Table of Contents

About the Author: Jon Ledyard

Avatar Of Jon Ledyard
Jon Ledyard is PewterReport.com's newest Bucs beat writer and has experience covering the Pittsburgh Steelers as a beat writer and analyzing the NFL Draft for several draft websites, including The Draft Network. Follow Ledyard on Twitter at @LedyardNFLDraft

[adrotate group=”1″]

Bucs Briefing rolls on with our in-depth look at the 2019 tape of each key member of Tampa Bay’s 2020 roster, including the team’s dismal safety play from last season. Although the addition of second-round pick Antoine Winfield, Jr. and possible return to the gridiron for Justin Evans could facelift the Bucs starting safety spots, there is no question that their top trio from last season need to improve their level of play significantly if they are to see the field in 2020.

Safety Mike Edwards – 5-10, 205 – 24 years old – 2nd season

It’s no secret that defensive coordinator Todd Bowles likes versatile safeties, so when Edwards was available in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, I’m sure the former Jets head coach put his two cents in. Edwards played all over Kentucky’s defense in college, gaining a reputation as a heady playmaker, who made up for average build and athleticism with instincts, toughness and a non-stop motor.

While those positives may be true to a degree, Edwards’ rookie season didn’t exactly go according to plan. The 24 year-old began to see the field consistently in Week 2, aligning mostly at free safety while still seeing a handful of snaps in the box and in the slot.

Based on his 2019 tape, the team would have to feel strongly about his upside to keep him at free safety next season. Edwards simply doesn’t have the range, ball skills or instincts to be a fit as a single-high player.

Edwards reads pass on the hand off, but fails to identify and close on the one threat in his vicinity. There are no speed threats or even other routes on the field, yet Edwards still can’t identify and close on the tight end in time to even come close to preventing a catch.

The biggest thing with Edwards is how much space he allows receivers to break off routes in front of him and get open. Part of this could be typical slow processing for a rookie, but he also just isn’t an explosive or rangy athlete. That makes it tough for him to disrupt throwing windows working top-down on the ball.

It wasn’t all bad for Edwards, who did show an aggressive nature in spots, jumping a few routes across his face for pass breakups. This is a late throw by Daniel Jones and a fairly easy read for Edwards, but the angle and timing are excellent as he nearly picks off the Giants rookie quarterback.

The catch with Edwards is that he’s a far better player around the line of scrimmage than he is in deep coverage. His instincts really show up in the box, as he sifts through trash and takes good angles to be a key asset in run defense.

The best thing about Edwards is that he plays with urgency and energy. He’s always on his toes, bouncing around, keeping his feet active, finding the right angle and attacking. Edwards’ finishing could improve, and his mental processing is still a bit hit or miss, but I think he can become at least an optimal No. 3 safety who can play in the box and in the slot against certain match-ups, while also seeing the occasional rep in two high shells.

Edwards probably won’t ever be the play-maker he was in college, where he grabbed 10 career interceptions with the Wildcats, but he showed enough life in an average rookie campaign to believe he should open training camp as the team’s starting strong safety next to Antoine Winfield, Jr. (assuming Justin Evans isn’t fully healthy). Eventually, Edwards could be a good niche piece for Bowles’ defense, even if his rookie year at mostly free safety showed more limitations than promise.

Safety Jordan Whitehead – 5-10, 205 – 24 years old – 3rd season

A fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Whitehead was the Bucs’ jack-of-all-trades safety last season, playing over 300 snaps as a deep safety and over 300 as a box safety. Whitehead also aligned in the slot on multiple occasions last year, as well as seeing the occasional rep on the outside against backs and tight ends.

As Bucs media, we probably don’t talk enough about how Whitehead struggled last season in essentially all facets of the game. After a decent rookie season playing most of his football at free safety, Todd Bowles asked Whitehead to wear more hats in 2020 and the results were nearly disastrous.

Simply put, Whitehead isn’t athletic or instinctive enough to play deep and make a lot of plays on the ball, and he isn’t technical enough to be a lock-down man coverage guy in the slot either. It isn’t unusual to see Whitehead take a false step or two at the top of the route, as more elaborate route runners will consistently tilt the safety off balance before breaking off their pattern.

Whitehead can struggle to close ground when asked to close down on the ball out of his pedal, highlighting his sluggish change-of-direction and his reactive nature as a safety, rather than being proactive in coverage.

I don’t have a major issue with Whitehead surrendering a catch on this play, as he technically surrenders the catch, yet is put in a tough spot to defend two potential verticals as a deep safety. What I’m more critical of here is the footwork and the slow change-of-direction, as Whitehead struggles to close quickly on the route once he identifies it.

Whitehead’s lack of fluidity shows up in zone and man coverage. He simply can’t transition from pedal to close fast enough to make plays on the ball. Two plays, from his own 10-yard line, illustrate Whitehead’s struggles when he gives any ground in off coverage.

On this play Whitehead doesn’t give much ground vertically, but takes a flat angle to the ball to ensure the tackle rather than challenge the catch point. There’s no anticipation and even less closing speed, leaving plenty of space for an easy pitch-and-catch. Whitehead’s finish can’t come in time to prevent a touchdown given how close the play was to the goal line from the start.

Isolated on the outside against Jared Cook, Whitehead again gives way too much space to the big tight end, allowing an easy touchdown as a result. He can’t be that afraid of the fade route; even if the Saints do go vertical, Whitehead is going to give up a back shoulder throw after surrendering that much space on the release.

The bottom line with Whitehead is that he’s simply too limited athletically and instinctively to be a play-maker in coverage. He’s actually at his best defending bigger targets in man coverage along the vertical plane, where he can use his strength and physicality to battle at the catch point.

When Whitehead can press receivers, he’s in his comfort zone, but the opportunities to find the right match-ups for him to consistently do that are few and far between. He’s not big, long or fast enough to be an ideal man coverage mismatch eliminator in all situations, and he certainly doesn’t have the speed or instincts to be a single-high or even Cover 2 difference maker on the back end.

Whitehead looks like a player who will spend the rest of his career as a spot starter or third safety, especially considering he’s a solid tackler and run defender, and his tape reveals a player who likes to compete. I think there’s a role for Whitehead on the Bucs roster, but there are too many limitations to his game in coverage to make him a desirable starter, especially considering his lack of play-making or athletic upside. There is a reason why Tampa Bay drafted Winfield in the second round in April.

The Bucs drafting of Winfield and the possible return of Evans could push Whitehead from the starting lineup (where he’s spent the past two seasons) to the bench. The potential payoff for the Bucs could be huge, and they don’t really lose much by sitting him down, if that is indeed what the team decides to do. Having said that, Whitehead led all safeties on the team last year with 919 snaps (next closest was 616), so Edwards and Evans will need strong camp performances to cut into the Pitt product’s playing time.

Safety Andrew Adams – 6-0, 198 – 27 years old – 5th season

When it became clear that Evans wasn’t returning to the Bucs during the 2019 season, general manager Jason Licht didn’t hesitate to bring Andrew Adams back into the fold. After spending 2018 with the team and leading the Bucs in interceptions, Adams hit free agency and was signed by the Lions in March before being waived five months later. In September, the Bucs decided to run it back with Adams, who moved into the team’s starting lineup in Week 6, as Edwards struggled at free safety, and never looked back.

Adams is the definition of conservative to a fault. He rarely gives up big plays as a deep safety, and he makes them even less often. Adams broke up exactly three passes last season in 616 snaps, intercepting one gift from Lions’ quarterback David Blough. Shockingly, Adams actually had four picks in 2018, but after quickly studying those INTs, only one was a really nice play. He regressed back to normal in 2019, and now faces a little bit of a battle to secure his roster spot for 2020.

Still, I really appreciate safeties who rarely make mistakes, get out of position and can even hold their own in man coverage. Adams was the Bucs’ best and most consistent safety last season because of his ability to do those three things. He surrendered just two touchdowns in 2019, on one play he really did nothing wrong except not be as big as Cook, the Saints tight end.

Overall it was an odd season for Adams. He was rarely targeted and rarely stood out on tape, in a good or bad way. He saw a lot more action when he was on the field in 2018, but last year playing heavily at free safety, Adams didn’t see much action despite being on the field plenty.

It’s important to make sure Adams’ role is clearly defined, but I think his strengths in mental processing and tackling (a big bounce back from shoddy tackling in 2018) make him the perfect safety net if the team’s starting options falter in any way.

Because Adams primarily plays free safety, the biggest indicator of what his value to the team should be moving forward could be Evans’ status. Also primarily a free safety, Evans is obviously the preferable player if he’s ready to go – but that might be a big “if.” Adams doesn’t provide the versatility of Winfield or Edwards, but there is still a lot of value in having a smart, reliable free safety as the last line of defense if your starter goes down.

Bucs S Andrew Adams – Photo By: Cliff Welch/Pr

Bucs S Andrew Adams – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I would love to see the Bucs keep Adams on the roster, and given Bowles’ love for safeties the odds could be good that the team retains five. Winfield, Edwards and Whitehead are locks, as is Evans if he’s healthy. That leaves Adams battling with second-year player D’Cota Dixon and undrafted free agent Javon Hagan for the fourth or fifth spot depending on Evans’ availability.

Adams was the team’s best safety a year ago, and if he can make a bigger impact on special teams and keep his tackling rate clean, I think he deserves to be the first safety off the bench if the need exists for a single-high guy on the field. If Evans doesn’t return or Winfield gets hurt next season, I shudder to think of Whitehead or Edwards picking up that true free safety mantle unless they make a dramatic improvement, which makes Adams’ presence valuable enough to keep on the roster in 2020.

Saints De Marcus Davenport And Bucs Rb Ronald JonesBehind Enemy Lines: Saints Expecting More From Davenport; Falcons Add Diversity To Staff
Bojackson As A BucBucs Throwback Thursday: What If Bo Jackson Played For The Bucs?
Subscribe
Notify of
14 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments