Upgrading Safety
February 20th, 2025
Job security.
Look, Joe is a big fan of Antoine Winfield. But how he went from breathtaking All-Pro status to being an afterthought was stunning.
See if you can remember Winfield making a play last year. Joe can think of one where he was robbed of a forced fumble at the goal line because the NFL can’t see fit to have cameras on the goal line at all games.
Yes, Joe knows Winfield was hurt late in Week 1 (foot) and again later in the season (knee). But man, he was so invisible he shouldn’t have been on the field later if he was hurt that badly.
Then there was Jordan Whitehead. Joe was impressed with his guts when he came back from a late-season pec injury suffered against the Giants. Props to him for that.
But “this Joe” saw too many Whitehead loafs throughout the season and Joe really believes if you gave Bucs types a shot of truth serum, they’d confess to buyer’s remorse after bringing him back.
It wasn’t just Joe who thought Whitehead slipped badly. Walter Cherepinsky, the man behind WalterFootball.com, believes the Bucs need to upgrade at safety, specifically at Whitehead’s spot.
Safety: Jordan Whitehead’s second stint with the Buccaneers wasn’t as fruitful as the first. Help is needed next to Antoine Winfield Jr.
Whitehead could become a cap casualty. We will see in the coming weeks.
But the Bucs drafting a safety on the third day of the draft or signing a free agent? Let’s just say Joe wouldn’t bark in anger about that.
February 20th, 2025 at 10:31 am
Its called getting paid and confrontable.
February 20th, 2025 at 10:41 am
This could change depending upon FA, but the Bucs should try to double up where possible between FA and the draft. In order, the Bucs should draft
Edge and trade for one or get one in FA
ILB and get one on FA
CB and get one in FA
SAF and get one on FA
I understand getting a dominating Edge in FA will be difficult and may require trading your 1st rd pick to get someone like Hendrickson, but I believe it would be worth it as long as it wasn’t 2 x 1st rounders.
I feel the Bucs could get a very good ILB and S at a reasonable price in FA. Corner may be a little more expensive unless the go for depth and look for a starter in the draft.
In summary, you may only be able to get 1 Edge, but could get 2 very good ILB, SAF and CBs to make a difference in 2025.
February 20th, 2025 at 10:42 am
We will never know, but I would bet my house that AW played injured the entire season…Not worried about him….More worries about corners than safty, and obviously the lack of Edge rushers
February 20th, 2025 at 10:54 am
The Bucs do need someone on the edge, but too many times the Bucs D blew up the middle and moved the QB off his spot only to be picked apart still in the secondary. It’s one thing if the opposing QB made amazing throws, but watching on TV you couldn’t even see the Bucs defender on the screen. 5 yards between WR and defender is the main reason we never saw interceptions.
February 20th, 2025 at 10:56 am
Player regression is a hallmark of a Todd Bowles coached defense.
February 20th, 2025 at 10:56 am
I have a feeling Winfield will pop back this year. Too much pride. I just have to believe nagging injuries sapped his juice last year.
February 20th, 2025 at 11:22 am
Both of them injuries or no injuries were bitter disappointments last season.
Throw Sir Dennis in with them as well.
February 20th, 2025 at 11:46 am
Winfield has always battled the injury bug in college and now the nfl. Unfortunately there are a lot of players in the nfl like that. You have to take the bad with the good so to speak. He would have been a 1st round draft pick if not for the injury concern.
February 20th, 2025 at 11:48 am
Obviously, they need to upgrade safety. Outside of Winfield, they have nobody that any reasonable person would go into a season relying on. That is, unless they plan to make Tykee Smith a full time safety.
Enough with the “chess pieces”… Get some guys who can play one position and play it well, and a durable enough to be relied upon.
February 20th, 2025 at 11:49 am
@ Joe
If we let Godwin walk I think it would be cool to that the Nos 2 and 3 being Brothers. It would seem as if Tetairoa McMillan is better than Jalen. To see them fight for playing time would be awesome. With Mike it might be the best WR Trio in the League
February 20th, 2025 at 12:32 pm
What about Izien?
February 20th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
Yeah, Izien I pretty good. I think it’s a contract year for him. I think the standard UDFA contract is three years. I wouldn’t like to forget about him.
February 20th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
LVMYBUCS Says:
February 20th, 2025 at 10:31 am
Its called getting paid and confrontable.
😂🤣
February 20th, 2025 at 1:01 pm
Thank the football gods the saints picked junior high coach Kellen Moore to lead them to the bottom of the division. Between Moore, Canales and Rah Rah it makes Bowles look like the Vince Lombardi of the NFC south. So it doesn’t matter who we get in the draft division title is already in the bank.
February 20th, 2025 at 1:04 pm
Whitehead shouldn’t come back, and that’s before his car accident which virtually guarantees he won’t.
February 20th, 2025 at 1:15 pm
I’ve always thought they overpaid Winfield. Not that he isn’t a playmaker and a top safety, but NO safety should be making more than almost every cornerback in the league. Plus, I believe Winfield is only above average in coverage, not great. There are metrics to back me up on this. The good news is they can replace Whitehead with a midround pick if they want to. All that said: Overall, the Bucs secondary always seems to look much better on paper than on the field. Some of these guys are just overrated. And it might be time for new DB coach.
February 20th, 2025 at 1:19 pm
…the tackling in that secondary is beyond awful.
February 20th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
The whole defense needs upgrades except interior DL . Mccullum played well at times but the only thing dean catches are colds , that keep him out of games . We have nothing but backup quality De’s who start & LVD is fine for an old man but the rest of the linebackers either are WAY to slow or can’t stay on the field . Winfield got paid & the rest ba k there are meh . They need to figure out like I already have , why they can’t get off the field on 3rd down . Get a frigging pass rush !!! Get a dog or 2 that can cover until that pass rush gets home or continue to give up playoff games where the other team does not punt ONCE !!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME
February 20th, 2025 at 1:53 pm
I believe AWJ was hurt all year long, when healthy, we will be fine at FS. And I see Izian as our starter at strong. Whitehead is gone so depth is needed later in the draft.
February 20th, 2025 at 2:11 pm
Winfield got rewarded for one elite year, he’s never played a full season outside of his contract year.
Licht’s blindspot is overpaying his draft picks
This defense can’t sack or cover anyone
February 20th, 2025 at 2:40 pm
This defense can’t sack or cover anyone…..hmmmm….been that way since the team decided it was a good idea to take two of the three most important jobs on the coaching staff and combine them , and let the subordinate role report to the superior role when it is in fact himself.
Fox guarding henhouse.
It’s not going to change until that changes
February 20th, 2025 at 3:05 pm
For me, Whitehead is walking the plank… Take his coin and put it towards draft pick compensation.
February 20th, 2025 at 4:13 pm
We need corners that can press on the line…period. nothing else matters until we can make that happen.
February 20th, 2025 at 5:19 pm
The injury bug sunk its teeth into our secondary this year. We’ll make a few additions to that room this offseason. Todd Bowles like guys that he can move around in the defensive backfield. I like Billy Bowman in the draft. He’s exactly the type of player you don’t want to be on your opponents team.
February 20th, 2025 at 5:27 pm
The nonsense on Winfield is beyond stupid.
You don’t go from a HOF career path to suddenly forgetting how to play. The guy was hurt, and he was often playing with complete trash players and trying to do the job of everyone in the backfield.
Half the time people blamed Winfield for something, the only reason he was even on the TV screen was because he made an incredible effort on the play that wasn’t his responsibility.
Calm down the nonsense.
As for Whitehead – yeah, he never looked right. Not sure if he lost a step or what happened, but he just looked sluggish.
February 21st, 2025 at 8:34 am
Winfield, it is called regression what everyone but a few said mayfield was going to do. I still think Mayfield will improve upon last season if he stays healthy.
February 21st, 2025 at 11:41 am
Winfield was over payed whitehead took plays off and nobody could tackle . Get ready for another another 500 year I know we were 10 and 7 but our coaching is just as much to blame as the players on the defense.
February 21st, 2025 at 4:30 pm
1. Edge
2. CB
3. ILB
4. S
5. DL
7. WR