Todd Bowles To Modify Usage Of Antoine Winfield Jr. In 2023

Looking at 2022, Antoine Winfield Jr. actually played in the slot more than he did up top. Per Pro Football Focus, he totaled 445 snaps in the slot and 236 at free safety. This, of course, was a product of the Bucs spending a lot of time in nickel defense.

But what’s Winfield’s best role? If he’s going to stick to one position in 2023 and beyond, which one should it be? Todd Bowles didn’t get into specifics when speaking with the media in Indianapolis, but it’s not hard to nail down which role is right for Winfield.

On the whole, the 5-foot-9, 203-pounder had a solid season in both his safety and slot roles. Despite being pretty proficient across the board, though, the few bad moments and lapses in coverage that Winfield had seemed to come while working as the nickel corner.

It wasn’t always a natural fit for him, and he’s better suited for the free safety role he starred in during his first two NFL seasons. And while 2022 was a solid season overall, his PFF grade was a career-low 67.2. His coverage grade was even worse, coming in at 57.2.

Winfield’s natural ball skills would be put to better use at the safety position. Think back to the interception he brought in over the 6-foot-4 Michael Pittman Jr. in a November 2021 win over the Colts in Indianapolis. He high-pointed the ball and came down with it, out-leaping a receiver who has six inches of height on him. Plays like that were lacking for the Bucs last year, and they could certainly use more of them in 2023.

Plus, the Bucs don’t want to see injuries pile up for Winfield, their 2020 second-round pick. He was banged up for parts of the 2022 season, having dealt with a concussion in the middle of the season before having another scare later in the season. To that end, moving him back to more of a full-time safety role would seem to make sense.

Yes, Winfield proved in 2022 that he can handle the slot cornerback role. But the Bucs would be wise to find a player to fill that position (Alabama’s Brian Branch, anyone?) this offseason. Doing so would allow Winfield, a Pro Bowl-caliber player, to maximize his potential at the safety position. And with him up top and a true nickel corner filling that role, Todd Bowles can get the most out of his defense for the foreseeable future.