How Valuable is Kwon?
May 23rd, 2016
Big impact.
One of the biggest surprises last year was the play of rookie middle linebacker Kwon Alexander.
Who expected this kind of play from a fourth round pick?
And, man, the dude had impact.
Just how much of an impact did Kwon have on the defense? Well, leave it to the “Custodian of Canton,” eye-RAH! Kaufman, to explain.
The Bucs closed 0-4 with Kwon Alexander suspended, forcing only 2 TO while yielding 30 PPG. With Alexander, they had 21 takeaways in 12 gms
— Ira Kaufman (@IKaufman76) May 20, 2016
That’s a pretty insane difference in the defense without Kwon.
Now Joe understands the Lovie Mafia would point to Kwon’s absence and say, “See!” Joe has another angle.
Kwon was popped for allegedly drinking a banned sports drink in training camp. For months, the Bucs and Coach My Scheme knew his suspension was coming. Coach My Scheme had all this time to prepare for Kwon’s absence and still he couldn’t adjust? Even after Kwon was done, no adjustments the final month of the season?
May 23rd, 2016 at 9:15 am
I am a huge Kwon fan. I hope he stays clean. I do find it hilarious that so many of the posters are so convinced it was an energy drink and there is nothing to worry about moving forward. yet they were piling on Jaboo when all they had to do is some research on their own and would have determined Jaboo’s innocence yet Kwon get’s a free pass. Kwon has played 12 games and was suspended 4. Let’s not get too carried away with getting his bust made for canton. Let him earn it and prove himself. Regardless if the suspension was for energy drink or ped’s it’s a red flag and he let the team and fans down. Personally I think they should get rid of drug testing nationwide. Too many regulations. The players are adults they know the risks if they want to take the health risk that should be their choice not the government or any authorities decision. especially since most of the ped’s can be obtained legally through a physician. Hell, a lot of the fast food restaurants serve crap that will do more long term damage to you but that’s legal.
May 23rd, 2016 at 9:21 am
The only adjustment to be made was to replace him with the high-priced veteran MLB Kwon beat for the job……it didn’t work….
May 23rd, 2016 at 9:37 am
Great question: How valuable is Kwon? And the answer is … Who knows at this point? He’s only played in 12 NFL games thus far, and in a different system than he’ll be playing in this year. Using the last 4 losses (without Kwon) as a measuring stick of his true value to the Bucs is misleading Joe … the Bucs may well have lost all 4 games with Kwon in there, who knows.
Does he have talent? Damned straight he does. Will he end up being a leader on the defense? No doubt in my mind. But a few minor questions remain. Can a 227 lb MLB hold up against running teams? What will Mike Smith ask him to do as a MLB in this defense? Let him get another season or so under his belt before folks start viewing him as savior of this defense.
May 23rd, 2016 at 9:50 am
Defense how many run more than pass teams out there???
May 23rd, 2016 at 9:54 am
@tmax —
Totally disagree.
In baseball, the League and owners hyped up the juice. “Chicks dig the long ball.” Hitters all juiced to get contracts, and pitchers were not far behind. ‘Roid rage became “team spirit.” And when the physical letdown struck the hired hands, the owners walked away and looked for new Roid meat. High priced plantation, that.
Football had the same experience. Remember Lyle Alzado and brain cancer? Or Steve Courson and heart transplant? Sure, they “chose” to juice. But what about the guys across from them. Drugs made liars of everyone, but the players got sick and the owners got rich.
We can cheer our team and ignore the cost that doping has on players, their opponents and aspiring high school kids. But when the bill comes, the owners never pick up the tab. They never even tell the truth. Remember, the NFL put out medical reports for years signed by a doctor. A dermatologist, IIRC. He never testified because the League settled just before he was due to be called. We hear all about NFL security and lawyers — you think they didn’t know their faceman was a quack?
The proper solution would be to place the owners out on the field for a full game. No one gets carted away. Let them play both ways. Their lawyers can participate, too, in business suits and no helmets. And then explain how right and fair everything is, after 125+ plays and multiple concussions.
Either that, or let the whole lot of them burn in hell.
May 23rd, 2016 at 10:21 am
My favorite Defensive player in the NFL: Kwon Alexander.
My favorite Offensive player in the NFL: Jameis Winston.
Who’s winning the Superbowl this season: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
May 23rd, 2016 at 10:34 am
yep. before the regular season began you know this was going to happen. in preparation, our coach opted to continue to do what he has always done, which is make no adjustments and pray that his players will come through.
May 23rd, 2016 at 10:46 am
@NOSBOS … Good point. For the whole 2015 season, only 4 NFL teams had more rushing attempts than passing attempts: Panthers, Seahawks, Bills and Vikings. We only play 3 games against those teams this year. But all teams run, and if they find something they can exploit, they’ll run even more.
May 23rd, 2016 at 10:55 am
I’m a Kwon fan, but I don’t believe that MLB is his natural position. Last season he was always out of position in pass defense, and he had a lot of missed tackles. But he were learning a new position, and the suspension didn’t help his development. Mike Smith is very, very high on Daryl Smith and he may stay on the field in passing situations. Lovie loved fast undersized linebackers in the middle, Mike Smith loves big, physical linebackers in the middle. Changes will be made with this defense, some fans might not agree with Mike Smith. Me personally I believe that Kwon is better suited at SLB and Darryl Smith is better suited at MLB, just my opinion.
May 23rd, 2016 at 11:20 am
Good point Defesne.
May 23rd, 2016 at 11:28 am
Lovie Smith and the word “adjustments” go together like oil and water.
May 23rd, 2016 at 12:00 pm
I look forward to seeing Kwon’s development this year – if last year’s play was any indicator – this dude might just be the best 4th round pick this franchise ever drafted.
Although he was acquired in the 4th round, K. Alexander had 1st round talent coming out. According to Jason Licht at least. Licht said straight up recently that Kwon was the 28th best player in the draft on the Bucs 2015 draft board and that all 4 of our picks from 2015 that started (Winston, D. Smith, Marpet and Kwon) had 1st round pre-draft grades from the Bucs scouts and personnel directors.
This type of drafting will build a good team in a hurry. The Bucs came close to pulling off this almost impossible scenario of drafting 4 “1st rounders” again this year. Hargreaves, Spence and Aguayo all carried 1st round grades on the Bucs 2016 draft board according to Licht – and while CB/S Ryan Smith did not – he was graded much higher by the Bucs than the 4th round where he was selected.
Damn – Jason Licht and Co. are doing a fantastic job of bringing in young talent.
May 23rd, 2016 at 12:31 pm
I really like kwon, But he was a rookie coming up to the “rookie wall”
and the last 4 games acuttally had starting and/or good quarterbacks!!!! The Incompetent one’s defense would have been sliced and diced even if KA58 was there!!!!
coach my scheme had no answers for Brees, Keenum, Cutler, and Newton!!!!! Funny how the sheep thought that the Bucs had “arrived” after a win against Sanchez and the lowly eagles!!!!!!!!!!
May 23rd, 2016 at 12:31 pm
Lou
you and I just have different philosophies. I don’t believe in government regulation. Do you know how much good the billions and billions of dollars that the us government wasted on PED hearings, investigations and related BS could have done for say jobs or education… Between the BS war on drugs and the war on PED the US wastes billions and billions of dollars on programs that DON’T WORK! The government will never stop drug use in this country and it will never stop peds in sports. There is just too much money involved. As soon as a test is developed there is just as many researches and brainiacs developing a way to beat the test…
May 23rd, 2016 at 12:59 pm
But the spreadsheeters said he was one of the worst LBs in the league. He had an adjusted tackle force ratio of -37.8, that was the 3rd worst!
May 23rd, 2016 at 1:28 pm
Lovie had control,over the 53, they hit a home run on Kwon, but who else misses out on Kwon, 31 other teams, three times, I say to say this, there was a talent drop off after that because Hardy Nicholson was not suiting up the final 4 games but he might as well should based on the impact that wasn’t made.
May 23rd, 2016 at 1:28 pm
*Nickerson
May 23rd, 2016 at 1:42 pm
Adjustments, you go with what got you to a 6-6 record, next man up, the defense collapsed along with the offense, PS Kwon was a LOVIE pick!!!
May 23rd, 2016 at 1:45 pm
Or was he a Licth (God of the GM’s) pick!???
May 23rd, 2016 at 2:06 pm
@BigHogHeinous
Kwon was not a coach my scheme pick!!! according to unnamed sources, the incompetent one feel asleep during the lb scouting meeting and then the pick, like he did at the NFL combine!!!!!!!
May 23rd, 2016 at 2:47 pm
blah, blah, blah, “coach my scheme”, blah, blah! I doubt his presence would’ve made a difference, especially since we were “slanted” to death while he was in the game anyway!
Who cares who picked him?! He’s a good solid player and valuable, so far. It is concerning about the suspension over an “energy drink?”
He needs to continue to grow and work on his craft. This defense has a LOT to prove. Lets NOT let these players off the hook guys. Once they cross that white chalk, they’re the ones responsible for making plays. Lets go clean some QB clocks!
Go Bucs!
May 23rd, 2016 at 5:01 pm
I believe if Kwon doesn’t get suspended we win at least 2 of the 4. That’s how valuable he was. Don’t know if he still is as valuable In the new scheme. I think he will be the best LB on this team, soon.
May 23rd, 2016 at 6:11 pm
“For months, the Bucs and Coach My Scheme knew his suspension was coming. Coach My Scheme had all this time to prepare for Kwon’s absence and still he couldn’t adjust? Even after Kwon was done, no adjustments the final month of the season?” – Joe
It wasn’t the adjustments, it was the on field talent. Kwon was the only draft pick on the defense in years. He motivated the defense. Before Kwon, we had only David and McCoy. They were not enough before Kwon came, so obviously, when he got suspended, they still were not enough.
That’s what happens when you do not have enough good players.
And, FYI…the offense didn’t do so well in those games either.
May 23rd, 2016 at 6:12 pm
The Buc Realist Says:
“Kwon was not a coach my scheme pick!!! according to unnamed sources…”
Unnamed Sources = Made up Sources by the media.
May 23rd, 2016 at 6:29 pm
@BucBonzai
It was said in Jest!!! No one yet has reported how many times Coach my scheme slept thru meetings and other team functions!!!!
May 24th, 2016 at 8:08 am
I don’t buy into the bucs winning 2 of the 4 games with Kwon being in there. He had a very servicable backup in Bruce Carter that performed very well in his absence. (Check the stats) It wasnt the play of MLB that cost them the last four games. It was a combination of stupid penalties, a lack of offense (Dye and Humphries opposite of evans), and poor play on defense by all the players. Not just 1. That’s silly to think that.