Kwon Alexander is set to hit free agency next month and the middle linebacker has strong feelings on returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Yesterday afternoon, impeding free agent and 24-year-old Kwon Alexander was a guest on 95.3 WDAE and stated his desire to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the team set to use their franchise tag on left tackle Donovan Smith LINK, Alexander will hit the open market once free agency begins next month unless an extension could be agreed upon before hand.
On the radio show, according to Tampabay.com’s Rick Stroud in a string of tweets, Alexander was not shy about what he wanted to do heading into March, and called new Head Coach Bruce Arians “a great coach. I met him a few times. We’re going to find out what happens in free agency.” We will indeed; he went on to say that he would love to stay in Tampa Bay, the team that he was drafted by back in 2015.
#Bucs LB Kwon Alexander on @953WDAE on whether he wants to remain in TB as a free agent. “Yeah, I love Tampa, man. I love Tampa Bay. This is where they first brought me. I’ve just been balling. I just love everything about it.''
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) February 20, 2019
Alexander went on to say that he feels like he can play in any scheme, so a chance at the defensive coordinator position would not be an issue for him. His athleticism stands out as elite, however his production on the field has been up-and-down. While he has flashed brilliance and all of the potential in the world at just 24 years old, the Buccaneers only currently have a little over $16 million to play with this offseason and need to use it wisely.
There is no doubt that Alexander has been a core piece to the Buccaneers defense at the middle linebacker position, but the situation gets sticky in regards to how much a player coming off of an ACL injury. With Kendall Beckwith coming back from a year-long absence due to his injury and the continued dominance of Lavonte David, the Bucs could have a dominant linebacking core if Alexander is retained and returns to full strength. Hopefully the two sides are able to work out a deal that not only pays Alexander what he is due, but does not mortgage the future of the team to retain his services.