HC Todd Bowles Comments on Jordan Whitehead and Buccaneers Secondary

Tampa Bay's DB unit could look a little different in 2024.

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles talks to the media / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to build off the successes they saw in 2023. They were able to retain many of their key pieces from last year, but there are spots where the team will have a new look. One of those spots is the defensive secondary.

Former starting CB Carlton Davis III was traded to Detroit, and safety Jordan Whitehead and CB Thomas were also added in free agency. The Bucs also drafted another nickel-type DB in the draft Tykee Smith out of Georgia.

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Following the team's first voluntary OTA practice, head coach Todd Bowles commented on what he expects of Jordan Whitehead in his second stint with the team.

"Jordan has been physical when he was here. We watched him in New York and he played the same role there. He's a lot more vocal and a lot more experienced than he was when he left here. Him and 'Win' (Antoine Winfield Jr.) had a great relationship when they were here – they still have one right now. I'm looking for that one to grow. I think it'll help the communication on defense. He was one of our vocal leaders back then. The more people will talk, the better we will be."

Whitehead was effective during his time with the Buccaneers, especially alongside AWJ, so the thought process of pairing the two together again makes loads of sense. Whitehead did struggle in certain areas from his position, but has matured since those days and likely will be a formidable piece on the back end of Bowles' secondary.

Later in his media availability, Bowles also touched on the possibility of having three new starters in the secondary after the departure of Carlton Davis (who will likely be replaced by Zyon McCollum), the addition of Whitehead, and the unknown of who will start the nickel spot.

"Just getting used to each other. I consider Zyon [McCollum] a starter because he started nine games last year. Jordan [Whitehead] has been here before, so we just got him back to plug in. The communication has got to build up. [Jamel] Dean is smarter, [Antoine] Winfield Jr. is obviously smarter, Zyon is smarter – those guys and the way they work out together off the field and the way they communicate on the field, you look for that to cause more turnovers with understanding what each other does."

Communication is always pivotal in football, but one can assume that it is the most important in the defensive secondary. Having to align on matchups and when to switch on crossing receivers are significant nuances to the defense's success, especially with how today's NFL is played. The Bucs have the guys to be competitive against the elite receivers in the NFL, but it will come down to them working as unit for it to transfer over onto the field.

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