Cornerback Jamel Dean found a lot to like in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ contract offer as he approached free agency this week that went beyond the $11.42 million signing bonus and $24.5 million in guaranteed money in the four-year, $52 million deal.

By signing the extension, Dean gets to stay in Florida, remain a teammate of Carlton Davis, continue playing for Todd Bowles and flash a multi-million-dollar smile at everybody who said knee injuries had ruined his football dreams.

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But for a while this offseason, Dean didn’t know if Tampa Bay would have the salary-cap room to afford one of the top cornerbacks entering free agency. Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht worked to make it possible.

“I was a little worried,” Dean said. “I was like, ‘Uhhh, I would hate to have to go up north’ because, man, I don’t like the cold really. But they started making adjustments – like, OK, there’s a chance. Then Carlton called me and was like, ‘Yo, they really want you.’ And I was like OK because it’s started to lean towards my favor now. And then things worked out, and I’m happy to be here.”

Dean is from Cocoa, which is on Florida’s Atlantic coast about 120 miles from Tampa.

“I honestly didn’t want to leave,” Dean said. “I’m born and raised in Florida. I’m close to home. I’m comfortable, so I was like, ‘Why would I leave?’”

At Cocoa High School, Dean tore the ACL in his right knee. He returned for his senior season but tore the meniscus in his right knee in his final prep game. After enrolling at Ohio State, the Buckeyes’ medical staff examined his knee and decided he wouldn’t be cleared to play football.

Dr. James Andrews determined Dean could return to the field with proper rehabilitation, but Ohio State stood by its decision.

After sitting out a season at Auburn as a transfer, Dean tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee a few weeks before the Tigers’ 2016 season opener.

Dean started at cornerback for Auburn in the 2017 and 2018 seasons and ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. But his injury history remained a concern as Tampa Bay selected him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

“I feel like I beat the odds,” Dean said. “Honestly, I don’t know why my knees was an issue. I went two seasons in college without my knees being a problem, and then when I ran the 4.30 at the combine, I was like, ‘That should eliminate the knee situation.’ But just being able to overcome all the adversity, it’s a great feeling to get a second contract because there was a little bit of doubt about how long my knees were going hold up, but they did. They’ve still got a couple more years in them.”

But Dean said he did hit a low point when he suffered the knee injury at Auburn.

“I’m glad I didn’t quit because everything paid off,” Dean said. “I proved Ohio State wrong when they told me I had a 3 percent chance of being successful in football. So I took the gamble, and it paid off.”

Licht said more fuss is often made when an NFL team lures a free agent from another team. But he said it’s gratifying to develop a player and give him a second contract when the four-year rookie deal expires.

“It’s been great seeing Jamel’s growth as a player these past four seasons,” Licht said. “Keeping him was a top priority for us, and it worked out well that he also had a strong desire to stay here. Any time you draft a player who meets and exceeds your expectations, you want to do all you can to ensure he remains a part of the organization. Jamel is a special person who is highly respected throughout our building for his work on the field and in the community. We think he is only going to continue ascending as a football player and will continue to play a big role in our defensive success over the coming seasons.”

Dean and Davis form Tampa Bay’s cornerback duo after they played together at Auburn.

“It’s a great feeling because me and Carlton, we been following each other since high school,” Dean said. “It’s crazy. At the All-American game in California, he was actually my roommate. And then we went our separate ways in college. I went to Ohio State. He committed to Ohio State, too, but I just early-enrolled. Things didn’t work out there, and we both ended up at Auburn together. He left early to go to the draft. I tried to get him to stay another year. But he didn’t want to do it.

“Once he got to the Bucs, I was excited. And then the next year, I get a phone call from Jason, and I’m like, ‘What? I’m reunited with Carlton again?’ Boy, we just can’t get away from each other, can we? I feel like me and him, we got that great bond. We know how to work together with each other, so it’s going to be exciting.”

When Dean joined the Bucs, Bowles served as the defensive coordinator. In 2022, Bowles moved to head coach when Bruce Arians retired.

“Me and him put in a lot of work together,” Dean said, “so it’s like: Why would I let another coach reap the benefits of what me and Bowles did? That was really big because I only want to be coached by Bowles because he’s the one that taught me everything I know.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1