The Buccaneers added veteran depth to the defensive backfield, bringing former Super Bowl Champion CB Sean Murphy-Bunting back to the team. He is on the practice squad for now, but will likely be activated.
This past weekend, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released their initial depth chart heading into the regular season, revealing the strengths and weaknesses across the roster.
One question mark heading into this season is the defensive backfield.
Head coach Todd Bowles has young talent in the room, but players like Jacob Parrish, Benjamin Morrison, and Keionte Scott remain unproven.
When waivers opened for Tampa on Monday, the team added a familiar face to the practice squad - Sean Murphy-Bunting, who was a key performer in the franchise's run to Super Bowl 55.
After arriving in Tampa, Murphy-Bunting spoke to the media about his excitement to be back where he started his career.
"When I was speaking to my agent as far as destinations and places to go, Tampa was first on the list," Murphy-Bunting said.
En route to the championship, Murphy-Bunting became the fourth player in league history to record an interception in his first three postseason appearances (Aeneas Williams, Ed Reed, Jason Sehorn).
He was very humble when recanting the moment earlier this week, giving credit to Bowles and former head coach Bruce Arians for putting him in positions to succeed.
"The ball found me," Murphy-Bunting added.
After being taken in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, he played four seasons with the Bucs (2019-2022), serving as a slot corner and secondary defender on the outside.
Murphy-Bunting played one year in Tennessee before playing the 2024 season with the Arizona Cardinals.
Now, he is back with the same defensive playcaller he won a Super Bowl with, and a defensive backfield where he can impart some wisdom as the oldest player in the room.
Murphy-Bunting's ability to play in and out of the slot is also a benefit for Bowles, who is still trying to figure out the best way to deploy Scott and Parrish.
Both players have shown the ability to blitz as well, providing the option to move the young duo into the nickel spot closer to the line of scrimmage.
But, Murphy-Bunting's versatility and willingness to help anyway he can is attractive for a defense looking to get back to more-consistent play this upcoming year.
The former Central Michigan standout told media about his first conversation back with Bowles.
"He started off saying ‘What’s up old man?’ So I said it back to him because I guess we’ve both been pretty old in this league," Murphy-Bunting joked. "It was really natural. It felt like we picked up conversations from the last time we spoke. He talked about how good this team is and how good of a position they’re in, and the players they have."
Earlier this week, Bowles named the interior linebacking group as the best position on the team, citing the depth and speed in the room.
This addition helps on the outside, while adding another player who is capable of blitzing off the edge in DB rushes.
