, giving Tampa Bay one of its biggest plays of the night. Williams has also stayed in the conversation. After making an interception on Geno Smith during joint practices, he followed it up with a strong preseason performance against the Jets. Williams led Tampa Bay with 12 tackles while adding a sack, a tackle for loss, and a pass breakup. Keionte Scott has provided another intriguing option because of his versatility and ability to play both inside and outside, and he showed that with a beautiful pass breakup down the right sideline in the end zone, forcing the receiver outside the boundary while nearly tipping the ball to himself for an interception.
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Legitimate concerns remain at the position, particularly with injuries limiting some of the more established players, as CB1 Zyon McCollum deals with a groin injury and Benjamin Morrison 's extended absence has been one of the biggest factors creating opportunities for the younger corners. However, the encouraging part for Tampa Bay is that those opportunities haven't gone to waste. The Buccaneers still need to see whether these players can maintain their level of play against regular-season competition, but the early returns have changed the conversation. A position that entered camp looking like a potential weakness now has multiple young players competing for roster spots and meaningful snaps. It may be too early to call cornerback a strength. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to call it a weakness without acknowledging how much the young players have changed the outlook.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Could the Buccaneers' cornerback room be turning into a strength?
