Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jacob Parrish had a successful rookie season and now the team is looking for him to take even more on his plate. The Bucs played Parrish almost exclusively in the slot in his rookie year, but he admitted that his second year is likely going to feature more play as an outside cornerback.
“Base downs I have going outside, and then in nickel I have been going into nickel,” Parrish noted. “So it has been like 50/50.”
This is a notable difference from last year. Parrish played 747 snaps last year, and just 127 of them were as outside cornerback. While Parrish noted that part of the reason he is getting so much outside work is that he felt comfortable in the nickel already, it is clear that they plan to utilize him more on the outside.
Parrish was an outside cornerback in college, so the transition to the slot last year was likely the harder change. Now, he has to grow on the outside.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Putting More on Jacob Parrish’s Plate
Kevin C. Cox/GettyJacob Parrish, Bucs cornerback
The Bucs also did not need Parrish to play on the outside last year because they had Jamel Dean. Dean signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, and it opened a starting spot on the outside.
The early thought was that Benjamin Morrison would slide into the role. He is entering his second-year and was drafted ahead of Parrish. However, Morrison has not been as productive in the NFL, and injuries have been a lingering problem for him.
By working with Parrish on the outside, they are opening two paths.
First, as Parrish noted, he could play base snaps outside, then slide into the slot when they need a third defender. Morrison would only play nickel downs, so they could protect him from injury. Still, Parrish would be the nickel defender.
This gives them a different path if Morrison remains injured, though. The team could play Parrish on the outside full-time, and then slide in rookie fourth-round pick Keionte Scott. Scott fell because he is older and a slot-only player.
However, the Bucs could get him on the field right away and play him in his natural role. While they want their second-round pick, Morrison, to take the step, they are protected against it.
The Bucs Found Another Secondary Hit in Jacob Parrish
Parrish looks to be another secondary in a long line for the Bucs. Interestingly enough, he will now be the third draft pick in recent years to start in the slot as a rookie and then expand his role.
The team started Antoine Winfield Jr. in the slot early in his career before making him a highly coveted free safety. Last year, the team pushed Tykee Smith from the slot out to safety to complement Winfield. The move opened a slot role for Parrish. Now, Parrish is moving to the outside to open the slot for the new rookie Scott.
It will be interesting to see if Scott can stick.
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