It appears that the Buccaneers’ prized middle linebacker will be out another game.
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took to the practice field on Wednesday it was without their two star linebackers, Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander. David is expected to miss at least a few weeks with an ankle injury, but there had been some hope that Alexander could return this week after missing the previous game with a hamstring injury. Those odds seem to be dwindling to near nothing now.
No Kwon Alexander or Lavonte David at #Bucs practice today Chris Baker, Noah Spence and Brent Grimes are all practicing.
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) September 27, 2017
The fearsome duo of David and Alexander was one of the foundations of the Buccaneer team, and to have them both taken out of the lineup is devastating. Rookie Kendell Beckwith will not only assume the starting middle linebacker position but also the duties of defensive play-caller. Next to Beckwith will be third year pros, Adarius Glanton and Cameron Lynch. It’s an uninspiring group considering the shoes they’re filling, but they have a few things working in their favor. For one, Beckwith appears to already be comfortable in the NFL despite just two starts; he played every snap of the Vikings game, and has graded out extremely favorably by Pro Football Focus since the beginning of the preseason.
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Fortunately for the Buccaneers, the Giants don’t have much in the way of a running game at all. In fact, they’re 30th in the league in rushing yards (just three yards more than the Buccaneers, sadly – but in one more game played). If the Bucs are able to reload the defensive line with a healthy Chris Baker, Jacquies Smith and Noah Spence they should have more than enough tools to dominate a soft Giants offensive line and compensate for their inexperienced group of linebackers.
Next: Buccaneers Week Four Game Changers
What are your feelings on the injury to Kwon Alexander, Buccaneers fans? Do you think he’ll play this week, or would it be wiser to rest him another week given the weakness of the Giants running game? If he misses, what will they do at linebacker? It’s talked about in this week’s Walking The Plank Podcast below