Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Moving back to free safety
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Winfield confirmed Tuesday that he'll be moving back to free safety for the 2023 campaign, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Head coach Todd Bowles hopes Winfield's transition back to the middle of the field will create an uptick in turnovers for Tampa Bay's defense, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports. The 2020 second-round pick operated as a free safety during his first two NFL campaigns, but he had a more versatile role in 2022 and played closer to the line of scrimmage. Across 42 career games, Winfield has totaled 246 tackles (174 solo), nine sacks, four interceptions, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Shines to close out season
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Winfield collected 13 tackles (10 solo) in the Buccaneers' 30-17 loss to the Falcons on Sunday.
The standout safety was somewhat of an exception among Buccaneers starters Sunday, playing a robust 67 snaps and logging a season-high tackle total in the process. Winfield finished the 2022 regular season with another diversified stat line consisting of 80 tackles, four sacks, three defensed passes, including one interception, and a forced fumble over 13 games. He'll be in line to play a substantial role in next Monday night's wild-card clash versus the Cowboys, against which Winfield recorded six stops and an interception back in a Week 1 win.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Standout effort in Week 17
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Winfield recorded six tackles (five solo), including one sack, during the Buccaneers' 30-24 win over the Panthers in Week 17.
Winfield logged one of two sacks of Sam Darnold on the afternoon, pushing his season total to a career-high four. The third-year pro has 13 combined stops over the last two games, affording him some solid momentum going into the regular-season finale versus the Falcons.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Ready to go Sunday
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Winfield (ankle) is active Sunday against the Panthers, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Winfield will once again play through an ankle injury that he suffered Week 12 against the Browns. His ability to suit up should bolster the team's secondary against Carolina.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Limited at practice
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Winfield (ankle) was a limited participant at practice all week ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Panthers.
Winfield played through his ankle injury the last couple weeks, and it appears he'll do the same in the Buccaneers' Week 17 division matchup with the Panthers. The safety's status is worth monitoring, but all signs point to him being available Sunday after he was able to play 93 percent of the defensive snaps in Week 16.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Cleared for Sunday Night Football
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Winfield (ankle) is active for Sunday's matchup against the Cardinals, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Winfield will suit up for a second straight game despite not practicing during Week 16 prep due to a lingering ankle issue. He played only 18 defensive snaps in Week 15, so it's possible the third-year safety will be limited during Sunday's contest. Mike Edwards (hamstring) and Keanu Neal (toe) are also active after being listed as questionable, so Tampa Bay will have all four of its safeties available against Arizona.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Deemed questionable for Sunday
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Winfield (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Cardinals.
Winfield didn't practice during Week 16 prep due to a lingering ankle injury, but he'll still have a chance to suit up Sunday. Mike Edwards (hamstring) and Keanu Neal (toe) are also questionable, so Tampa Bay's safety corps could be without a couple of key members against Arizona.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Active in Week 15
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Winfield (ankle) is active for Sunday's Week 15 clash against the Bengals, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
Winfield will therefore make his return from a two-game absence after managing to turn in limited practices throughout the week. The star safety's return coincides with that of position mate Mike Edwards (hamstring), meaning the Buccaneers will have the back end of their defense intact against the Bengals' dangerous air attack.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Chance to play Sunday
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Winfield (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Bengals, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Winfield was limited throughout Week 15 prep due to an ankle injury that's already sidelined him for back-to-back games. However, he's being listed as questionable for the first time since suffering the issue, suggesting he's at least making some progress. Mike Edwards (hamstring) is also questionable, so if both of Tampa Bay's starting safeties are sidelined again, expect Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal to continue filling in.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Limited Wednesday
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Winfield (ankle) was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Winfield missed back-to-back games due to an ankle issue, but he appears to be trending in the right direction after returning to practice, albeit in a limited fashion, Wednesday. The third-year safety will have two more opportunities to log a full session before the team needs to make a decision on his status for Sunday's matchup against Cincinnati.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Sits out practice Thursday
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Winfield (ankle) was listed as a non-participant on the Buccaneers' injury report Thursday.
Winfield sprained his ankle during Sunday's loss to the Browns, leaving him sidelined for Tampa Bay's first practice ahead of Week 13. The 24-year-old will now have two more practices to increase his activity, or he could be set to sit out against New Orleans on Monday. With fellow starting safety Mike Edwards (hamstring) also sidelined during practice Thursday, Nolan Turner and Keanu Neal could be asked to step up if Logan Ryan (foot) is not activated from IR before Monday Night Football.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Clears protocols
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Winfield cleared concussion protocol and will travel with the Buccaneers to Germany ahead of Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
Winfield missed the past two games with a concussion sustained during Tampa Bay's Week 7 loss to the Panthers. His ability to clear protocols comes at a very opportune time, as the Buccaneers are scheduled to leave Thursday night ahead of Sunday's contest in Munich. The do-it-all safety recorded 39 tackles, three sacks, two passes defended and an interception over the first seven weeks of 2022, so Winfield should have a big role in slowing down Seattle's explosive offense.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Unavailable for Week 9
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Winfield (concussion) has been ruled out for Week 9 versus the Rams, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
Winfield progressed well in practice this week, but he'll ultimately miss one more contest as he recovers from the concussion he suffered in Week 7 against Carolina. In his absence, Keanu Neal will likely step into a starting role in the Buccaneers' secondary for a second straight game.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Increases activity Thursday
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Winfield (concussion) was listed as a limited participant on the Buccaneers' injury report Thursday.
Winfield practiced for the first time since suffering a concussion in Tampa Bay's Week 7 loss to the Steelers. While his ability to participate in a limited capacity is an encouraging sign for his eventual return, he'll still have to clear league protocols before suiting up in a game again. Winfield will have one more practice to improve his status before Sunday's game against the Rams.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Fails to practice Wednesday
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Winfield (concussion) did not participate in Wednesday's practice.
Winfield suffered a concussion in Week 7 against the Steelers, and he's been unable to practice since. He'll need to clear league protocols and show rapid improvement over the next few days to have a chance to take the field Sunday against the Rams.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Being evaluated for concussion
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Winfield is being evaluated for a concussion by Tampa Bay's medical staff, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Winfield went down on one knee after making a tackle in the third quarter. He was able to walk off the field but is being treated for a possible concussion. Before exiting, he made two tackles, including one for a loss.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Back-to-back games with sack
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Winfield recorded five solo tackles, including two for loss, and one sack during Sunday's 20-18 loss to the Steelers.
Winfield took down Najee Harris for a four-yard loss in the first quarter for his first tackle of the game, and on the Steelers' next drive, the third-year safety sacked Kenny Pickett for a 12-yard loss on a third-and-seven play. Winfield has recorded at least five tackles in each game this season and has totaled 37 stops, three sacks, two pass defenses, one interception and one forced fumble across six appearances.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Another productive showing Week 2
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Winfield tallied seven tackles (six solo), including one sack, during the Buccaneers' 20-10 win over the Saints in Week 2.
The star safety enjoyed his second consecutive productive showing to open the season. Winfield has stood out early from an IDP perspective with 13 tackles, an interception and a sack across his first two games, perhaps foreshadowing a breakout third season in the Buccaneers' aggressive defensive scheme.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Standout effort in Week 1 win
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Winfield registered six tackles (five solo) and an interception in the Buccaneers' 19-3 win over the Cowboys on Sunday night.
The third-year safety opened the season in fine form, checking in second only to Devin White in tackles and registering the Buccaneers' first turnover of the season when he picked off Dak Prescott at the Cowboys' 38-yard line in the second quarter. Winfield is already halfway to last season's career-best interception total with Sunday's theft, and his impressive body of work overall in the opener could portend a breakout season.
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Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Utilized in more versatile fashion
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Winfield is playing more in the slot and has been featured in several blitz packages thus far in training camp, Brianna Dix of the team's official site reports.
This is especially noteworthy considering Winfield was used in a more stationary role over his first two seasons and still came up with some solid counting stats. The 23-year-old already made the Pro Bowl a season ago after recording eight defensed passes, including two interceptions, two sacks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles, and if he has more opportunities to accrue numbers in those categories due to a more versatile role, Winfield's already robust fantasy value would see another boost.
