A paid NFL observer has a hunch Baker Mayfield regresses this year. That’s OK. Mayfield had a career year. Even 10 yards less is a regression.
However, the Bucs have someone that will make up for whatever step back Mayfield may have, per Eric Edholm of NFL.com. He picked each team’s MVP and is pretty convinced that whatever snag the offense hits, the Bucs defense can and may make up for it. Why? Because the Bucs’ best player resides on defense, he typed. And his name is “Antoine Winfield.”
… I’m not predicting a big downturn or anything, but it’s not going to be easy to reach the same plateau Tampa Bay hit by the end of last season, especially with Dave Canales jumping ship to Carolina.
Instead, I’m putting my money behind the Bucs’ most consistent impact player in Winfield, who somehow remains underrated in spite of being an NFL legacy and having turned in a brilliant first four seasons. Are we witnessing the start of a Hall of Fame career? I don’t say that lightly. The highest-paid safety in the league, Winfield has 15 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, eight recoveries and seven interceptions in his career, and he has an innate knack for making the timeliest of plays when the Bucs need them most. A special young player in the midst of stardom.
Yes, Winfield has had a tremendous start to his career, capped off by an All-Pro season last year. If Winfield keeps up the game-changing, game-saving plays like he made at Carolina last year to help the Bucs clinch a playoff spot and division title, he might become a potential Hall of Famer.
Although it is way, way early, Winfield may not be the only young Bucs player with a Hall of Fame start. Tristan Wirfs is on the same track.
(This is one reason, though not the main reason, Joe wanted Wirfs staying at right tackle. He was definitely putting together a Hall of Fame career over there.)
When the Bucs drafted Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks in 1995, that was one of the great drafts by a team in NFL history. If everything falls right, someday Wirfs and Winfield might just rival that draft.
