Did The Bucs Make A Mistake On Kwon Alexander?
October 21st, 2019
First, let it be known that Joe had no problem with the Bucs letting Kwon Alexander walk in free agency in March given that he was the proclaimed leader of a horrible Bucs defense for two seasons and was coming off knee surgery four months earlier.
The 49ers signed the then-24-year-old linebacker to a fat contract.
Niners GM and Bucs legend John Lynch told everyone who would listen that he believed Kwon was the kind of guy who could lead instantly and change the culture of a defense with his energy. Joe speculated that Derrick Brooks was a driving force behind Lynch’s confidence in Kwon.
And now Kwon is the second-leading tackler on the league-leading 49ers defense, and he made the play of the game yesterday with the 49ers leading the Redskins 3-0 with about 90 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The game was played in very sloppy weather conditions, and Kwon’s first-down strip of Adrian Peterson on the 49ers’ 29 yard line was a dagger.
Joe is wondering whether history will show the Bucs made a mistake letting Kwon go.
The undefeated 49ers’ defense is young and angry and Kwon is playing alongside a nasty second-year linebacker in Fred Warner. A quick look at their roster shows only two defensive contributors over 28 years old, backup linebacker Mark Nzeocha and cornerback Richard Sherman.
Through six games, San Francisco is allowing 10 1/2 points per game, and Joe thoroughly enjoyed watching them on NFL Game Pass the last few weeks. Watching that defense is addictive.
Dumping Kwon still feels like it was the right move, though Joe must factor in the Bucs being in a winter salary cap crunch with a bad team and their hunger for Devin White in the draft. Joe can’t say the latter two feel right.
October 21st, 2019 at 12:07 pm
For now it looks like a mistake. Devin white is looking like a high quality back up and the least productive top 10 pick so far (besides maybe quinnen). Only time will tell.
October 21st, 2019 at 12:08 pm
I would have let him go with his injury history, but I would not have excercised VH3 5th year option for his injury history and not being worth a damn. But what do I know.
October 21st, 2019 at 12:09 pm
Bucs fans talked about Devin White like he was gonna be Ray Lewis
October 21st, 2019 at 12:13 pm
Bucs Salary cap situation will be better next year, having a QB on his rookie contract.
October 21st, 2019 at 12:15 pm
Hell yea they did. That man was the heart and soul of our defense. Not his fault they put a bunch of scuba behind him at DB…
October 21st, 2019 at 12:19 pm
Kwon doesn’t play in secondary and Bucs have no 1 run defense- he wouldn’t have made any difference if he was re-signed here.
Now Perriman? That was a dumb move.
October 21st, 2019 at 12:21 pm
I don’t regret letting him go. He was good sometimes, sometimes not.
October 21st, 2019 at 12:24 pm
Kwon was nota good fit here because this team is built so horribly bad by Jason Licht. The niners have been built by Lynch and a few before him with a vision and solid plan of play strong defense and run the ball….the bucs have no identity
October 21st, 2019 at 12:27 pm
The question doesn´t make much sense……Einstein Licht spended badly our cap, and we couldn´t get close on what SF offered, so there wasn´t much more to do……Kwon was very likeable, he was a good player, far from being a star,he played with passion, he also did miss tons of takles though……
October 21st, 2019 at 12:28 pm
Damn dude kwin is no one man game wrecker they have a cool like defense. White is 7 game I took his rookie season. You write articles just for the hell of it.
Having said them him and lavonte manning the center of this defense would have been a killer combo but not coming off that injury and for that money which they didn’t have. Kwon had no intentions on staying in tampa. What would he have done for the secondary anyway?
October 21st, 2019 at 12:34 pm
“Next week we will witness last years best draft pick
generational player Jeffrey Simmons
unlike Viva la Vida (JAFG) Just a Fat Guy
Jeffrey Simmons sacks QBs and disrupts the whole offense
We need a roster builder…is it 2024 yet?”
Son of Kobe Faker
October 21st, 2019 at 12:46 pm
I am sure if the Redskins played this team in those conditions they would have put up 30 points. Nice we can stop the run. But they don’t have to run. They can do anything else they want to.
October 21st, 2019 at 12:49 pm
I live on the West Coast so I watch a lot of 49r games (long ago my team with season tickets at Kezar). He has looked pretty good throughout the season. That’s as contrast to the “Great New Hope”, Devin White, who was hailed by such sages as the missing (10-6) NOSBOS, as the savior of the Bucs. This guy was supposed to team up with Suh and VV and blow up all the opponents. What a joke. Last game they had a field shot replay in which receivers were running all over the field and he would lean one way and then another AND NEVER COVERED ANYONE! You would have thought he was spying the QB but he wasn’t. He was just clueless. And, he’s the savior.
Kwon was a good LB. He should have been resigned and we use the pick on a (gasp) DL or even OL.
October 21st, 2019 at 12:51 pm
Oregon:
You had season tickets at Kezar?
Dang, that was before Vietnam, wasn’t it?
October 21st, 2019 at 12:51 pm
Everyone become great when they leave the meth capital of the world.
RUN JAMEIS RUN
October 21st, 2019 at 12:54 pm
keep kwon and we do not waste a pick on Devin white.
NOt saying it is a wasted pick per se. But the cost/benefit analysis, says that devin white is not having a year of production BETTER than kwon could have feasibly had.
While using a pick on a different position could have had MORE of an impact.
October 21st, 2019 at 1:00 pm
Remembering Vita Vea last year at this point of the season.
Regarding White, “Thou doth ignorantly declareth BUST too quickly-eth.”
October 21st, 2019 at 1:03 pm
We couldn’t afford to keep him because we had to pay Joes quarterback! Could have drafted a qb for less money and better production
October 21st, 2019 at 1:05 pm
Joe it’s a team sport I don’t put all the blame on Kwon. He does get some blame but he can’t control anyone else he can only control himself. If other players arnt following his lead or listening to him then he can’t make them. It’s the old saying you can bring the horse to the water but you can’t make the horse drink. That being said people like joe an T M A X I P A D who want to blame only one person is just ignorant an uneducated. It’s a team sport for crying out loud all should be help accountable
October 21st, 2019 at 1:24 pm
With the Bucs organization, it barely makes a ripple. One possible mistake out of thousands. So, no big deal, either way.
October 21st, 2019 at 1:26 pm
Of course it was the wrong move. Along with 98% of the rest of Jason Licht’s decisions.
October 21st, 2019 at 1:36 pm
Let’s face it; he’s no Devon White
October 21st, 2019 at 1:38 pm
I liked Kwon but the price the 49ers paid for a guy coming off that injury was just crazy. Linebackers play good when the D line stops the offensive line making it to that second level. It gives a faster backer like Kwon the chance to roam and make tackles without getting caught up. It’s the reason the Ravens went after Ngata…. Ray was begging for someone up front to keep the line off the second level. Kwon will do good where he’s at for now but is in no way worth the money they threw at em.
October 21st, 2019 at 1:48 pm
Judging players by 6 games. Classic.
October 21st, 2019 at 2:57 pm
Kwon is on pace for:
80 Total Tackles
1.5 Sacks
5.5 TFLs
2.7 INTs
11 PDs
2.7 FFs
All for the low, low prices of:
2019: $13,100,000
2020: $14,400,000
2021: $14,500,000
I liked Kwon and wished we could have kept him, but not for that money.
I’m 100% certain Kwon doesn’t regret moving on from Tampa, playing behind that D-Line, all that cash and a 6-0 record.
It is what it is, and it’s a…
#Bucslife
October 21st, 2019 at 2:57 pm
wrong move….
kwon is the leader thats missing that BA’s talks about…..
BA always says, leaders dont let the team lose 2 in a row…..no kwon, no JPP, no W’s…..
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 21st, 2019 at 2:57 pm
DB55 still punking it daily. Why does Joe let this punk demean Tampa and its fans daily. The guy is a racist jerk.
October 21st, 2019 at 3:01 pm
@813bucboi
Yeah and the Bucs never lost two in a row with Kwon huh?
Come on dude.
October 21st, 2019 at 3:22 pm
White will be alright. Next 21 mil JW gone 9.25 SUH gone JPPs 12 mil gone thats 42 mil without anyone else. If they trade Brate 7 mil part ways with VH3 that 9 mil next year another 16 plus 42 plus 13 mil cap increase equals 71 mil. Give Barrett a raise sign free agent Byron Jones most versatile secondary player in the league. Thats only 20 mil for two top players. Sign a defensive lineman for a midrange price and draft another. Draft a new QB another running back, two offensive lineman and two receivers. And if there are any picks left a tight end and linebacker.
October 21st, 2019 at 3:29 pm
joe says: he was the proclaimed leader of a horrible Bucs defense for two seasons
joe thomas was the proclaimed leader of the horrible browns team for years….lol…
but i guess the browns are happy with their new LT too….lol…
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 21st, 2019 at 3:32 pm
elio t
under lousy coaching by dirk and smitty sure….
kwon was the leader of the team….its evident now with winston playing poorly and mike evans becoming Jekyll and Hyde….
come on dude….play attention….
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 21st, 2019 at 3:35 pm
ElioT Says:
All for the low, low prices of:
2019: $13,100,000
2020: $14,400,000
2021: $14,500,000
*************************************************************
why do you care?….it aint your money…lol..
you get what you pay for…..you think the 9ers are complaining?….NO!!!!….
kwon deserved every penny….
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 21st, 2019 at 3:47 pm
Bucs made the right choice.
October 21st, 2019 at 3:50 pm
TRex
Much more important and influential people have tried and failed to run me off but congrats you got me put back into the cooler. Lol.
Btw just so u know Hicks (bears) is hurt and on IR. Lmao
October 21st, 2019 at 3:55 pm
He’s not Devin White lol.
Jason Licht, He;s a special one.
October 21st, 2019 at 3:56 pm
Joe Thomas was the best LT in the league.
I care because I’m a Bucs fan and Kwon is not the leader of the 49ers defense.
He went to a team that has actual talent on the D-line.
I’d only pay Keuchly that kind of money.
Also, the Bucs couldn’t afford that cap hit thanks to years of horrible management.
October 21st, 2019 at 4:00 pm
How is it Joe that you conveniently forgot to mention that Kwon is FINALLY playing where he should’ve been playing all along. And that’s NOT at middle LB; he’s outside now in the 49ers 4-3 defense, his natural position.
You also conveniently forgot to mention that there was no way on this green earth that the salary-Cap-poor Bucs could’ve ever afforded $13-$14 mil per year like the 49ers did.
Oh and before I forget, you also conveniently forgot to mention that the 49ers actually know how to build a defense AND are willing to pay big $$$ for it. Yup, to the tune of $85.1 mil this year, #3 most costly defense in the NFL, versus our lowly $52.8 mil Bucs defense, #29 in terms of cost in the NFL.
But hey that’s all OK because we outspent them by $99 mil vs $79 mil so we’re good. Obviously OFFENSE wins championships … at JBF World Headquarters at least.
Oh BTW, SF has is now 6-0 because they play great DEFENSE (only allowed 6 TDs in 6 games), have more takeaways than they have giveaways, run the daylights out of the ball AND dominate the TOP in all their games. Wow, what an old-fashioned concept.
October 21st, 2019 at 4:42 pm
It a great move since it frees up cap space room to sign America’s Pro Bowl QB. He just just dumb enough to resign JW to an additional 3/5 years.
October 21st, 2019 at 5:28 pm
Certainly in Mike Smith’s defense, Kwon had no chance of reaching his potential. Not sure how he wouldve fit in Bowles defense but i odds are that Bucs downgraded with White and lost a 1st rd pick in the process.
October 21st, 2019 at 6:07 pm
He simply cost too much for a barely above average player who is often injured. Sure he’s doing well there, their whole defense is playing well right now.
October 21st, 2019 at 6:51 pm
He whiffed on a lot of tackles
Not great in coverage
He wasn’t worth 14million
White will be alright he’s working thru injury
It’s business simple as that
October 21st, 2019 at 8:09 pm
I really liked Kwon.
And Humphries, who the titans are wasting.
However…I do think letting Kwon walk was the right move. The Bucs upgraded with White, who still needs to prove it, but I’m confident he will. Just like I was with Rojo when no one else was.