Antoine Winfield Says He’s A Different Player
August 21st, 2024
Changed man.
So what’s the difference between Antoine Winfield of 2024 and the rookie Winfield who ended the 2020 season flashing the deuces in the face of Cheetah Hill and running off the field of The Licht House a world champion?
Well, after signing a four-year deal worth some $84 million, obviously Winfield turned into a very wealthy young man.
Appearing this week on the SiriusXM NFL Radio training camp tour, Winfield was asked if he is a different player (aside from his fat wallet). Winfield said there is no doubt he’s a changed player.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. That just comes with experience,” Winfield said, noting each season he’s a different player. “Each and every year you gain a little more knowledge of the game, knowledge of myself, my body and things like that.
“It’s all fun. It’s crazy that I’m going into my fifth year already. Time flies but it is a blessing. I’m happy to be out here and playing football.”
Joe would argue Winfield has improved each year. It wasn’t like he was bad in 2020. Hell, he was making plays then.
Remember the divisional round playoff at New Orleans when he punched the ball out of Jared Cook’s arms? The slimy Saints looked like they were going to take a commanding lead and Winfield forced that fumble and turned the game around.
Winfield was a true game-changer at safety last season (6 sacks, 6 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions) and Joe hasn’t seen that level of play since Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu played.
There is a reason why Winfield is an All-Pro and the highest-paid defensive back in the game.
Yeah, Winfield has changed. He’s gone from very good to great.
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August 21st, 2024 at 4:16 am
If anybody deserves to have a league of his own fanbois it’s this guy right here. No need for moxie or spirit but straight up baller. Following in his daddy’s footsteps. One of Lichts best players drafted
August 21st, 2024 at 4:20 am
I remember when we drafted him and I thought he was too slow. DOH! So happy for him. He’s a cool cat and a great young man. We got ourselves a baller! Go Bucs
August 21st, 2024 at 7:02 am
@Drunkinybor
I wanted him when he was coming out. I liked him when he was at Minnesota.
August 21st, 2024 at 7:25 am
Belichick was on McAfee explaining how things worked when he was at the Patriots.
He said that there is not much of a change in a player between year 4 and 5 except that they cost more and take up a bigger share of the Cap. They couldn’t keep some players that they wanted to because the money was just not there. Some teams have to put it on the credit card and that eventually comes due.
Winfield’s deal is in part the reason that the Bucs had to settle for Whitehead at 4.5 million when there were others out there that are better and available at 8 million.
Hopefully they can compliment each other and run down the young running backs that might fake the other out of their sneekers.
Winfield will be a different player in 2024 but it’s mostly just a 19 million dollar difference.
August 21st, 2024 at 7:50 am
I’m sorry, no NFL played is a ‘World Champion’ if they play a sport that only played in NA and a league that only host teams from the US. American ignorance has always been strong with this detail.
August 21st, 2024 at 7:57 am
I argued with someone that Antoine Winfield was better than Gran Delpit coming out of the 2020 draft and they said i was clueless and would see .
Well I still think he’s better than Delpit . And I do see.
August 21st, 2024 at 8:16 am
@Half_Sac Really? American exceptionalism is what you took away from this article? I just thought it was about Antoine.
August 21st, 2024 at 8:19 am
Great player, great young man, great ambassador for our team and area. Go Bucs!!
August 21st, 2024 at 8:36 am
Belichick was on McAfee explaining how things worked when he was at the Patriots.
He said that there is not much of a change in a player between year 4 and 5.
That is why we should not have picked up Winston’s year 5 and instead, just drafted Josh Allen.
Ok, that was only after year 3, not 4. But boy, we had that one in our mitts and just did not pull the trigger.
August 21st, 2024 at 8:45 am
Half_Sac… it American Football. Is there another football league somewhere else where their season champion can beat our Super Bowl winner? The reason they don’t hold that game is because we would win 70 to 0. It would be fun to see the Super Bowl winner play the winner of the CFL, once again it would look like Alabama against a division 2 school. In other sports you might have a point, a European basketball team euro champion
(if they had one) would do better against the NBA champion team but there aren’t any other legitimate leagues in other countries that play American football. So using the term “World Champion” is accurate IMO. There’s really no arrogance there, it’s common sense.
Also, looked up Grant Delpits stats. The only area he’s come close to Antoine in the past few years is interceptions and Antoine still has one more than he does. In every other category Winfield owns him. Forced fumbles and fumble recoveries are a joke to even compare.
August 21st, 2024 at 11:14 am
HalfSac obviously is half-brain also. What a maroon.
August 21st, 2024 at 11:16 am
Meanwhile, not since Ronde’ Barber have the Bucs had such a difference maker in the secondary, and he and we are delighted to have Whitehead back.
August 21st, 2024 at 12:06 pm
Half sac is aptly named.
August 21st, 2024 at 12:07 pm
Those goal line saves were outstanding effort.
August 21st, 2024 at 12:45 pm
I hope this season is his best yet!
August 21st, 2024 at 2:01 pm
Love 31. Deff one of my favorite safteys right up there with John lynch. 31 paired with whitehead is going to be lethal. Whitehead will smash you and Winfield will cover you like a blanket and take the ball away. If Zyon can step his game up and Dean stay healthy that’s a huge IF then we just might be back to gravedigger status
August 21st, 2024 at 2:31 pm
Zyon has me worried so far. So does the rest of the backup brigade.
Hopium that Todd is keeping The Big Surprise hidden, to be released in WFT like pepper spray
August 21st, 2024 at 3:50 pm
Empty Sack carry your tea and crumpets eating, Foosball and rugby watching and queens English speaking butt back across the pond! This is America jack and we name our sports the way we want. If you had beat us back in 1776 and 1812 then we’d all be like you Brit boxes In the NFL world the winner is WORLD CHAMPION! If we want your slanted youropeon opinion about American culture we’ll give it to you. America is always great!
August 21st, 2024 at 4:11 pm
Pretty sure he sealed the win for us against the Giants that season too. And maybe the Panthers or Falcons last year?
August 21st, 2024 at 5:45 pm
@Half_Sac:
As Football Fans our worlds revolve around Football 24/7/365, hence…”World Champions”
August 21st, 2024 at 10:49 pm
DavidBigBuc —. Well said.