The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be missing starting cornerback Jamel Dean for at least the next four games. On Monday, the team placed Dean and rookie wide receiver Kameron Johnson on injured reserve ahead of their prime-time matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Additionally, defensive lineman Earnest Brown was activated from injured reserve.
NFL teams are not allowed to make roster moves on Sundays during the season, but they can do so on game days if the game is on Monday, Thursday, or Saturday. These roster adjustments leave the Buccaneers with 52 active players and one open spot, which will remain unfilled before Monday’s game.
Dean injured his hamstring while tackling Saints wide receiver Bub Means in New Orleans last Sunday. In six games this season, Dean ranks second on the Bucs’ defense with 43 tackles and has four passes defensed. Now in his sixth season with Tampa Bay, Dean has played in 76 games and started 57.
Johnson, an undrafted free agent from Barton College, made the active roster and played in four of the first six regular-season games, though he’s been dealing with an ankle injury since the season began. He hasn’t recorded a reception but has one punt return for 11 yards.
Brown, who suffered a rib injury right before the season opener, has missed the required minimum of four games on injured reserve. He was designated for return on October 9 and has been practicing with the team since. Brown was originally drafted by the Rams in the fifth round out of Northwestern in 2021, playing in 12 games for Los Angeles between 2022-23, recording 14 tackles and one tackle for loss.
