Buccaneers incorrectly disrespect young star in free agency
By Rob Leeds
It was strange that Jets were able to get Jordan Whitehead in free agency for such a low price. It’s even stranger that the Buccaneers didn’t make an offer.
The Buccaneers have made their first head-scratching decision of the offseason.
We aren’t going to harp on the misses too much, especially when the overall product has been excellent, but Jordan Whitehead raises some questions about how the front office has been handling long-term decisions.
Whitehead has been one of two Buccaneer free agents to agree to terms with an outside team so far. Alex Cappa made sense, but Whitehead was one of those players on the fence. It seemed like the Bucs would make an offer to Whitehead but then get beaten out by the market.
However, when the news broke that Whitehead was playing on a modest deal for the Jets, some fans started to wonder why the Bucs couldn’t compete with that cheap price for one of the best defenders on their roster.
Mike Edwards is a great safety option that deserves more reps after a few great seasons as a high-performing depth option, but letting Whitehead walk wasn’t exactly the way fans wanted this to go down.
Then, today’s news causes even more confusion as to how this process went down.
Carmen Vitali explained earlier today that the Bucs never made an extension offer to Whitehead in the first place.
I’m told the Bucs did not extend an offer to safety Jordan Whitehead at all. He was a 2018 fourth-round pick looking for his second contract with the team.
— Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV) March 16, 2022
Instead, Whitehead will sign a 2yr/$14.5 million deal that makes him a New York Jet today, per prior reports.
Really?
Again, it makes sense when you like two of your young safeties, but Whitehead still makes a case as one of the best defenders on the roster. His performance against the Eagles in the playoffs was one of the best performances by a Buccaneer all season, and taking him out of the equation isn’t going to make this unit better.
Whitehead brings versatility, knows the system, and never backs away from a big moment. This guy as been with the team for four years, and this is how extension talks go down? No offer at all, even a lower one?
We would’ve done things differently.
Trending. Tom Brady needs to bury the hatchet and bring All-Pro to Buccaneers. light
Want to write about the Buccaneers? Apply below!
Want your voice heard? Join the The Pewter Plank team!