Titans vs. Bucs: 7 Players to watch
By David Rumsey
Aug 29, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Kwon Alexander (58) and teammates react after Alexander makes a sack against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
MLB Kwon Alexander
If you’ve been following the Bucs at all this preseason then you know rookie LB Kwon Alexander has burst onto the scene quite unexpectedly. After being drafted in the 4th round it looked like Alexander would be a project that wouldn’t see the field this year.
The 21-year old played so well in his first preseason game that he took the starting MLB job away from veteran Bruce Carter and never looked back. Bucs coaches haven’t stopped praising Alexander and seem to feel extremely comfortable with him leading the defense.
Alexander is a speedy, athletic play-maker so it would be no surprise to see him do something amazing on Sunday. He is a rookie so we can’t expect him to be an all-pro right away, but I would be pretty shocked if he played poorly against Titans.
Watch out for him in the middle of the defense; you’ll probably see him flying in for tackles all day long.
Aug 29, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Henry Melton (90) is congratulated after he breaks up a pass by Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown (13) (not pictured) during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
DE/DT Henry Melton
You may notice that I listed two positions for Henry Melton and that’s why he’s so intriguing. Melton was brought in to add depth to the Bucs interior defensive line, but after a few injuries Melton has been providing help on the outside.
There’s a good chance he will start and DE Sunday and the way he plays there could go a long way in determining whether or not the Bucs win. If he can bring an outside pass rush that the Bucs lacked all of last year, it will make things a whole lot easier on the secondary.
If Melton struggles on the outside, though, the Bucs could be in real trouble. They don’t have too much depth at DE so they desperately need production from George Johnson, Jaquies Smith and Henry Melton, if they ask him to play on the outside.