January 3 Updates
The Buccaneers will be gunning for a fourth straight NFC South title on Sunday, but they'll have to do so without two key members of their secondary. After practice on Friday, Head Coach Todd Bowles confirmed that cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. would both miss the Week 18 game against the New Orleans Saints due to knee injuries.
Winfield will miss his fourth straight game due to the injury he suffered in a Week 14 win over the Raiders. Dean previously had a four-week stint on injured reserve in October and November and also left last Sunday's win over Carolina when a knee ailment he had been dealing with worsened.
With Christian Izien recently landing on injured reserve, the Buccaneers started Jordan Whitehead and Kaevon Merriweather at safety against the Panthers, though Mike Edwards eventually played 41 defensive snaps to Merriweather's 11. Josh Hayes took over at cornerback opposite Zyon McCollum after Dean went down and would likely start against the Saints on Sunday.
Bowles also said that tight end Cade Otton, who has missed two games with a knee injury, could be a game-time decision.
CLICK HERE for the Bucs' Week 18 injury report, which will be updated with game-status designations later on Friday afternoon.
January 1 Updates
In his first full season as a starting cornerback for the Buccaneers, third-year man Zyon McCollum has proved to be very good at his job on the field. He has also handled himself well off the field, including in his dealings with the local media.
On Wednesday, Fox Sports reporter Greg Auman presented McCollum with this year's Mark Cook Memorial Good Guy award, given annually by the local chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America to the Tampa Bay player who, as Auman put it, "most graciously handles what is not always everybody's favorite part of the job."
At the end of, fittingly, an interview session with the media during the Bucs' open locker room period on Wednesday, Auman gave McCollum a plaque listing all of the annual recipients of the Good Guy award, which now includes his name. Previous winners include Tristan Wirfs, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Auman collected votes from various members of the media that covers the team on a regular basis. Eight different players received votes but McCollum had the most by a comfortable margin. He says his willing and cheerful responses to interviews comes from his general positive view on life.
"I try to always have a good voice," said McCollum. "In the wake of criticism and anything good that happens, I know that the sun is always going to come up tomorrow."
CLICK HERE to hear more from McCollum on this weekend's game, including the chance to clinch the division in front of the Buccaneers' home crowd.
