The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without starting cornerback Jamel Dean for at least the next four games. On Monday, the Buccaneers placed Dean and rookie wide receiver Kameron Johnson on injured reserve prior to their prime-time contest against the Baltimore Ravens. The team also activated defensive lineman Earnest Brown from injured reserve.
While NFL teams cannot make roster moves on Sundays during the season, they can do so on the day of a game if they play on Monday, Thursday or Saturday. The trio of moves made by the Buccaneers leaves their active roster at 52 players, with one open spot that will not be filled before Monday's game.
Dean sustained a hamstring injury while making a tackle on Saints wide receiver Bub Means in New Orleans last Sunday. Through six games, he ranks second on the Bucs' defense with 43 tackles and he has also notched four passes defensed. Dean is in his sixth season in Tampa and has played in 76 games with 57 starts.
Johnson made the Buccaneers active roster as an undrafted free agent out of Barton College and played in four of the first six regular season games, but he has been dealing with an ankle injury since the start of the season. He has yet to record a reception but he does have one punt return for 11 yards.
Brown landed on injured reserve just before the season opener due to a ribs injury and has already missed the required minimum of four games. He was designated for return from I.R. on October 9 and has been practicing with the team over the last week and a half. He was eligible to be activated at any point over a three-week period after his designation for return. Originally a fifth-round draft pick by the Rams out of Northwestern in 2021, Brown played in a combined 12 games with three starts for Los Angeles Rams across the 2022-23 seasons. He recorded 14 tackles and one tackle for loss.
