FAB 2. THE PRO BOWL WILL BE PEWTER IN THE FUTURE
The two most deserving Buccaneers made the Pro Bowl this year.

Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, whose seven sacks this year ties him the second-most by a defensive tackle this year, made the Pro Bowl for the fifth straight time. That puts him in select company with legendary cornerback Ronde Barber (2001, 2004-06, 2008), safety John Lynch (1997, 1999-2002) and middle linebacker Hardy Nickerson (1993, 1996-99) for his five Pro Bowl selections.

And wide receiver Mike Evans, who made the Pro Bowl for the first time, was very deserving considering the fact that he has 84 catches for 1,159 yards and 10 touchdowns, which ranks third in the NFL, this season. Evans was rewarded for his career year, which was the third consecutive season in which he topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014.

Yet there are others that deserve strong consideration, including the four players that were named as alternates – middle linebacker Kwon Alexander, weakside linebacker Lavonte David, punter Bryan Anger and cornerback Brent Grimes – in addition to tight end Cameron Brate, who was not named an alternate despite being tied for the league lead in touchdowns (seven) among tight ends. There are some other quarterbacks with better statistics, such as New Orleans’ Drew Brees and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford, but Jameis Winston, who made the Pro Bowl last year as an alternate, has had a fine season.

Bucs MLB Kwon Alexander – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Injuries to players named to the 2017 Pro Bowl, in addition to some last-minute dropouts could lead to some of those alternates making the trek down I-4 to Orlando, which is the site of this year’s NFL all-star game. That was the case last year when David, Winton and former left guard Logan Mankins made the Pro Bowl, joining starters McCoy and running back Doug Martin.

I suspect that Alexander will wind up making it to his first Pro Bowl and represent Tampa Bay. He’ll replace Carolina middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, who has missed the last four games due to a concussion he suffered against the Saints on Thursday Night Football. Kuechly made the all-star game because of his hot start to the season and his reputation as a four-time Pro Bowler, certainly not what he’s done down the stretch.

Kuechly has 102 tackles (71 solo), six pass breakups, two sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. He was off to a faster start than Alexander statistically before he got hurt, but since then he’s been passed by Tampa Bay’s middle linebacker.

Alexander has a team-high 125 tackles, including an NFL-high 97 solo tackles, along with seven pass breakups, three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pick-six. Thanks to his career-high 21-tackle game against Dallas on Sunday Night Football, Alexander is the league’s fifth-leading tackler this season.

The Bucs’ fourth-round pick from a year ago told me he had no idea he had that many tackles against the Cowboys.

“I didn’t realize it, I was just trying to get a win,” Alexander said. “I just had a lot of stuff on my mind that I wanted to release, and I released it, and I’m going to release some more on Saturday. I’m never had a game like that before. I didn’t even know until after the game I had that many tackles until somebody told me. I wasn’t even worried about it. I was just mad about the loss because we’ve been doing well lately.

“It’s amazing what hard work can do. I put a lot into this. I don’t joke around about this game. I’m just trying to get my team to the top and get a lot of recognition for our team. We have a lot of great players on our team that don’t get recognized a lot.”

Alexander’s sensational game in prime time against the Cowboys will help his Pro Bowl chances for next year. So will making the Pro Bowl as an alternate this year if that were to happen.

TE Cameron Brate – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Pro Bowl often lags behind a year in getting first-year participants into the game. Players like Alexander, tight end Cameron Brate, who is tied for the NFL lead among tight ends with seven touchdown passes, and guard Ali Marpet stand a good chance of getting Pro Bowl recognition in 2017 if they finish the 2016 season strong. Alexander, Brate and Marpet often get snubbed by the likes of players such as Kuechly, who got into the Pro Bowl based on reputation rather than actual production over the first 13 games before voting is closed.

“I didn’t spend a whole lot of time analyzing the other guys at their position,” Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter said. “I think they’re playing good for us, that’s what I’ll say, I think they’re playing good for us. In the offseason, that’s something that we do, is we go through and see how our guys stack up with the rest of the league, but this time of year, we’re busy just getting ready for what we’re doing.

“So I couldn’t even tell you who made it at tight end, I don’t even know. So, how Cam stacks up against them or how Ali stacks up against the guards, I don’t really know that. They’re playing good for us, I’m glad they’re on our team.”

Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith is proud of the way Alexander is playing in his second year and believes his best football lies ahead of him.

“I mean, you go against a team like Dallas and you’re closing in on 22 tackles – you’re playing some football,” Smith said. “He was all over the field. I think he’s really going through a maturation process through this season and I’ve been very pleased.

“The arrow is definitely going up. He’s learning the game and he’s a very emotional player. He plays with a lot of passion.”

If Alexander can post a combined 25 tackles over the remaining two regular season games he’ll join some elite company. The Bucs haven’t had a player reach 150 tackles or more in a season since the legendary Brooks did it in 1999 with 154 stops.

Buccaneers’ Top Tackle Seasons
1. Hardy Nickerson – 214 – 1993
2. Broderick Thomas – 174 – 1991
3. Derrick Brooks – 158 – 1998
4. Derrick Brooks – 154 – 1999
5T. Lavonte David – 147 – 2015
5T. Hardy Nickerson – 147 – 1997

Factor in the likelihood that Tampa Bay have more primetime games due to the popularity of some of their young players, and the team’s playoff push in 2016, and that should help the Bucs turn the Pro Bowl pewter next year. A quick look at the team’s 2017 opponents reveals that there is the potential for several marquee match-ups and nationally televised games, especially against the likes of Detroit, New England, the New York Giants, Miami and Green Bay, in addition to NFC South foes Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans.

Tampa Bay’s 2017 Home Opponents
Chicago
Detroit
New England
New York Jets
Atlanta
Carolina
New Orleans
NFC East – TBD (New York Giants)

Tampa Bay’s 2017 Away Opponents
Green Bay
Minnesota
Buffalo
Miami
Atlanta
Carolina
New Orleans
NFC West – TBD (Arizona)

“Every game means a lot to me,” Alexander said. “I take everything seriously. I can’t wait until Saturday.

“If you want to be the greatest, you have to do whatever it takes to be the greatest. So that’s what I’m going to try and do.”

Greatest in the NFL is measured by Super Bowls and Pro Bowls.

Bucs MLB Kwon Alexander – Photo by: Mark Lomoglio/PR

“He’s had all the talent necessary, that’s why he was able to step up and be put into a starting role early,” McCoy said of Alexander. “Now he’s actually learning about the game and what he needs to be looking at, reading his keys and reacting a lot faster. Kwon is only going get better. He’s another one of those guys that’s going be good in this league for a long time.”

Alexander is on the cusp of his first Pro Bowl, and could be joined by several of his Tampa Bay teammates for years to come. McCoy, Evans, Winston, David, Brate, Vernon Hargreaves, Noah Spence? Who knows? It could be quite the pewter party at the Pro Bowl in 2017 and beyond, as it was in 2002 when the Bucs had seven Pro Bowlers, including quarterback Brad Johnson, fullback Mike Alstott, linebackers Brooks and Shelton Quarles, defensive tackle Warren Sapp and defensive end Simeon Rice.