It Was Planned
August 18th, 2018
All about impressions. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com)
The Bucs needed help in the secondary and this past offseason, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht addressed it big time.
In the draft, Licht selected three defensive backs with his first six picks. One was Pitt safety Jordan Whitehead. Last week in his first action on an NFL field wearing an NFL uniform, Whitehead stuck out. He was aggressive. The way the NFL has morphed into a don’t-hit-too-hard, watch-your-helmet league, Whitehead stood out.
And that’s just what the safety wanted to do.
Joe spoke with Whitehead after last week’s game and he had every intention of making sure he caught people’s eyes.
“It was my first game so I had to make a first impression,” Whitehead said of his two-tackles, two-passes-defended night in South Florida. “That was in the back of my head the whole game: Show something to the guys on this team. Show them that I am a part of this team.”
Naturally, Whitehead would like to start but with veterans and a high draft pick like Chris Conte, and Keith Tandy and Justin Evans ahead of Whitehead on the depth chart, Whitehead understands he needs to make the Bucs in other ways.
“I will do whatever it takes,” Whitehead said. “I will play special teams. I will play defense. I try to follow the older guys and try to be a leader.”
Whitehead told Joe he’s not crazy enough to believe he made the squad with just a few plays in a preseason game.
“I definitely think I did alright but I made mistakes<‘ Whitehead said. “Have to correct those.”
Whitehead has shown enough that Bucs coach Dirk Koetter even openly floated the idea of possibly starting Evans and Whitehead at safety.
As Koetter noted, don’t blame Conte.
August 18th, 2018 at 4:00 pm
Did he mean that he’ll play offense too. I thought I remembered hearing he could.
Really like this kid.
August 18th, 2018 at 4:02 pm
Love to see him bang it out the rest of the preseason! If he shows up, him and Evans could be the best two safety sets we’ve had in a long time. And his downfield, square shoulder hits are a necessity for good safeties in todays league.
August 18th, 2018 at 4:06 pm
Yeah Dooshlarue, I think Joe meant offense there as well.
August 18th, 2018 at 4:15 pm
I’ll be listening to the game on the radio….perhaps I’ll hear him tackle…..
August 18th, 2018 at 4:35 pm
This dude just seemed to have great instincts. When he gets to a play it looks like he’s there 1/2 step closer then most DBs.
It will be fun to watch and see Whitehead proove it all on him and not just the opponent.
August 18th, 2018 at 5:02 pm
Love guys that want to hit. Controlled and wreckless at same time.
Maybe he doesn’t start season opposite Evans but hope he does after a few games . And that’s nothing against the other guys. Just like watching guys that will knock a guy sideways
August 18th, 2018 at 5:09 pm
If you like Whitehead now wait until you see him carry the ball. No way he finishes this game wo at least one attempt at punt return and truth be told he may be better than RoJo at RB but wtfdik
August 18th, 2018 at 5:35 pm
Didn’t Regis contribute in the return game? Maybe let this guy take a stab at it with his drive. Rotate with djax who better be involved in that area this year hopefully
August 18th, 2018 at 5:38 pm
Starting FS for the next decade.
I called it on draft day.
He was one spot behind Saquan Barkley coming out of high school.
He is a legit NFL athlete.
August 18th, 2018 at 5:48 pm
Off topic:
Why the hell is NFL Network referring to just about every game as a
“Tilt” all of a sudden.
I know it’s an old term but it’s annoying.
It really grinds my gears.
August 18th, 2018 at 6:10 pm
TBBF why are you listening to the game on the radio? You obviously have a computer.
August 18th, 2018 at 6:12 pm
@ Doosh
” It really grinds my gears.”
A rather old saying I might say! 🙂 🙂
August 18th, 2018 at 6:19 pm
SB
Oh you whippersnapper……..
August 18th, 2018 at 6:26 pm
So I was watching the Oakland-LA game and the calls were not that bad.
A couple of roughing the QB penalties but the Raiders were just undisciplined.
Then I saw the Ram runner going left trying to find a seam in the D when the safely comes up the other end of that seam and just lights up the Ram runner….a really solid wallop. No call.
When I saw the replay the Raider safety took his shoulder and drove it right through the runner’s chest and lit him up. But no contact between helmets..kind of like an old fashioned old school tackle…plenty of momentum…drive the shoulder and light the guy up! No flag!!!
August 18th, 2018 at 7:27 pm
Bucs Bonus show is still brutal television. Yet, they still get my rating hahaha.
August 18th, 2018 at 7:28 pm
WTF???? 45 minutes to kickoff and so few comments?
August 18th, 2018 at 11:20 pm
Whitehead, will be a starter on the Bucs Def. besides Josh Evans at the Safety Poss.in 2019. Whitehead has that feel towards getting to the ball, a major steal for Bucs GM Jason Light in the 4th round of the 2018 NFLDraft. Plus, Derall Revis is his cousin. “Revis Island “ said he’s the Goods, in the Pitts. Papers, so that’s good enough for me! David Corcoran, Winter Park, Florida.