“May Be A Better Version”
July 2nd, 2019
Secondary X-factor
Some people would argue the Bucs lost their two best defensive players this offseason, along with two receivers who combined for 117 catches, 1,590 yards and nine touchdowns.
How does a team overcome that?
A former defensive player himself, FOX and NFL Network voice Charles Davis, served up answers yesterday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Davis was adamant that the underrated X-factor for the Tampa Bay defense is Vita Vea because it will make an incredible difference if he can team with Ndamukong Suh to stuff the run in a division that loves to pound the rock with superstar running backs.
Joe’s not too worried about Vea the player, only his health. Until he proves he can go a full season, then that remains a major question mark.
Davis added that if Suh and Vea are effective run-stuffers, then the great speed in the Bucs’ back-7 will come to life and be effective. He believes rookie savior linebacker Devin White “may be a better version” of Kwon Alexander.
That take got Joe turning the Bill Currie Ford around and driving to the liquor store immediately. White better make more of an impact than Alexander. Yeah, Joe realizes that might take a year, and that’s ok with Joe, though it might drive the angry, impatient fans to lose hope in a hurry.
As for the Bucs offense, Davis is confident the Bucs could and should be dominant with Bruce Arians taking over. For Davis, there’s only one big X-factor there, cutting Jameis Winston’s turnovers.
July 2nd, 2019 at 10:23 am
Don’t worry Joe, LVD got KWON in position as a rookie. IMO , it won,t be quite as nessesary with Devin White.
July 2nd, 2019 at 10:28 am
kwon was playing out of position….
and even with that he still produced and made a pro bowl…..had kwon stayed healthy he still may be a buc but thats another topic for another day….
regarding d.white, i think he’ll make a lot of tackles….he does tend to arm tackle a little to much and im a little worried about his ball skills but he’s going to be the least of our worries…..
GO BUCS!!!!!
July 2nd, 2019 at 10:34 am
Any word on Kwon’s Rehab?
I can’t imagine him playing at full speed when we meet them in the first game.
July 2nd, 2019 at 11:08 am
@ Todd. I had the pleasure of spending some time withKwon around his birthday and he told me personally that he has every intention of playing week one in Tampa. If you guys remember, the arm-tackling was a concern for Keon when he came out and he turned out okay. Keep in mind that Devin isn’t a finished product. Hopefully come the fall he’s just as good if not better than his predecessor
July 2nd, 2019 at 11:09 am
*Kwon; damn you autocorrect
July 2nd, 2019 at 11:34 am
White is a better version of Kwon?
No SHIZ. That’s why this coaching staff is so high on him. Yet Joe still can’t wrap his head around why White is getting so much put on his shoulders.
Its because great players can handle it. They’re not soft like McCoy.
Its yet to be determined if White can handle it, but you don’t know until you try.
July 2nd, 2019 at 11:35 am
Just a “better version” of Kwon Alexander!
He will be light years better than Alexander who had a lot of missed tackles (just as he did in his college film that I saw).
July 2nd, 2019 at 11:37 am
Kwon missed a LOT of tackles and was routinely out of position. Devin still has to prove his worth but if he makes half the tackles Kwon missed, we should be OK!
July 2nd, 2019 at 11:44 am
Yes. Because it’s always sound logic to bank on the hopes of a rookie who has never taken a snap in an NFL padded practice to single-handedly turn around an entire defense when you can’t put pressure on a quarterback. Gambles like this are why there are unemployed coaches, unemployed GMs and why companies like MGM Resorts have such nice buildings along the Las Vegas strip.
Not sure if you are aware, but Devin White is going to be facing Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Matty Ice, Devonta Freeman, Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey twice a year beginning this fall, not Nick Fitzgerald, Scottie Phillips, Kellen Mond and Kylin Hill.
July 2nd, 2019 at 11:48 am
If it were up to Joe, the Bucs would trade their entire draft every year for past their prime overpriced veterans , except the no 1 pick which would be used on a pass rushing DLineman every year .
The only decent player Bucs lost during off season was JPP to injury.
DJax – they couldn’t afford and other issues and Humphries is replaceable and not essential to winning.
They’re not winning SB this year, but they will be better so let’s enjoy the improvement.
July 2nd, 2019 at 11:54 am
Good one Joe. Bucs fans are ‘angry’ and ‘impatient’ and we ‘lose hope in a hurry’? Are you sure that it’s Bucs’ fans you’re talking about? It actually that sounds more like it could be the opening line in your autobiography. Anyone who remains a steadfast Bucs’ fan after what we’ve been through since 1976 could probably serve as Webster’s definition of ‘patient’ and ‘hopeful’.
For his part, Charles Davis sounds ‘hopeful’. But it’s not just Vita Vea who’s an X-factor, assuming that X represents ‘the unknown’. IMO, Lavonte is about the only ‘known’ factor on our defense. Suh comes in a close second, but after his interview about stepping it up & showing up big in the playoffs, I started wondering which player we’ll be getting if this team hits on hard times to start the season. Hopefully that doesn’t come to pass. The rest of our defense though is pretty much a question mark at this point … some excellent talent IMO but none of us have seen the pieces in action yet. My personal HOPE lies in Todd Bowles & his assistant coaches, that they can mold this talented group into a finely-tuned machine.
July 2nd, 2019 at 11:57 am
Bucs have not had a linebacker with intelligence or potential since nickerson left the building… comparing white to kwon who along with cancer93 led some of the most embarrassing defensive units in nfl history is a total disservice to white. Raise your standards people kwon was garbage player with a big mouth who did nothing but whiff on tackles and collect basement titles with batgirl and his mentally weak sidekick lvd.
July 2nd, 2019 at 11:58 am
@Joe … “Because it’s always sound logic to bank on the hopes of a rookie who has never taken a snap in an NFL padded practice to single-handedly turn around an entire defense when you can’t put pressure on a quarterback.”
Reverse that and isn’t that exactly what we did to Jameis back in 2015? Put all our hopes on a rookie to turn around an entire FRANCHISE? Kinda seems like you were all for it in Jameis’ case. Oops, I forgot … in America’s QB’s case. My bad.
July 2nd, 2019 at 12:01 pm
Comparing a quarterback with an inside linebacker? 🤦
Lemme guess, you are one of those “Remember the Titans” types who believes a guard and a safety are equally if not more important than a quarterback?
July 2nd, 2019 at 12:05 pm
Speaking of ways to get better after losing some players to free agency. I wonder if the Bucs will put in a 3rd round pick for WSU Safety Jalen Thompson. I really liked what I saw in Evans his rookie year and like the idea of he and Edwards prowling in the backend for years to come but I’m not sure if he will ever fully recover from his toe injury. Thompson is a lot like but probably even better then Edwards. He probably would have gone early 3rd this year and probably 2nd next draft had his eligibility not gotten pulled. I believe it was for over the counter supplements.
July 2nd, 2019 at 12:10 pm
For what it’s worth…..I have spoken with many LSU fans……every single one of them claim (with enthusiasm) that Devin White is much better than Deion Jones and far better than Kwon……they marvel at his closing speed while making tackles and are impressed with his leadership.
There is no hesitation from them on this player…….
July 2nd, 2019 at 12:11 pm
Diesel—
Thanks for that insight. I love Kwon, but hope he doesn’t play. Why risk injury coming back too soon. If he does play, I hope he plays like he just came off a horrific knee injury and we demonstrate he should be benched quickly.
So that he doesn’t get re-injured.
July 2nd, 2019 at 12:16 pm
JPP is still in a neck brace.
Forget about him helping this year.
July 2nd, 2019 at 12:23 pm
“Comparing a quarterback with an inside linebacker?” Seems like I’ve seen the word ‘savior’ applied to both in previous JBF articles, but I might be wrong. ‘Remember the Titans’ was a good movie BTW.
July 2nd, 2019 at 12:43 pm
“Remember the Titans” was a fantastic movie. But it took place in Virginia high school football in 1971. Hardly the NFL in 2019.
July 2nd, 2019 at 1:01 pm
I don’t understand why Joe has reservations about White’s rookie season in comparison to Alexander’s? It’s not like Alexander had the only patent on making an impact in his rookie season. From all the pre draft hype from many Buc fans, White will make Alexander a distant memory and is a superstar in the making.
July 2nd, 2019 at 1:03 pm
I don’t know Joe. That 1971 team might’ve been able to put some points on last year’s Bucs’ defense.
July 2nd, 2019 at 1:05 pm
I am stunned I agree with tmaxcon.
Alexander shows the deep pit that most casual Bucs fans have fallen to consider the Red Rooster even an average player.
Addition by subtraction.
I hope to never see the number of bad angles and whiffs, along with on-field “look at me” antics after making an average, routine play we witnessed with Alexander the last three seasons.
I hope he plays, but not to get reinjured. I want him to play because he’s easy to snooker and beat.
July 2nd, 2019 at 1:08 pm
Was Keon really that good? Umm, no. Average LB with a torn ACL. I’d say the Bucs got a lot better at LB.
July 2nd, 2019 at 1:23 pm
When comparing teams of different eras it’s all relative. The ‘72 dolphins would go 0-14 (16) in today’s league. The players are bigger, stronger, faster and better athletes. The compartmental coaching, training and complexity in schemes help raise the level of play too. Not to mention the millions of dollars made.
I get that you’re joking D.R. I was just watching the top ten teams of all times on NFL Network the other day and all the old teams looked tiny and unfit compared to today’s players.
July 2nd, 2019 at 1:42 pm
Joe says “Yes. Because it’s always sound logic to bank on the hopes of a rookie who has never taken a snap in an NFL”
Were was all that logic expecting a Rookie QB to come in and raise the play of those players around him? Oline, Wide receivers, Running backs. Remember how the most NFL ready QB in the draft in decades has progressed, the sad part is we are still waiting for it to happen in that Rookie QB’S fifth season.
I do hope he has success this season. We need it. I am just not counting on it.
Go Bucs!!!
July 2nd, 2019 at 2:05 pm
Joe is whining again because he isnt the gm of the bucs and this year he finally can’t contain his disdain for not being listened to. At least there have been less mccoy articles.
July 2nd, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Kwon is good, not great, and if White is even 75% of what folks are hyping him up to be, he will be a huge improvement over “row the boat, dancing machine” Kwon. Unless Kwon all of sudden learns how to tackle better and starts getting more turnovers, Lynch will regret giving him such a big contract.
July 2nd, 2019 at 4:06 pm
“Because it’s always sound logic to bank on the hopes of a rookie who has never taken a snap in an NFL padded practice”
Joe – Hate to break it to you but it happens ALL the time in the NFL with high draft picks. Especially QBs. He’s the 5th pick in the draft. Not a 4th rounder that the Bucs are hoping can lead the defense. Again, LB is the easiest position on defense to transition from college to pro.
July 2nd, 2019 at 4:19 pm
Just curious but does anyone think that Devin White could be the next Luke Kuechly?
Look how Kuechly solidified and anchored the Panthers defense almost immediately.
July 2nd, 2019 at 5:21 pm
^^^ that’s exactly what I’m expecting.
July 2nd, 2019 at 6:17 pm
12 of last 20 defensive rookie of the year winners…. Linebackers.
By no means saying White is a sure thing. But this crap where Joe questions why a team is putting so much on a rookie’s shoulder is ridiculous.
July 2nd, 2019 at 7:27 pm
Joe sounds like a drunks using the bucs as his excuse to drink..get help joe or that liver won’t last much longer
July 2nd, 2019 at 8:14 pm
If White can be who people think he is, him and Lavonte are both gonna kill it this year.