One of the biggest names the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost this offseason was starting safety Jordan Whitehead, who signed with the New York Jets in free agency.
The Bucs reportedly didn’t even make an offer to Whitehead, and it appears his departure was mutual, as the former fourth-round pick out of Pitt recently vented his frustrations with his role in Tampa Bay’s defense.
“I’m a team player, but I was frustrated,” Whitehead told Mike Kaye of Pro Football Network. “I would come out on third down, sometimes. I just felt like I was making enough plays, and I was being a leader on the team. It just felt like I should have been in the game. … I’m a team player, and it’s a team-first mentality, but I definitely was frustrated. I think anybody would be.”
Whitehead was part of a young safety rotation that included Antoine Winfield Jr. and Mike Edwards, both of whom have excelled at making big plays in coverage over the past few seasons.
Despite his frustrations in Tampa Bay, Whitehead credits Tampa Bay defensive coordinator-turned head coach Todd Bowles for helping him develop a commitment to good communication in the secondary.
“Each year in the league, I feel like [I’ve] been more comfortable communicating,” Whitehead told Kaye. “[Bowles] was big on his safeties, and he would be hard on us, and he would make sure we were talking. If we weren’t talking, he was going to say something. So, that was my biggest thing last year, being a vocal guy, communicating, getting the defense set up, and that’s what I stick to now. That’s part of my game. I want to make sure everyone is on the same page. If there’s a bust [in coverage], I put that on myself.”
Along with Winfield and Edwards, the Bucs added a pair of experienced veterans at safety this offseason in Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal, hoping to offset Whitehead’s departure.
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