The Bucs acquired considered one of their key defenders again once they took the apply fields on the AdventHealth Coaching Heart Friday morning. Second-year cornerback Benjamin Morrison, who has been coping with a hamstring harm since OTAs, rejoined Tampa Bay after remaining sidelined the primary two days of coaching camp.
Morrison wasn’t warming up with the crew to start coaching camp Wednesday morning and was as a substitute seen working off to the aspect with a coach early on, although he later made his manner over to the primary discipline and watched alongside together with his jersey on and his helmet in hand.
Benjamin Morrison has made his manner over to the apply discipline with the crew. Jersey on, helmet in hand.
After that preliminary coaching camp apply, head coach Todd Bowles had a brief replace on the younger cornerback’s standing.
“He’s just still working on his hamstring a little bit,” Bowles stated. “But he’s day-by-day.”
Morrison wasn’t seen early on in Thursday’s apply both, however then joined the crew on the sphere as soon as once more. On the very most, the 2025 second-round choose had been a restricted participant so far in camp, although the size might lean extra towards non-participant.
That modified Friday, as Morrison was seen — in his No. 21 jersey and shells — warming up with the entire crew firstly of apply, indicating that he’d be making a return on the third day of camp. Given the character of hamstring accidents, the truth that Morrison has such a historical past with them and the significance of getting him to the season wholesome, you’d anticipate Tampa Bay to carry him alongside step by step.
With that stated, he has some catching as much as do after lacking a lot camp and preseason time as a rookie after which lacking extra time this previous summer time. Each rep he can get proper now will solely assist.
Benjamin Morrison Now Set To Compete For Bucs’ CB2 Position
Now that Morrison is again at apply, the battle for the Bucs’ No. 2 cornerback position can actually get underway.
Morrison’s fellow 2025 draft choose, Jacob Parrish, would appear to have the sting within the race to start out on the other aspect of Zyon McCollum. Parrish, a third-round choose, began on the nickel place for Tampa Bay final 12 months, however crew management made it clear this offseason that he would have a possibility to compete for a beginning exterior cornerback position.
Problem No. 1 for Morrison will likely be to remain wholesome all through camp. He missed time final August, then performed in simply 10 out of 17 video games in his rookie season. He had 4 passes defensed and nil interceptions in these 10 video games (three begins), incomes a 47.0 general grade from PFF with a 50.0 grade in protection and a 35.5 mark in run protection. His 40.3 tackling grade wasn’t fairly both. And over 40 targets, he allowed 23 catches (57.5%) for 344 yards (15.0 avg.) and three touchdowns.
Bucs CB Benjamin Morrison – Picture by: IMAGN Pictures
From there, it’s on Morrison to rise up to hurry and be the kind of cornerback he was at Notre Dame — the kind that had him in conversations to be a first-round choose earlier than his hip harm. That participant remains to be in there, and he wants to indicate up and get his Bucs profession off the bottom in 2026.
As a result of even when Morrison doesn’t win the No. 2 nook job over Parrish, the Bucs will nonetheless be closely relying on him this season. There’s subsequent to no depth at nook, so whether or not he’s No. 2 or No. 3, Morrison is a vital participant to this Buccaneers protection.
