In a Thursday column on PewterReport.com, two Pewter Reporters will debate a Bucs topic with different viewpoints. Which Pewter Reporter wins the debate? You get to decide in the comments section below.

This Week’s Topic: Which Veteran Cornerback Should The Bucs Target?

Point: The Bucs Should Wait On A Potential Kristian Fulton Cut

By Josh Queipo

Bucs general manager Jason Licht has been asked this specific question consistently for months. And he has been steadfast in how he has answered the question. They are looking at lots of options whether that be someone who is currently unsigned or a player who may be cut later on. It’s that last part that I find particularly interesting.

Considering the current free agents have been free agents for months and Tampa Bay hasn’t been linked to any of them should tell us all something. The team is probably not interested in them. But there are plenty of players across the league who may become free agents in the near future.

And there is one in particular that I think may become available who I think would be a strong addition to the Bucs cornerback depth chart. That player is Kristian Fulton. Fulton, who is currently on Kansas City’s roster is entering the final year of a two-year, $20 million deal that he signed in 2024. But even after signing that solid deal, Kansas City barely used him last year, opting to start other players over him.

Chiefs CB Kristian Fulton – Photo by: Reuters Connect

Fulton played just 208 snaps last year with over 85% of those snaps coming in the last three weeks of the season. He is due $10 million this year, but only $5 million of it is guaranteed. There is a world where Kansas City decides they would rather not pay that much for a backup and decide to cut Fulton. And that’s where the Bucs come in.

At 6-foot, 197 pounds, Fulton has the size the Bucs look for on the perimeter. While he isn’t a burner, he is a physical player capable of playing press man. And that’s the key in my book. He is comfortable playing man coverage. And coming from a Steve Spagnoulo defense, he is comfortable playing a variety of coverages behind a pressure-heavy front. Those are requirements to succeed in a Todd Bowles system.

Fulton is a former second rounder, so the draft pedigree points to his talent and the metrics back up that pedigree. And since 2024 he has allowed just 626 yards in coverage over 627 coverage snaps while allowing a catch on 62% of passes he was targeted on and breaking up nine passes and intercepting another.

Fulton brings experience, draft pedigree, size and scheme versatility to the table. If he becomes available, he would be the perfect depth target for the Bucs who still have a whole in their cornerback room.

Counter-Point: Signing Rasul Douglas Still Makes Too Much Sense For Bucs Cornerback Room

By Adam Slivon

After combing through the bottom of cornerback depth charts across the league and looking at who remains unsigned, there are a few intriguing names I considered. Derion Kendrick is buried on the Cowboys roster and the 25-year-old flashed in brief playing time with the Seahawks last season. Despite regressing after signing a big contract with Dallas, two-time Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs remains 27 years old, which is young enough to get back on track to being a playmaking corner.

While it could make sense for the Bucs to consider them or wait and see who else is let go, Rasul Douglas still sticks out among the rest to be an impactful depth piece on the outside.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and Dolphins CB Rasul Douglas – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect – Sam Navarro

While Pewter Report’s Josh Quiepo mentioned above that Tampa Bay has not been linked to Douglas, a report came out in in May that the team was one of several mentioned to be in talks with him. Among who remains out there, the veteran cornerback checks a lot of boxes for being the perfect depth signing in what remains an unproven room to a large extent.

At 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds, he is roughly the same size as Jamel Dean, offering plus size to match up against bigger wide receivers. I understand Quiepo’s thought process in adding Fulton, as age is on his side and he is schematic fit. That is all well and good, but the Bucs cornerback room needs someone who can do that and bring veteran leadership and an edge.

The team did that along the front seven, adding A’Shawn Robinson, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Alex Anzalone, and by bringing back Rakeem Douglas, who turns 31 years old before the 2026 season, could do the same on the back end, as he has plenty of experience and production to share with guys like Zyon McCollum, Benjamin Morrison, and Jacob Parrish.

Bucs NCB Jacob Parrish and CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Douglas has bounced around in recent seasons, spending last season with the Dolphins. In 15 games (13 starts), he recorded 62 tackles, 13 passes defensed, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a sack. Those numbers speak to a player who can still contribute. He remains instinctual in zone coverage and does well in press man looks, which is crucial in a Todd Bowles’ defense that runs a lot of cover-three.

One should not expect the heights of Rasul Douglas’ play from 2021-2023, a three-year span where he recorded 14 interceptions and three pick-sixes with the Packers and Bills. Still, his playstyle and trash-talking would fit in well with the Bucs.

There is a reason I have brought him up going back to February 2025. After playing out a one-year deal worth $1.5 million with Miami in 2025, bringing him in on a low-cost deal is low-risk, high-reward. Put it all together, and Douglas is a no-brainer addition to Tampa Bay’s cornerback room.