Robert Saleh Says He Can Get More Out Of Jordan Whitehead
March 28th, 2022
Former Bucs safety Jordan Whitehead
Interesting take from Jets head coach and defensive guru Robert Saleh.
Joe is patrolling the NFL owners meetings this week searching for answers to anything and everything Bucs.
This morning, Joe hit up the Jets head coach to ask about his new safety, former Bucs bone-crushing Super Bowl safety Jordan Whitehead.
Saleh said that Whitehead’s versatility with the Bucs might have limited his high-level execution.
“You know with Jordan, he did a lot of different things in Tampa, played corner, played nickel, played safety, did a lot of different things that shows he has the mental aptitude to be able to handle a big workload. He’s going to play one spot [with the Jets] and do a handful of things. I’m really excited to see where he can go when he’s asked to do the same thing over and over and over again,” Saleh said.
“Everyone’s different philosophically, but honing in on a position where he can put himself on repeat, we always feel like a guy can maximize and really take his game to another level. And with how instinctive he is, when he’s seeing the same things over and over again, it’ll allow him to trigger a lot faster.
Saleh is known for being a defensive guru, but that doesn’t mean he is smarter than Todd Bowles. Bucs defensive backs are known for learning a complex scheme and having many diverse roles under Bowles.
It seems Saleh believes that level of diversity limits production.
Enjoy Today’s Ira Kaufman Podcast
March 28th, 2022 at 10:39 am
Whitehead will do just fine in New York. He’s a real football player. And I agree with their coach that getting him to do one thing will hone his craft even more.
March 28th, 2022 at 10:43 am
Not smarter, just uses players differently. All the best to Whitehead.
March 28th, 2022 at 10:45 am
One of my favorite bucs. Sucks he is gone
Stay strong for jets cause you will need it
March 28th, 2022 at 10:53 am
Saleh is the head coach of the Jets. It won’t matter how good of a coach he is.
March 28th, 2022 at 10:57 am
Whitehead will regret his decision to leave shortly. The Jets will be eliminated by mid season.
March 28th, 2022 at 10:58 am
Was a good player here – but it’s not financially possible to keep them all.
March 28th, 2022 at 11:02 am
When he’s healthy he can hit, that’s for sure
March 28th, 2022 at 11:07 am
I think we made a mistake letting him go, and at the same time I realize the conundrum, couldn’t afford to bring everyone back at the prices available externally. I just wish we would have tried. No offer — strange.
March 28th, 2022 at 11:23 am
I think his lack of versatility was his downfall in Tampa if he was as versital as the bucs would have wanted him to be they would have found the money to keep him he isn’t getting crazy money with the jets.
March 28th, 2022 at 11:27 am
Bucs hard hitting enforcers prior 22 season:
Whitehead
Kwon
Dj swearinger
Mark Barron
Jermaine Phillips
John lynch
What do they all have in common, they all hit hard. What else Bucs let them all walk when the contract ended/traded
March 28th, 2022 at 11:37 am
…. Maybe ‘that level of versalitility’ is why our DB’s look so confused/lost so often… ???
I mean, seriouslu. Have you EVER seen (supposedly quality) DB’s play together for multiple seasons and still not be able to communicate/coordinate with each other effectively? I’m growing to loathe our scheme to a certain degree; at least in regard to the DB’s…
March 28th, 2022 at 12:26 pm
Bucs backend coverage doesn’t really appear to be smarter in anyway because the bucs secondary is TURRIBLE; maybe take some of Saleh’s tips on that area
March 28th, 2022 at 12:29 pm
Look forward to watching Jordan Whitehead and see if doing the same thing over and over makes a difference, he was already good so he will have to light it up to be better.
March 28th, 2022 at 12:49 pm
Well said Hodad! “Used differently.”
Unlike a certain former RB who had issues, I expect Whitehead to be a decent player with the Jets.
March 28th, 2022 at 12:57 pm
jets is jets
March 28th, 2022 at 1:09 pm
Interesting difference in defensive philosophy: ‘It seems Saleh believes that level of diversity limits production’.
The Jets last winning season was 2015, when they went 10-6 under, oh ya, Todd Bowles. Since then they’ve gone 5-11, 5-11, 4-12 (all under Todd Bowles with Mike Maccagnan as GM), 7-9 & 2-14 (under Adam Gase with Joe Douglas as GM), and 4-13 (under Robert Saleh, still with Joe Douglas as GM).
Their defensive rankings: 2015 – #9; 2016 – #28; 2017 – #22; 2018 – #29; 2019 – #16; 2020 – #26; 2021 – #32. Oh ya, last year’s #32 ranking was the Jets’ first using Saleh’s defensive philosophy. And BTW, he changed their defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3 so MAYBE there’s a learning curve. Oh forgot to mention; Jets gave up 504 total points last season using Saleh’s defense. Not quite 30 PPG average, but within 1 TD of being that bad. Jets haven’t exactly been a defensive powerhouse over these past 5-6 years; certainly not one to model ourselves after.
Thanks but I’ll stick with Todd Bowles’ 3-4 hybrid defense. It may well be more demanding on the players, but my gut feel is that Bucs’ defensive players are selected based on their versatility, and especially in the Secondary. Guys like Logan Ryan, Mike Edwards & Antoine Winfield all seem to be pretty sharp DBs. I wanted Jordan Whitehead back too, but signing Logan Ryan took the sting out of that loss pretty quickly. He’s gonna be a helluva leader back there.
March 28th, 2022 at 1:17 pm
Sort of like the old adage, “Jack of all trades, Master of none”?
March 28th, 2022 at 2:50 pm
Yeah, whatever. The Jets have stunk for a long time and will continue to stink.
March 28th, 2022 at 3:15 pm
Of course he states he’ll get more production from Whitehead…..he’s paying for it……
March 28th, 2022 at 3:46 pm
Can not blame the young man for going for the money. Most nfl careers are relatively short compared to regular jobs. Got to make some hay while the sun shines. I quickly learned in my engineering job I was always worth more to a new employer who had a bigger need. It’s smart to ride a fresh horse to a bigger payday. I am retired now but in my younger days I moved every 3 to 4 years as my job experience became worth more than my formal education. Guys with 3 years of good experience and results are often worth more than the home team is willing to pay.
March 28th, 2022 at 6:19 pm
I would expect more out of him. I love Whitehead, sad to see him go, but his coverage was somewhat average. He’s young still, I expect that to improve
March 28th, 2022 at 9:40 pm
Lets see, Saleh, lost a Super Bowl to the “KC Mahome Boys”, and Todd Bowles orchastrated the “beatdown of P Mahomes life” in the Super Bowl.
T Bowles > Saleh
And how long will Saleh last, before J Whitehead is playing for another Head Coach of the Jets?
GO BUCS!!!!!!
March 29th, 2022 at 2:22 pm
Saleh comes from the Seahawks defensive mindset, play simple defense & that allows players to play faster. The Dungy mindset & he’s not wrong, but it remains to be seen if simple is the way to go most times. That’s what makes Bowles great, confuse offenses.