Buccaneers' Todd Bowles names two standout players during press conference
TAMPA BAY – The Buccaneers secondary was a focal point in 2021, but not for reasons the team prefers. It was mainly due to injury. Or, I should say injuries. And, there were a lot of them. Just put it this way: The Buccaneers' starting defensive backs didn't play a single snap together until Week […]
TAMPA BAY – The Buccaneers secondary was a focal point in 2021, but not for reasons the team prefers.
It was mainly due to injury. Or, I should say injuries. And, there were a lot of them.
Just put it this way: The Buccaneers' starting defensive backs didn't play a single snap together until Week 17 against the New York Jets.
Heading into 2022, much of the same remains in regard to personnel, albeit there are a couple of new faces in Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal.
How the group functions in 2022 will likely be very different, though. Gone is Jordan Whitehead and Ryan and Neal are both versatile players who can line up in different areas of the defense.
Who replaces Whitehead -or who helps replace him- will be crucial to figure out. The initial, logical thought is Mike Edwards will play more centerfield while Antoine Winfield Jr. takes more of the box role and the two will swap out -or play 2-high- accordingly.
And then there's the depth behind the starting corner trio of Carlton Davis III, Sean Murphy-Bunting, and Jamel Dean. Richard Sherman is out of the picture and Rashard Robinson is injured. Right now, it's a mixture of rookies, undrafted free agents, and journeymen.
One guy who played pretty well last year was Dee Delaney, who recorded his first career interception against the Bears. Still, the Buccaneers need Delaney to keep improving and the other reserves to do the same.
So far, throughout the offseason, both Delaney and Edwards have stepped up to the point where Todd Bowles listed them as standouts during his Tuesday press conference.
“They’ve stood out throughout from a ball-hawk standpoint," Bowles told reporters Tuesday. "That’s kind of what you want – you expect that out of Mike [Edwards] but Dee [Delaney] has been very good getting the ball in his hands and being around the football, as well. So, hopefully that continues.”
That's exactly what the Buccaneers need from both players in 2022. The Buccaneers have already talked about how their defensive backs need to create more interceptions and Edwards is likely going to be the guy who takes over for Whitehead, so he needs to continue to show that he can produce in a starting role.
Plus, it's not easy to get Bowles to dish out compliments or say anything that's going to lean too much in one direction. So, Edwards and Delaney must really be making an impression, so far.
You can check out Bowles' entire press conference, below:
Featured image via Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
