“Underpaid”
June 10th, 2018
Value.
So yesterday, Joe brought word what a national columnist believes is the most overpaid player on the Bucs roster. What about underpaid?
Well, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report typed just such a column. And for the Bucs, it is not to difficult to figure out who that is.
That would be Kwon Alexander, the Pro Bowl middle linebacker.
Linebacker Kwon Alexander has been a stellar starter throughout his three-year tenure with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he appears to be on the rise. The 23-year-old pick recorded a career-high three picks despite missing four games in 2017, which helped him land in his first Pro Bowl.
Per Pro-Football-Reference.com, only hotshots Jameis Winston and Gerald McCoy were more valuable to the Bucs in 2017.
But because Alexander was a mere fourth-round pick in 2015, his rookie contract is costing the team only $689,581 a year. That’ll change when said contract expires in 2019, but for now he’s just the 45th-highest-paid player on the Tampa Bay roster.
Alexander is easily the most underpaid. That won’t be for long as he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
This season will weigh significantly in relation to Alexander’s future with the team, Joe believes. If the Bucs have yet another losing season, does he even want to come back?
Of course, there is always the franchise tag possibility.
June 10th, 2018 at 3:29 pm
If Beckwith healthy, let kwon test the market, he deserves average starting LB money but he is not Mosley or Kuechly
June 10th, 2018 at 3:33 pm
We are stacked at LB.
I would hate to see Kwon leave, but I take solace knowing we have a great core of young LBs.
June 10th, 2018 at 3:37 pm
I’d rather tag him than the other 2. The Jameis of the D can’t be allowed to leave
June 10th, 2018 at 3:42 pm
Kwon is starting to look like he’s going to be GMC 2.0 – wasted talent buried in and endless parade of garbage teams w/ nothing but a handful of pro Bowls to show for a decent career.
June 10th, 2018 at 4:39 pm
Kwon has the perfect attitude!
Most cats from Alabama take their footie serious
June 10th, 2018 at 5:00 pm
Imho, as far as the 2015 draft prospects are concerned, Winston and Alexander has definitely be top priority. ..
June 10th, 2018 at 5:15 pm
Pay the man…..let Djax, Sweezy & Gholston go….there’s gonna be plenty of money….
June 10th, 2018 at 5:27 pm
Overpaid? Underpaid? Might be mistaken, but I thought players’ salaries when they’re drafted are predetermined by the NFL’s CBA. Once a contract is struck, you’re not overpaid OR underpaid IMO, you’re merely paid what you & your employer agreed was a fair ‘wage’.
Kwon’s paid what he is, right now, for a reason, just like you said Joe: He was a 4th round pick. There are 2 primary reasons he started his rookie year IMO: (1) Lovie Smith saw Kwon’s skillset as matching up nicely with MLB duties in the Tampa Two scheme; and (2) Lovie got rid of Mason Foster after 2014 & MLB opened up. Timing is everything … If Lovie hadn’t been the Bucs’ HC, Kwon wouldn’t be playing MLB right now. If Bucs had Luke Kuechly on our roster (who we could’ve had I might add) in 2014 instead of Mason Foster, Kwon wouldn’t be playing MLB right now. Timing is everything.
I personally don’t consider Kwon to be a great MLB, but I do consider him to be an excellent LB. Would much rather see him playing outside, with Beckwith (or someone like him) playing in the middle. Not a big believer either that the MLB has to call the plays (Lavonte did that very well for a couple years as I remember).
June 10th, 2018 at 6:13 pm
He’s said to be underpaid based on production. They will find a way to sign him to a long term contract. I don’t know what some of you are smoking but he is clearly one of the better players on the defense and you don’t start over at middle linebacker especially if you have a highly productive player but simply don’t want to pay him like one, that’s a stupid reason to let someone go. But what can you expect from Tampa fans. Worst couch gm’s in the NFL reside on this website.
As a rookie everyone was calling him a steal but now he’s expendable based on salary. You don’t know how much salary he would command and idiots are already out against him…..pathetic illogical moronic fans. Sure let’s just trade him now and allow the guy coming back from ankle surgery to take his place
Beckwith came into the league with a major injury and will start another season with a major one. Get a clue or stick to Madden franchise mode
June 10th, 2018 at 6:49 pm
@ Not there yet… Bravo, and I agree with you. Thankfully, our Gm feels the same way I believe. Kwon should and will be compensated for his production, and he still has a high ceiling and is an ascending player.
June 10th, 2018 at 6:55 pm
Wow. I had no idea his salary was that low. I should’ve realized since he was a 4th round pick but that’s just crazy. He has definitely voiced out this year about being underpaid on social media. Probably because guys like Softgreaves are making more money than him which is just an insult. And when the Bucs started handing out some big contracts, Kwon was sitting there saying what about me?
I get that these guys get paid insane amounts of money to play a game, but fair is fair. Kwon puts in all the effort he has every single year. That’s what bothers me when you have guys like JPP who gets a big paycheck and joins a new team, and isn’t around early to learn the defense because he doesn’t have to be. The NFL is their job, and work ethic speaks volumes. Pay Kwon!
June 10th, 2018 at 8:57 pm
If Kwon was so great why didn’t they lock him up BEFORE the final year of his rookie contract, instead of putting him into this put up or shut up year!? Licht actually being smart here and not backing up the dump truck for this way over hyped MLB. I’m not saying Kwon is terrible but he’s very average player with some very noticeable deficiencies that are deal breakers. Beckwith needs more more 1st and 2nd down reps. I’m ok with Kwon on passing downs though. No need to break the bank on signing this guy long term. I doubt he’ll take less money and rather play the FA market. He’ll find a sucker out there.
June 10th, 2018 at 8:59 pm
Defense Rules Says:
June 10th, 2018 at 5:27 pm
Overpaid? Underpaid? Might be mistaken, but I thought players’ salaries when they’re drafted are predetermined by the NFL’s CBA.
They can redo the contract at any time. Kwon’s play hasn’t forced their hand. Licht being very smart actually with Kwon. He’s not worth the current market. I’m sorry to say this but it’s true.
June 10th, 2018 at 9:40 pm
Matador kwonie is average at best.
Offensive coordinators design plays to exploit kwonie all the time
He isnt a discipline player and you need that quality in your mlb
Paying kwonie top dollar will be almost as bad as paying MEME 17 mill per year
Kobe Faker
June 10th, 2018 at 11:16 pm
Kwon is the inspirational leader of our Defense who can make those around him better by firing them up. He also can take the defense on his back and will a win too. He can cover pass receivers as well and run sideline to sideline too. Because when Jameis fires up the team at the start of games his adrinalin level peaks too and he overthrows his WRs and starts slow, he needs to pass that job off to Kwon. We can’t let Kwon go. He is usually durable. Our other MLB backups are not durable unfortunately, and do not have Kwon’s speed and can’t cover passes too. With better DTs in front all our LBs will look even better when they are not being blocked out of running plays.
June 11th, 2018 at 5:17 am
Good post.
June 11th, 2018 at 8:52 am
Duthsty Rhothdes, that is about the worst idea I have seen in the past 24 hours…and that’s saying a lot because with some of these commenters, there are plenty to choose from.
Some people seem to forget that Kwon was the first defensive player to be added with a new attitude. He was the start of the defensive rebuild. It was his attitude that got this team fired up on defense, even if it lacked the talent in most other places to succeed.
Letting him test the market would be an idiotic thing to do. Smart money would be to lock him down now, before he plays this season, just to get him at a lower price.
Because after this season, he’ll be able to get probably double what we could get him for this year.
And Beckwith?
You know, just because we have someone who could replace Kwon…that doesn’t mean he should. You people are talking about weakening our best defensive unit here, when LVD is already on his way out the door after this year.
Beckwith is not here to replace Kwon…he is here to replace LVD.
June 11th, 2018 at 8:59 am
Kobe Faker Says:
“Offensive coordinators design plays to exploit kwonie all the time…He isnt a discipline player and you need that quality in your mlb”
Every LB was misused the last 2 years…as Mike Smith tried to make up for a horrible defensive line. They played outside the realm of their jobs. That is why the defense sucked…because of the lack of dline forcing other players out of position.
Coordinators plan against him because he was having to do things outside the responsibilities of MLB…therefore they were able to take advantage.
That will be different this year. The Defensive Line is fixed. Now, the LBs, Safeties and CBs can do their jobs the way they are supposed to…instead of trying to compensate.
So, sorry, Kobe Faker is wrong.
June 11th, 2018 at 8:59 am
Minus Donovan Smith
June 11th, 2018 at 12:38 pm
@BB
I don’t believe Kwonie is good at mentally reading keys/off plays
over reacts, out of position, misassignment’s
he free styles
June 12th, 2018 at 12:51 am
Yeah getting rid of one of the only good defenseman we’ve had the last few years on a defense that lacks playmakers (I hope for it to be much better this year!) is the height of stupidity imo. Signing good players you draft to second contracts is how you win and is generally a sign that things are starting to turn around and hopefully leads to stability. When you have to draft replacements for good players you let walk it never works out and usually leads to having to pay a guy in FA when your rookie isn’t a plug and play starter. You can’t count on draft picks working out to fill a need ESPECIALLY when you have a really good player on your roster. We don’t need to worry about saving the owners money and our salary cap guy seems top notch so pay the man. Kwon will be even better when he isn’t having to try to compensate for a terrible DL and secondary. Keep a strength a strength! Tampa LB group is Top 5 in the NFL.