“I’ve Never Seen A Kid Work As Hard As He’s Working”
June 13th, 2016
Extra time. Mike Smith and Kwon Alexander spotted on the field after practice last week going over positioning (or dance moves).
There are many fantastic hypothetical questions in Buccaneers history.
One of the best is a new one.
What if linebacker Kwon Alexander wasn’t suspended for the final four games last season, denying the Bucs an irreplaceable playmaker?
Tampa Bay was 6-6 when Alexander took a seat for violating the NFL performance enhancing drug policy. The team finished 0-4 without Kwon, the guy Dirk Koetter believes is the Jameis Winston of the defense. Would having Kwon meant one more victory? If so, would Lovie Smith still be head coach?
At 21 years old, Alexander really is somewhat mysterious. Is he the real deal at only 230 pounds? Was he a one-year wonder of a fourth-round pick? Hell, will Alexander be on the field on third down this season, able to beat out veteran Daryl Smith, who clearly was handpicked by new defensive coordinator Mike Smith?
Lavonte David is all-in on Kwon. In fact, David said Kwon’s work ethic goes beyond anything he’s experienced as a professional.
“I’ve never seen a kid work as hard as he’s working,” David told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “A guy who loves the game. A guy who’s always reaching to get better, always trying to find a way to get better. Asking the questions, you know, just always wanting to get better. … And he’s a great teammate, as well, Everybody loves him in the locker room. Fun energetic, and that’s what you need around a locker room.”
Strong words there from David, especially considering he’s been around great rookies with great reputations, including rookie Pro Bowlers like Doug Martin and America’s Quarterback, and Mike Glennon, Mike Evans, and others.
Regarding David referencing Kwon asking a lot of questions. Joe can confidently say Kwon appears to be in coach’s ears — and David’s ear — at every turn in practice.
June 13th, 2016 at 11:39 am
There is something about him that I will never forget and told you a lot about him, it’s the game agtainst Atlanta last year, after the death of his brother.
The way he played on this particular gamer , show you a great personnality, especiality for a 4th round pick rookie.
I don’t think it will be a one year wonder, it’s still early to say that he will or is a Ray Lewis like but he is surely a hell of a
June 13th, 2016 at 11:47 am
if kwon was on the field the last 4 games we at least finish the season at 8-8…whats telling is players like gmc and lvd being leapfrogged by a rookie for the leadership role…GO BUCS!!!
June 13th, 2016 at 11:48 am
@Joehelldeloxley
I agree, Watching that game he really took over!!!! I told my friend at the time, that I had not seen so more “heart” from an athlete since watching Lance Armstrong passing every one in mountains!!! He dominated that game like he was Barry Bonds in the batters box!!! And the way he ran down J Jones I felt like I was watching Ben Johnson in the 1988 Olympics sprinting and winning the gold metal!!!!!
June 13th, 2016 at 11:59 am
Wans’t Hardware Nickerson the “real deal” at “only” 230lbs?
June 13th, 2016 at 12:01 pm
@Realist…
It is not lost on me that all three examples you used were people who were caught for PED use
June 13th, 2016 at 12:01 pm
@ Buc Realist-
I see a pattern….
June 13th, 2016 at 12:03 pm
I was watching that Atlanta game with my Falcon fan next door neighbor……after the Kwon takeaway from Julio Jones….my neighbor said…..he may just have to start rooting for the Bucs….
After we picked up Mike Smith…..he said there’s one more reason….
June 13th, 2016 at 1:04 pm
Kwon told Charles Davis that people will remember his name…….he’s working his ass off to prove the doubters wrong.
June 13th, 2016 at 1:10 pm
He’s a good player, he balls all out, and in his second season he should be even better….but I temper that because this is a new fandango defence!
June 13th, 2016 at 1:22 pm
I’m not sure whether or not Kwon will be on the field on 3rd down is a question. If it is to anybody, the answer is located in the sentence above between the words not and is.
June 13th, 2016 at 1:26 pm
I believe everything happened the way it was suppose to. Now the Bucs can improve going forward where as they once had no hope with they Imcompetent one. Sucks Kwon had to miss the 4 games but his sacrifice only bettered the team. GO BUCS!!
June 13th, 2016 at 1:45 pm
He’s slowly become my new favorite Buc.
June 13th, 2016 at 1:55 pm
Kwon lacks discipline (hopefully will get it with coaching and experience)
Thats why Mike Smith brought in D Smith to reign him in. Kwon was 1 of the worst missedt tacklers all year
Tampa was the 2nd worst tackling team next to the pathetic Saints. Kwon was free lancing/lost and his area in the middle was the weakspot of our defense and was targeted all year.
With coaching IMO kwon will be a fantastic player but right now he is a splash player and Toast the next play…
the good thing is Mike Smith knows this and will coach him right
If you cant defend the middle of the field …your f##k#d…trying to be real here
June 13th, 2016 at 2:46 pm
Kwon got slaughtered last season in the passing game, especially on the quick slants. He would always bite on the play-action, and leave the middle wide open. Altteraun Verner and Johnthan Banks caught the heat for his mistakes, but they never threw him under the bus. He had too many missed tackles, but it was a learning experience. He was learning a new position and a new scheme in an ADVANCE LEAGUE. The ILB is a tough position to play, that’s a lot to throw at a 21 year old rookie. They should have resigned Mason Foster instead of signing Bruce Carter. And let Kwon start at SLB, then cross-train him. But he will be ok now after a year under his belt at ILB, and a new system ( which don’t require as much from the ILB).
June 13th, 2016 at 6:02 pm
either we have alot of extremely hard workers on the team, or we have alot of players on our team who have limited experience being around hard workers. everybody is the hardest-working, hardest-studying something or other whenever a bucs player is interviewed this offseason
June 13th, 2016 at 6:05 pm
LakeLand Buc, a better coordinator would never have let mason foster walk. the one thing Schiano got right scheme-wise was taking advantage of the attacking instincts of mason foster and lavonte david. the guy is not an all-pro but he clearly was very good at playing on the other side of the LOS and would have been a great addition in this mike smith scheme from what little i know about it
June 13th, 2016 at 6:24 pm
Kwon got slaughtered on slants STFU, how can a MLB stop an uncontested slant fron 20 yards out in 3 seconds on top of a play fake??? Jam the receiver, idk I think professional coaches would try that at some point…..idiot
June 13th, 2016 at 6:47 pm
Guzzie, I take it, you know NOTHING about the COVER 2 defense.
June 13th, 2016 at 7:11 pm
In a standard 43 defense, the middle LB stays underneath the safeties and covers short underneath routes and helps in run defense. In the Tampa 2, the middle LB is expected to drop into deep coverage in the middle essentially converting a Cover 2 into a Cover 3. This protects against the deep pass very well and changes the assignments. Every player is now responsible for less field, and the deep routes are covered better. Only the other two LBs and the two CBs have to cover slightly more ground.
The Tampa 2 coverage scheme attempts to plug up the soft spots in the usual Cover 2. The Tampa 2 emphasizes speed and a quick pass-rush. While the normal Cover 2 has each LB and CB covering about 1/5 of the field, as you saw above, and the safeties covering 1/2 the field deep, the Tampa 2 pulls the middle LB into a middle deep zone coverage as well, making it a a Cover 3. What this does is allows the safeties to have to cover less ground, so they can cover the traditional soft zone past the corners more effectively.
The Bucs Corners wasn’t asked to jam a receiver, they were asked to play off. And the Linebackers covers the underneath, the ILB was responsible for the middle of the field, and that’s where teams were killing the Bucs defense. Lovie relied on a 4 man rush, and they got no pressure up front.
June 13th, 2016 at 8:48 pm
Lakeland and Kobe,
Finally, two intelligent and knowledgeable poster’s.
I’ve come to expect the brain dead chirping from “the corners couldn’t cover slants” crowd. Never would have suspected that find 1, yet alone 2, Joebuc reader’s who know what the flat is or even where it is.
The fact is this site’s collective football I.Q. just quadrupled (yes, it was that low). Thanks guys
June 13th, 2016 at 9:06 pm
Duke…. you’re welcome.
June 13th, 2016 at 11:13 pm
i honestly don’t see any amount of wins saving Lovie’s job. After year the Glazers wanted to fire him, but gave him 1 more year. With the way the defense was handled all season, i just don’t see the Glazers watching games and saying, “Lovie coached a heck of a game right there.” Lovie’s defense was always out coached. Even in the wins we got, you can’t say they were great coachig performances. Sometimes talented players overcome the poor coaching. But an extra win or 2 or 3, still doesnt hide thw fact that Lovies defense was atrocious.
Ultimately winning is the goal, but just like Lovie’s final year with the Bears (a winning season. The owners saw enough and knew that Lovie isnt coaching the most out of his team. Wins are another stat. Alone the number can lie to you. But with film and the numbers, you get the whole picture.
June 13th, 2016 at 11:41 pm
Duke…many of us know where flat is. We’ve watched MUCH football our entire lives. Just because we don’t go all x’s and o’s like LakeLand just did you assume we don’t know our x’s and o’s.
Well you know what they say about assuming?
Let’s all chatter x’s and o’s on this site that would be fine…
Gee Wally no thanks…
June 14th, 2016 at 7:34 am
KWON will only continue to get better in the passing game now that we have coaches that can actually COACH!! and the missed tackles can be fixed as well. We’re making it sound like this guy wasn’t any good tho. For a rookie 4th rndr playing his 1st season as a MLB I think he did pretty dam well. Ofcourse he was gonna make sure mistakes. He was learning a new system and a new position all at the same time!! Let that sink in. That’s hard for any player to do, but to make the p,as he did is pretty rare.
June 14th, 2016 at 10:39 am
Mark my words (along with everyone else’s words), the name GhengisKwon will be all over national media this year.
June 14th, 2016 at 10:40 am
The Bucs should do a Star Trek promo called “The Wrath of Kwon”.
June 14th, 2016 at 10:44 am
Trubucfan22 Says
“I honestly don’t see any amount of wins saving Lovie’s job. After year the Glazers wanted to fire him, but gave him 1 more year.”
I think it would have depended on how those wins came about, and whether there was a serious risk of losing Koetter.
IF the Bucs had gone 10-6 and made the playoffs, and part of the reason was better defensive play (which might have happened had Kwon not been suspended, then I think it would have come down to whether Koetter would go or not.
Keeping Koetter was the main reason Lovie was fired (perhaps not the only reason though).