Free Agency Sean Murphy-Bunting – 2019 Draft

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent a draft pick in the second-to-fourth-round range in 2018 (Jordan Whitehead), in 2019 (Mike Edwards) and 2020 (Antoine Winfield Jr.). All three showed traits early that indicated they could thrive in a starting role. However, there are only two starting safety positions in the Buccaneers’ defense, of course, and after Winfield arrived it was mostly Mike Edwards who was the odd man out. While he showed a nose for the football when he did get on the field, Edwards started only four contests over the 2020-21 seasons combined.

After the 2021 campaign, Whitehead hit free agency and signed a nice deal with the New York Jets, which in turn opened up a spot for Edwards to be an every-down player. However, that wasn’t the only change to the Bucs’ safety position in 2022. With Winfield coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance, Todd Bowles and the defensive coaching staff devised a new role for him that would make use of his impressive tackling and blitzing skills around the line of scrimmage. Winfield would start at safety in the base defense but then move into the slot in nickel packages. This also allowed the Bucs to get savvy and versatile veteran Logan Ryan, an offseason acquisition, on the field at safety in those sub packages.

While the logjam at safety was eased, the new role for Winfield created another battle for playing time at cornerback. The Bucs essentially had three starting cornerbacks for three positions – including slot corner – in Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting, prior to the switch for Winfield. Now, with Davis having one starting corner spot locked up, the other one became a competition between Dean and Murphy-Bunting. While both players performed well in training camp, the job eventually went to Dean.

Murphy-Bunting mostly played on special teams in the early going, then missed a total of five games due to a quad injury. However, non-overlapping injuries to Dean and Davis in the stretch run allowed Murphy-Bunting to get back into the starting lineup, and he also started the Bucs’ lone playoff contest, even with Dean back to active status. He made the most of it, particularly with an interception, six passes defensed and a forced fumble over the final four games of the regular season.

“When he got hurt early in the year it gave Dean a chance to play and when he came back Dean was playing great but then Dean got hurt,” said Head Coach Todd Bowles. “I thought Sean came in and he had a heck of a…