By Buccaneers Kept Only Eight Defensive Backs — Then Immediately Started Rebuilding the Depth
By Ken Filler | Tampa Bay Sports Journal
TAMPA — When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced their initial 53-man roster, one number immediately jumped off the page.
Eight.
The Buccaneers kept only eight defensive backs, an unusually small number for a Todd Bowles defense and a potentially dangerous decision considering how quickly injuries can tear through an NFL secondary.
In the days since the initial roster was constructed, general manager Jason Licht and Bowles have gone right back to work rebuilding the depth behind their starting secondary.
And suddenly, the situation doesn’t look quite as thin as it did Sunday night.
Buccaneers went light in the secondary
The Buccaneers generally carry nine or 10 defensive backs, but the initial 53-man roster included only eight.
Tampa Bay kept cornerbacks Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish, Benjamin Morrison and Ayden Garnes, along with safeties Antoine Winfield Jr., Tykee Smith and Miles Killebrew.
Rookie Keionte Scott provides additional flexibility because he can line up at multiple spots in the secondary.
The starting group isn’t the problem. There is plenty to like there.
Winfield remains one of the most important players on Bowles’ defense. McCollum has developed into an established starting corner. Parrish brings experience, and the Buccaneers are clearly excited about what Scott can become.
Morrison has talent, plenty of it. But availability has been an issue. Garnes earned his roster spot with an impressive preseason, but he is still an undrafted rookie.
That’s not much room for error over a 17-game NFL season.
And the Buccaneers realized they needed more insurance.
Kevin Knowles adds more than cornerback depth
The first significant move came when the Buccaneers claimed cornerback Kevin Knowles off waivers from Kansas City.
Knowles, a former Florida State defensive back, appeared in 13 games for the Chiefs as a rookie in 2025 and became a valuable special-teams contributor.
Josh Hayes was placed on injured reserve and will miss at least the first four games, leaving the Buccaneers without one of their top special-teams players.
Enter Knowles, a strong special-teams player.
Bowles made it clear that Knowles wasn’t brought to Tampa to provide just another cornerback in practice.
“He’s a heck of a special teams player,” Bowles said.
“With Hayes down, we’re probably short a gunner. He’s a very good gunner, a very good kickoff guy.”
Knowles tied for Kansas City’s team lead with eight solo kick-coverage tackles last season and recovered a fumble.
That’s exactly the type of player the Buccaneers needed.
And don’t overlook Bowles’ view of special teams. When asked how many victories a strong special-teams unit could influence during a season, his answer was simple:
“Three to four.”
Considering the Buccaneers missed the playoffs last season by the smallest of margins, that should get everyone’s attention.
Sean Murphy-Bunting comes home
Sean Murphy-Bunting is back in Tampa.
The Buccaneers signed their former second-round pick and Super Bowl champion to the practice squad, bringing a familiar face back into Bowles’ secondary.
Murphy-Bunting doesn’t need an introduction to Buccaneers fans.
He was part of the young secondary that helped the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV and intercepted a pass in each of the Buccaneers’ first three playoff games during that championship run.
Now 29, Murphy-Bunting isn’t being asked to come back and immediately become the player he was five years ago.
The Buccaneers need depth, experience, and versatility. Murphy-Bunting gives them all three.
Bowles explained exactly why bringing Murphy-Bunting back made sense.
“It was great,” Bowles said of reconnecting with Murphy-Bunting. “We talked yesterday. It would be great to have him back in the fold, because he can play corner, nickel and safety.”
Bowles acknowledged that the defense has evolved since Murphy-Bunting last played in Tampa, but his familiarity with the system’s foundation should make the transition easier.
“Obviously, we’ve changed a few things since he’s been here, but having a guy with that kind of experience always helps you.”
The Buccaneers suddenly have a former Super Bowl starter sitting on the practice squad who understands Bowles, understands the organization, and has played multiple positions in this defense.
The practice squad tells us something
The Buccaneers’ approach to the practice squad also tells us the organization knew eight defensive backs on the 53-man roster wouldn’t be the entire story.
The Buccaneers initially brought back cornerback Roman Parodie and safeties Ifeatu Melifonwu, J.J. Roberts and Rashad Wisdom after roster cuts.
That group has already changed.
Murphy-Bunting and safety Silas Walters were added, while Wisdom was released as the Buccaneers continued reshaping the bottom of the roster.
That leaves the Buccaneers with several secondary options available beyond the 53-man roster.
Melifonwu may be particularly important. He brings legitimate NFL experience and can play multiple roles in the secondary.
Roberts gives Tampa Bay another developmental safety. Walters adds another young option, while Murphy-Bunting gives Bowles a veteran who can potentially be elevated on game day if needed.
Bowles loves versatility — and this secondary has it
Another reason the Buccaneers may have been comfortable going light initially is versatility.
Bowles has always valued defensive backs who can do more than one thing, and the Buccaneers have several.
Scott can move around the secondary. Parrish has flexibility. Murphy-Bunting has played outside corner, nickel, and safety responsibilities within Bowles’ system.
That lets Tampa Bay manipulate the roster without needing 10 defensive backs active every Sunday.
The Buccaneers didn’t panic and overhaul the secondary. In fact, Bowles made that point while discussing the post-cutdown waiver process.
“You always look at guys,” Bowles said. “It’s either sign the guys back that have been in your system, unless you see somebody that you really want to go out and get, maybe one or two guys, but not a total overhaul.”
That’s essentially what Tampa Bay has done. They kept the players they wanted.
It’s not a total overhaul. It’s targeted roster building.
The secondary still carries some risk
Let’s not pretend the issue has completely disappeared.
If McCollum, Winfield, or another starter misses significant time, the Buccaneers’ depth will be tested quickly.
Morrison remains an important piece because the Buccaneers need him to stay healthy and become the player they believed they were getting when they drafted him.
Garnes now has to prove his preseason wasn’t simply a great August story.
Scott has to translate his versatility and impressive summer into regular-season production.
And Murphy-Bunting still has to show how much football he has left after missing the 2025 season.
But answers are available now that weren’t there when the initial roster was announced.
The Buccaneers had a plan
When I first saw eight defensive backs on Tampa Bay’s roster, I didn’t love it.
I still don’t love carrying that few players in a league where offenses routinely force defenses into nickel-and-dime packages and where one injury can change everything.
But the Buccaneers clearly weren’t looking at Sunday’s 53-man roster as the finished product.
Within days, they added Knowles, brought Murphy-Bunting home, and kept reshaping the practice squad around a position that needed reinforcements.
They created flexibility at the roster deadline and then immediately started rebuilding the room around the players they wanted to keep.
Whether they have enough depth won’t truly be answered until injuries inevitably test it.
But the Buccaneers are in a much better position today than they were when that initial number — eight — jumped off the roster sheet.
And with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins waiting in Week 1, Tampa Bay may find out very quickly just how important those extra defensive backs are.
