Mr. Versatility

April 24th, 2020

New Bucs safety Antoine Winfield led Outback Bowl-winning Minnesota in forced fumbles in 2019.

Ask and you shall receive.

That seems to be the motto of new Bucs safety Antonio Winfield, Jr.

While Winfield is a new Bucs rookie, he has a couple of connections to the Bucs.

1) His coach at Minnesota, P.J. Fleck, is a Schiano Man who coached Bucs receivers in 2012.

2) His old man, Antoine Winfield, picked off new Bucs quarterback Tom Brady when Winfield, Jr. was three-years old.

Winfield said he believes his best trait is versatility.

“I can play pretty much everywhere,” said Winfield, who led the Gophers in forced fumbles and tackles while earning All-American honors. “I can play on tight ends. I can play on slot receivers. I can blitz. I can play in the post. My versatility is my biggest asset.”

And is that why the Bucs drafted him? Winfield thinks so.

“I feel like Tampa Bay sees it that way.”

First impressions on Winfield is he comes across as a really intelligent guy. And if you play for Fleck, you better have a passion for the game. Few coaches are as wired for football like Fleck. That’s the Schiano influence.

The way Todd Bowles likes to use safeties, it’s a good thing Winfield is versatile. To go along with Jordan Whitehead, Joe isn’t stepping out on a limb to predict the Bucs will have the two hardest-hitting safeties in the NFC South.

34 Responses to “Mr. Versatility”

  1. tbbucs3 Says:

    Next Troy Polamalu?

  2. CPN Says:

    Todd Bowles is loving it!

  3. mark2001 Says:

    tbb…think more like the next Honey Badger.

  4. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    I guess we can read between the lines here that Justin Evans may be done….if so, that’s very unfortunate for him and the Bucs…..
    Hopefully he can return healthy and will provide great depth….

    Looks like Winfield can return punts & possibly kicks……

    I will reserve judgement……not on the player but the position selected at that spot when i see what we do with the RB position……

  5. DanBucsFan Says:

    Top 5 safety in nfl .. Just watch and see.. Everyone will be in love with this cat.. Its in his dna

  6. tbbucs3 Says:

    Idk watching his film he seems like more of a scrappy player like Polamalu while the honey badger is a lot smoother.

  7. mark2001 Says:

    Winfield is 4.45. Polamalu was sub 4.4…supposedly. Badger is 4.51.

  8. Destinjohnny Says:

    Shorty

  9. Bird Says:

    Tanard jackson

  10. mark2001 Says:

    Destin…shorty..like Ronde and Honey Badger.

  11. tbbucs3 Says:

    Im just speaking on style of play, mark not 40 times.

  12. SOEbuc Says:

    ” who led the Gophers in forced fumbles and tackles while earning All-American honors.”

    And Minnesota had a damn fine team his senior year. Great pick.

    TEACH HIM UP BOWELS!!!

    GO BUCS!!!

  13. tbbucs3 Says:

    Even though Polamalu was an absolute brick wall

  14. mark2001 Says:

    tbb…I was talking speed because running a 4.3 like Troy vs a 4.45 like Winfield is a heck of a difference. But then, Troy was a much higher draft pick. Frankly, I’d be happy with something in between Troy and Honey Badger.

  15. Joe Says:

    I guess we can read between the lines here that Justin Evans may be done…

    Not sure if Evans is done but there is no way in hell you can bank on the guy.

    “Availability is your best ability.”

  16. knucknbuc Says:

    kid is a beast everyone and i mean everyone will like this pick. like father like son. kids a playmaker. dont worry about rb. theres veteran fa rbs every year.

  17. TDTB Says:

    Solid player, just don’t know that he’s elite. There were some good players available. Now they are looking at a third tier RB.

  18. Rick Says:

    Yes great college cb, 5″9 against 6’3 receivers with NFL talent he has no chance for jump ball’s and will likely just draw pass interference calls when it’s not an easy reception for the receiver. We still have no running game that scares anybody. D coordinators in the NFL can game plan and shut down a passing attack when there is little to no running threat. If ROJO was a serious threat to be that the team would have never
    needed to split carries between Jones and Barber last year so heavily. I’m not pretending to be any kind of expert in X’s and O’s expert, but I’m fearful we will be very at the end of this next season we didn’t have a threatening running attack to go with our passing ability and have some kind of balance.

  19. KillingMeSwiftly Says:

    Hack. At 5’9 and change…he ain’t his dad, and certainly NOT in 2020, which is…the only…only..year that matters. Dad was over 6 feet and mattered more than 2 years in.

    Krispy Kreme pounding nervous pervis…heard about how many teams, quote unquote wanted Winfield in last 24 HOURS.

    Versus taking what affects the ball…the most. And most often in frequency.

    D’Andre Swift.

    While you’re at it, line your arteries, and your gut with Crisco. Right…guy. line your ever-expanding gut…with bad decisions, and your gut, with the lack of consensus days. You don’t have, an mba, a phd, an…anything.You’re a guy. That makes, hack decisions, at critical Times. Like Winfield. Which will take at least 2 extra years to pay off, when seasoned, versus drafting Swift now, and restructuring contracts to allow Tony Jefferson, to handle that position, at a veteran presence with suitable height.

    Hack. Krispy Kreme, decision.

  20. Rick Says:

    Yes great college cb, 5″9 against 6’3 receivers with NFL talent he has no chance for jump ball’s and will likely just draw pass interference calls when it’s not an easy reception for the receiver. We still have no running game that scares anybody. D coordinators in the NFL can game plan and shut down a passing attack when there is little to no running threat. If ROJO was a serious threat to be that the team would have never
    needed to split carries between Jones and Barber last year so heavily. I’m not pretending to be any kind of expert in X’s and O’s, but I’m fearful we will be very sorry at the end of this next season we didn’t have a threatening running attack to go with our passing ability and have some kind of balance.

  21. Pewter Power Says:

    No thank you to cross training a rookie all over the field please let him get comfortable at one position and let’s not go the route dirk koetter did with offensive lineman

  22. Jason Mclaurin Says:

    Look if Evans returns I feel he should be strictly special teams at this point not counting on the guy trust Bucco isn’t either. Edwards will come around I think but needs some time on special teams to do it as for Evans as well. This pick does a lot for our versatility and depth just as AW2 says.

  23. mark2001 Says:

    So you guys are telling me that 5’9″ Ronde and the Honey Badger can’t play in the NFL now days. Do me a favor and tell Ronde that…and let me know how that plays out for you.

  24. SOEbuc Says:

    Justin Evans comes back and battles for the number two spot with Mike Edwards. That’s some good safety depth.

  25. jcscycles Says:

    First of all his dad was 5’8″ and was an all pro. Winfield jr. Is the same size as the honey badger which for a free safety is just fine And this kid plays like the honey badger.. Swift and Akers were already drafted, and we need a free safety. This kid is All American. Do the math. Scouts were high on him for a reason. Excellent pick at a position of need.

  26. Joe Says:

    Justin Evans comes back and battles for the number two spot with Mike Edwards.

    And then blows an ankle in the second preseason game.

  27. Sorryjackchuckiesback Says:

    Man this dude is really small!! I imagine Thomas and Jones going over this guy like nothing…. BUT.. the dude is intense!! He plays on fire man and has a real passion for the game and is an absolute ball hawk!! Greeeeeat instinct and closing timing!! Always around the ball…. But man is he small…. He is for sure better suited for free safety! Let’s see if Edwards takes a jump and gets better plus they got Dixon and Evans coming back… Could be a full house back there

  28. Bucco Edd Says:

    Good thing he will never have to cover those guys 1v1.

    Hes not the ideal height, but Id say hes right at the minimum height, pretty much same height as Earl Thomas iwhos listed at 5’10”. What he lacks in height he makes up for in IQ and passion for the game.

  29. ©MadMax Says:

    Watching a lot of film now…..Ballhawk, thumper for his size, rangy in the backfield (which is what we need)….a little small but that can work to his advantage with his speed, hips and agility.

    Xav was gone, Dugger was gone…so he was the next best! Ilove it!!!!

    We got positions of need in our first three picks with great players………………. OT, Safety, RB

    Now we need to find a diamond in the rough with our 5th (no 4th 🙁 )…..

    Im thinking Robert Taylor Jr. Big hitting RB that we’re missing right now.

  30. kyle Says:

    blah blah blah.. he may turn out to be great but wtf??? Why does Jason Licht hate running backs???? Dobbins was there for the taking, Rojo Sucks Im sorry.

  31. Knuckle Sandwich Delivery Service Says:

    Nah, ROJO is gonna heat up this year. This whole offense will look different when it hits the field. The Oline will be better, the pre snap reads will be better and first and second down production will be better.

    There’s a new field general now that will help everybody elevate their play.

  32. delson Says:

    Led the gophers with a grand total of TWO yes TWO forced fumbles

  33. Owlykat Says:

    No Acres was not gone. He was picked at 51 and we took Winfield at 45. Now if we make the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. How is a 5’9” Safety going to tackle the mammoth KC TE like Kielce. I don’t think so! The better Safety Pick for that is Jeremy Chinn who is 6’3” and runs a faster 40 at 4.46 than Winfield and hits like a linebacker. He too is a good playmaker with thirteen interceptions and dominated at the Senior Bowl so Licht should have known about him. He was picked at 64. Likely BA wanted Winfield as the next Honey Badger and knew Winfield’s Father who was an all pro. But after all the talk about us giving Brady a strong running game we give him only the 12th best RB in this year’s draft in Vaughn who will be a good pass catcher for Brady but is a poor blocker, and a stretch where he was picked but even Gibson was gone at 66. The Ravens got a much better RB who can block and catch passes out of the backfield at 55, Dobbins from Ohio State. So Licht could have traded down and gotten likely both Chinn and Dobbins or an even better RB, Big Back Dillon, who the Packers picked up wisely at 62 (and makes Green Bay a big threat in the playoffs this year against us while they still have their Super QB). Remember Brady only hit 30 percent of his passes when under pressure, which is why we needed Dillon!

  34. TOM Says:

    Winfield small & injury prone. Really bad pick but thats what loser Licht is known for. Another infamous 2nd rd pick. I guess at least it wasn’t a kicker. But hold on thats coming. Maybe in rd 4. Oops wait don’t have any 4th rd picks. Oh well there’s always the 5th.