Deeper Study From Jordan Whitehead
August 5th, 2024
Hard to believe it’s safety Jordan Whitehead’s seventh NFL season.
It almost seems like yesterday that then-defensive coordinator Mike Smith labeled him a heat-seeking missile.
It didn’t take long for Whitehead to find his way into the starting lineup. Chris Conte’s embarrassing demise helped open the door.
As most Bucs fans know, Whitehead was a 2020 postseason hero but left in free agency after the 2021 season. He spent two years with the ferocious Jets defense before re-signing with Tampa Bay in March.
It’s been said that Whitehead comes back to the Bucs as a smarter and more mature player. Speaking to Buccaneers.com for a feature this week, Whitehead shard an example.
“I feel like I figured the game out, what you need to do, what you need to do to be successful in it,” he said. “It’s making it more interesting for me. I’m actually studying little things like learning what my teammates on the defensive side do on certain plays, not just what the safeties and corners do, and things like that, learning what the D-line does. It’s a game and it’s like a team game. You know, when you’re at this point you want to understand the Xs and Os and what the coaches think.”
It all sounds great and Joe loves the Whitehead addition. But Joe wants to see Whitehead go out and make impact plays. It’s hard to believe a bone-crusher like Whitehead hasn’t had a forced fumble since September of 2021. Yeah, that’s no typo.
Joe believes the Whitehead signing might be most felt because of who he’s replacing, Ryan Neal, who too often looked lost and slow last season. At 28 years old, Neal is still without a team.
August 5th, 2024 at 3:45 pm
Ryan the Stimp Neal might be opening a real estate business soon. He sure couldn’t play football at all last season.
August 5th, 2024 at 3:59 pm
Dave … What boggles the mind is that Ryan Neal was voted 1st Team All-Pro for 2022 by PFF. He wasn’t really a starter with Seattle (19 starts out of 46 games played in for them), but he must’ve been doing ‘something’ right out there for Pete Carroll to keep him around for 4 years. Can’t help but wonder though who on the Bucs felt he’d do well here.
Gut feel is that he was a REALLY BAD fit for Todd Bowles defense. It appears to be a ‘thinking man’s defense’ & doesn’t appear to be easy to grasp in just a few games. Todd probably gave him as much rope as he could (he started 13 games), but it doesn’t appear that Neal was ever able to take advantage. He oftentimes really looked bad out there last year (allowing 5 TDs & 18.3 yards/completion with a 91.2% completion percentage is kind of a giveaway), but thankfully he was just on a 1-year trial contract.
August 5th, 2024 at 4:00 pm
Jordan Whitehead is no more.
He’s is now known as Tone Setter from Blitzburgh.
August 5th, 2024 at 4:04 pm
While Whitehead walked away from most of those bone crushing hits he dealt in his previous stint, have to think each one took a toll. Guessing he might be a bit more measured in his aggressiveness and laying his body out there than he was earlier in just tying to establish himself. Don’t blame him, OK with him not being a head-first heat seeking missle (Winfield isn’t) as long as he makes the impact plays.
August 5th, 2024 at 4:14 pm
Even if he’s not looking to knock the spit out of the guy with the ball on every play, he’s a vast improvement over RN!!!! That is guaranteed!!
August 5th, 2024 at 4:19 pm
In today’s game, safeties have to be more cerebral and have good range to cover. The hitters of the past are practically gone.
August 5th, 2024 at 4:52 pm
It sounds like Jordan is learning all the ins and outs of the players and coaches. Glad he is back and hope he does well.
August 5th, 2024 at 6:37 pm
Right on DR.
August 5th, 2024 at 6:48 pm
Not all that concerned about FF even though that is definitely an insane stat. Whitehead excels at catching the ball. Exactly what this DB group needed. Picks!!
August 5th, 2024 at 9:12 pm
Todd had to feel like he was running a race with one leg tied to an animal carcass trying to call defense. Between The Stump and the Diva, The Oaf and the Headless Chicken, it was like Russian roulette.
He knows he needs tighter defensive cohesion and he will get it.