Kwon Says He’s In Talks With Bucs But “We’re Just Going To See What Happens In Free Agency”
February 25th, 2019
Kwon Alexander sounded more like a businessman and less like a Buccaneer during his recent chat with Alex Marvez and former NFL guard Alex Boone on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Joe’s got the highlights:
We all know Kwon’s story. He has missed 14 games over the past two seasons because of injuries, the last being a torn ACL that was surgically repaired in November. The timing was terrible as Kwon was in a contract year and could be a free agent in two weeks.
Kwon’s daily rehab routine is all about living the Bucs life. He’s in Tampa and working regularly at One Buc Palace, he said. And there he’s had a couple of brief chats with new head coach Bucco Bruce Arians.
But Kwon was cornered by Boone about his Bucs future, and it seems very clear that the 24-year-old former Pro Bowler is prepared to move on.
“It’s just up in the air. My agent Drew Rosenhaus is working on everything,” Kwon said. “We’re in talks with [the Bucs]. They’re talking right now. We’re just going to see what happens in free agency.”
It sure sounds like the Bucs are prepared to let Kwon test the market — and that Kwon is prepared to go shopping for a team. The negotiation window, aka legal tampering, for teams to work on signing other team’s free agents opens March 11.
So what is the market for an injured middle linebacker, the heart and soul of one of the worst NFL defenses the past two seasons, who might not be ready on opening day? Perhaps everyone involved wants to find out.
February 25th, 2019 at 10:00 am
Exactly what should be happening on both sides……and that goes for Hump too.
February 25th, 2019 at 10:01 am
I love Kwon, but he is not going to get 10 million anywhere after that knee injury. They are smart to let him test FA. I think it will bring his price down a bit when he realizes he will only get 6-8 mil somewhere else at the most. He is not going to get Bobby Wagner money.
February 25th, 2019 at 10:02 am
If some team wants to pay him 10 million a year then let him walk. He’s an average LB.
February 25th, 2019 at 10:05 am
imo, he’s only going to get a 1year prove it deal regardless whether its with the bucs or another team…..he’s not a “revis” type player coming off injury and i dont see many teams as dumb as the bucs…..
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!
February 25th, 2019 at 10:06 am
I love the kid but I don’t know that he is worth 10 million plus a year etc. That being said it doesn’t matter what I think it only takes one team to pay him what he wants… Hopefully, we are the best offer or close so he can be retained but I am glad we are not breaking the bank just because he was one of the draft picks. There is a real possibility we could end up with perceived upgrades as there is some outstanding talent in this year’s draft.
February 25th, 2019 at 10:17 am
That Kwon talk makes me think more of White at #5. That guy’s gonna be a Pro Bowler. We have to wait and see with Beckwith, which was a very serious, very sad injury. Bowels and Arians have worked with plenty of players on offense and defense around the NFL. Need to replace Kwon with an above average LB. Draft White.
February 25th, 2019 at 10:26 am
The Bucs would have to be crazy to give him anywhere near 10mil. Maybe 6 on a one year prove it deal.
February 25th, 2019 at 10:31 am
Whomever it was on here a month or so ago, that Za’Darius Smith should absolutely be our LB focus for $$ in the offseason, I agreed then, and I agree even more now. That was some ultra-smart, clairvoyant stuff. Ravens won’t be able to secure him (again) prior to March 13th.
Wise call…whomever you were!
Go Bucs!
February 25th, 2019 at 10:34 am
I am wondering about… Jack Sichy (sp). Might he be better at MLB?
February 25th, 2019 at 10:35 am
Jack Cichy that is
February 25th, 2019 at 10:36 am
Would not pay Kwon 10 million per.
February 25th, 2019 at 10:37 am
If Kwon could be signed for say $30M over 4 years with $15M guaranteed – it would be a fair deal for both sides.
The Bucs would be taking a chance with that kind of commitment – mainly because of the uncertainty about Kwon’s knee and how quickly he would be able to come back and play effectively this year – coming off a major injury just 4 1/2 months ago….
Sure Kwon would have gotten more if he had not gotten injured and finished his contract year with strong play – but that’s not how it went down….
Missing multiple games in 3 of his 4 seasons is not helping Alexander’s negotiating position one bit either….
$30M ($7.5M per) with at least a 2 year commitment is the proper range for this player at this time. And I hope Kwon realizes this instead of believing Rosenhaus who is likely telling him to shoot for $10M per. That ain’t happening! No NFL team is going to make that kind of investment in a player coming off a very recent major injury – when his tape over 4 years shows too much suspect decision making and an inability to disengage from blockers too often…
I love Kwon’s passion for the game and believe he will get better and better as a player over the next few years. Especially since he would be playing in a more “attacking” scheme that Bowles will be employing.
But if Kwon Alexander stays in Tampa Bay – it has be at a reasonable price.
$7-8M per year – all things considered – is the right price.
I seriously doubt he will get much more than that from another NFL team…
Hopefully both Licht and Kwon want to get a deal done to bring him back – and can come to an agreement that is fair to both sides.
February 25th, 2019 at 10:37 am
5-6 million tops
If any teams offers him more he better take it
February 25th, 2019 at 10:39 am
“LOL
Kwon will be out of the league in 2 years
worst instincts and undisciplined defensive player in the NFL”
Kobe Faker
February 25th, 2019 at 10:47 am
good for him. I’m sure it’s extra motivation to get rehabbed quickly as well.
If they low ball him cause he got hurt and he is healthy, he should walk and give em the finger
February 25th, 2019 at 10:53 am
Kwon could be expendable, in part, because he’s not dependable- between being popped for PEDs and the injuries, he simply can’t stay on the field. When he’s healthy, man, there are times when he really flashes…but there are also times when he seems completely lost (bad angles, swallowed by blockers, a beat behind in coverage). He’s able to compensate, to a degree, with a huge heart and motor, but that might not be enough. Consider too that Devin White > Kwon and may be sitting there at our pick.
February 25th, 2019 at 10:55 am
one year prove it deal at best, IMO
February 25th, 2019 at 11:04 am
What’s the Bucs win loss record with Kwon?… I thought so.
February 25th, 2019 at 11:04 am
I agree @Pickgrin….. He’ll test the FA market, nobody will pay him what they are asking for because he’s damaged goods and can’t seem to stay healthy. They’ll probably end up renegotiating when nobody bites and we’ll get him at a lower more reasonable price….hopefully… if not i wish him well.
February 25th, 2019 at 11:12 am
Trade back and pick Devin White
February 25th, 2019 at 11:12 am
Jack Cichy? Talk about injury problems. Snapped his leg in half twice in the past two years. One being his first play in the NFL regular season if I recall.
February 25th, 2019 at 11:18 am
Translation they aren’t offering me what I want or think I’m worth.
February 25th, 2019 at 11:27 am
If a MLB is getting $10M they better be all-pro types.
If a MLB is getting $7.5+M they better be making some pro bowls or be top starters.
Kwon is a marginal starter who has made one pro bowl in 4 years as an alternate and missed time due to injury and suspension. He has been a liability in coverage / assignments and has had a ton of missed tackles.
PFF grades of Kwon the last few years:
2015: 31.6 grade
2016: 77.3 grade
2017: can’t find it
2018: 59.1 grade (65th best LB)
The Bobby Wagners / Luke Keuchly types that top the LB rankings typically rate in the 90s for comparison.
If he wants anything more than $4-5M per year move on. Love the guy’s personality but let’s be real here.
February 25th, 2019 at 11:27 am
If they are ‘in talks’, then that means the Bucs are making an effort to sign him and Drew is listening.
Or there would not be ‘talks’.
It’ll work out.
February 25th, 2019 at 11:37 am
sure does feel like devin white if josh allen isn’t there at 5. Hope they are depending on a injured beckwith who hasn’t been since the 17 season. Kwon is crazy if he thinks he is getting a ton of cash coming back from ACL and also an inconsistent player… Has good passion but isnt always available for games etc ijs
February 25th, 2019 at 11:42 am
Hump has a market but Alexander not so much
February 25th, 2019 at 11:44 am
Sign him please
February 25th, 2019 at 12:06 pm
Lord C nailed it. And for heaven’s sake, if Bucs do sign him, don’t use him as a MLB. He’s one of the key reasons IMO why eaten up in the middle so much these past couple of years. Bucs need a Hardy Nickerson type who’s gonna lock down the middle of the field.
February 25th, 2019 at 12:09 pm
That’s about what I expected, let the market determine his worth. I’d love to have him back but not for 10 mil a yr unless it’s an incentive based deal that could potentially hit 10 mil.
February 25th, 2019 at 12:24 pm
Good Player. But not 10m good.
February 25th, 2019 at 12:48 pm
Move on. Sign ex Bowles front 7 pieces and draft Devin White ILB or target guys like the Clemson/Alabama LBs in R3 if there
February 25th, 2019 at 12:58 pm
If we can replace Kwon in free agency with someone like Anthony Barr, that would be great, Barr is someone who is not being talked about as much as he should. Great size great speed and great fit. He would make an imiditate impact on this team.
February 25th, 2019 at 12:58 pm
Defense Rules as much as I like Kwon I cannot ignore what you are saying about our defense getting throttled right over the middle.
Could easily see Bowles looking at our LBs and decided they need to be completely rebuilt. Clean flush.
And even if they did want Kwon they could be looking at a guy that won’t be available the first quarter+ of the season……….I also ask to to go back and rewatch the first few games Kwon played when he got back from injury in 2017. He was atrocious. Ansolutely pathetic for a good 2-3 games…………If that’s what I think I’m buying for an entire half of a season there’s no way.
Maybe it could fly if you had a Top Flight defense that could handle a key injury. But the Bucs got the worst defense in league history. No way we can be trotting out of the Gates on Week 1 with backs already playing key positions.
February 25th, 2019 at 1:32 pm
D needs a re set. Perfect opportunity to move on. I am sick of every year starting off with a key player sidelined due to suspension (Martin and jameis) or injury.
Let the jets overpay for him
As they move to a 4-3 defense. I love the kid out of LSU, and if we could trade back to snag him that would be great.
February 25th, 2019 at 1:46 pm
Can anyone think of a time when a starting MLB was out and the defense played a lot better? I can’t. Usually, losing a starting MLB is a crippling blow to the D. I’d pass on Kwon. Even at 5 million. There’s something going on. Is it lack of discipline? Lack of football IQ? Bad coaching? But it can’t all be bad coaching because his replacement sure as hell didn’t suffer the same fate.
February 25th, 2019 at 2:03 pm
WillieG Says:
“Can anyone think of a time when a starting MLB was out and the defense played a lot better? I can’t.”
———–
I am a big fan of Kwon, but that is unfortunately an excellent point, WillieG. — I would love to see how Bowles would utilize Kwon and to see him truly develop into the best that he can be. I am just not sure we are going to get that chance.
February 25th, 2019 at 2:20 pm
No way he misses too many tackles and gets beat trying to cover.
February 25th, 2019 at 2:53 pm
You are off base Willie
Kwon’s injury coincided almost exactly with Smitty’s departure.
The entire defense was playing historically bad the first 5 games. That obviously wasn’t soley because Kwon was the MLB during that period. LOL
As soon as Duffner took over – the entire defense started to play better. Kwon was having a good game in fact the day he blew out his knee.
Its quite the stretch to say the defense was better BECAUSE Kwon was injured and out for the season. I guarantee you every single member of that Buccaneers defense last year would laugh at that assertion…
Kwon Alexander was very much considered the “leader” of the Bucs defense last year – and it was a huge blow to the entire team’s psyche when they saw him get injured like that. I’ll also guarantee that every member of the Bucs defense wants Kwon back on this team in 2019 if the business end of things can be worked out.
February 25th, 2019 at 3:05 pm
Defense Rules
“And for heaven’s sake, if Bucs do sign him, don’t use him as a MLB.”
He shouldn’t of been playing MLB the minute Beckwith walked in and started showing his stuff. But of course…Dirk and Smitty always making the right decisions on where to put and keep players (i.e. Benenoch the entire year).
February 25th, 2019 at 3:14 pm
Pay Alexander as a middlin’, undersized Sam with bad instincts and pursuit angles…which is what he is.
The Bucs #1 problem of defense was the inability to consistently stop the run, and Alexander as MLB is the “heart and soul” of that clusterf@<k failure.
Look, Hardy Nickerson and Mr. Derrick Brooks were also "heart and souls"…and got cut. And both of those guy in their last season were better than Alexander at his best.
February 25th, 2019 at 3:17 pm
@Pickgrin: Duffner’s defense was barely marginally better than Smiths.
Saying the defense played better under Duffner is like saying a s#!t sammich is better than a runny diarrhea stew.
Both were historically terrible.
February 25th, 2019 at 3:23 pm
Stats as well as the eyeball test show that the Bucs Defense improved significantly under Duffner’s guidance.
They were still bottom 1/3rd in the league – granted – but they weren’t the worst defense in the history of the game – which is exactly where Smitty had them headed for….
February 25th, 2019 at 3:23 pm
That picture right there is what is wrong with the Bucs and Kwon Alexander. The f-ing Bucs defense got absolutely roasted by the Bears, the same defense Kwon calls plays for and he’s got the balls to talk trash to Trubisky. Kwon is all woof no bite. On the same field Butkus and Singletary and Urlacher played on, those guys are linebackers. Kwon is a wannabe.
For that reason alone I hope the Bucs move on from him. The Bucs can find anybody to shoot their mouth off but lay down on the field.
February 25th, 2019 at 3:27 pm
@Pickgrin: Tampa fans need better than “we didn’t suck at the bottom, we were bottom 1/3.”
February 25th, 2019 at 3:38 pm
^^ Damn Jimmy, how did you get the audio to play on that picture? – I can’t get it to work.
February 25th, 2019 at 3:42 pm
I’m with you 100% on that Cobraboy.
That’s why BA is here. And he brought Bowles with him.
There will be major major changes on the defensive side of the ball this year. Bowles don’t play. His defenses always get after it. Whoever is still here from last year will benefit in this shift from a passive style of defending – to a very aggressive one. The back 7 in particular!
February 25th, 2019 at 4:47 pm
At least Kwon is one of the guys who hates losing, I’d keep him. Fast and furious. I’d like to see what he can do in an aggressive defense like Bowles.
February 25th, 2019 at 5:13 pm
Hit the road Kwon. He isn’t worth the money he’s looking for. He has some closing speed but his instincts are junk. He was a major part of a failed defense and won’t be missed. He’s in the bottom third of NFL linebackers. Seeya
February 25th, 2019 at 7:35 pm
I think I would rather have Sean Lee. I think we need a player that can diagnose passing plays better.
February 25th, 2019 at 7:49 pm
Kwon is a marginal LB with a big mouth that can’t back up his self hype. The guy is constantly out of position,can’t tackle, can’t cover, and is easily sealed off on running plays. Every once in awhile he has a splash play, but it isn’t enough to cover for his mediocre play and injuries.
I really am unable to understand why the guy is a fan favorite ? Let him walk.
February 25th, 2019 at 8:49 pm
And that red hair is ridiculous
February 25th, 2019 at 10:06 pm
Pick,
Forget this past season. Look at last year when Beckwith was in vs when Kwon came back.
I’m not knocking Kwon because I don’t think putting him at Mike was the best match for his experience and skill set. At Mike He’s not all that great or good. Put him in at will or MO in a 3 4 where he can use his speed and instincts to succeed. By reducing the areas that are exposed at mike. If a guy takes bad angles, put him in a spot that significantly narrows angles and depends more on speed to the ball or spot. It’s not crazy modern or innovative thinking . Coaches want to put players in positions that plays to their strengths and hides their weaknesses. We know what Kwon isn’t doing well, so why the phuc keep him in that spot.
Asking for major improvement is harder than shifting his position to a more favorable spot.
Not many, read none, comments about LVD in pass coverage. He’s absolutely dreadful, BUT he can still play, so move him to Sam and Kwon outside.
February 26th, 2019 at 8:05 am
4-5 million a year and not a penny over
February 26th, 2019 at 11:59 am
Look at Kwon in this pick, he’s the same size as the Q.B. standing next to him. Probably not much faster then him either, now he’s coming off an ACL. White is taller, faster, hits harder, and would come on a rookie friendly contract for the next four years. Don’t over pay for below average, let Kwon go.
February 26th, 2019 at 9:06 pm
Sounds like Kwon is gone
February 28th, 2019 at 6:43 am
I love Kwon LiTIRilla but I think Devin White at 5 or trade down a bit an somehow still get him would be amazing with Kwon an LVD an I really Hope Beckwith can come back he really had a great rookie season let’s be honest LSU has been great for the Bucs with LBs GoBucs GoKwon GoWhite