The San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets are pursuing (or plan to pursue) Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander in free agency, according to a report from Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. He is seeking a deal that will pay an annual salary between $10-12 million, per the report.
#Bucs are bracing to lose WR Adam Humphries and/or LB Kwon Alexander to free agency. Humphries could get $9-million to $10-million APY with Jets as a big suitor. Alexander is being pursued by the Jets and 49ers and seeking an elite deal between $10-million $12-million APY.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) March 11, 2019
The Buccaneers made Alexander a fourth-round selection out of LSU in 2015. He registered 45 combined tackles, a sack, two passes defensed, and two forced fumbles through six starts with the Buccaneers in 2018, which ended early due to a torn ACL. The Buccaneers placed Alexander on injured reserve on October 22, 2018.
Alexander, 24, has recorded 380 combined tackles, seven sacks, 22 passes defensed, six interceptions, a touchdown, and six forced fumbles through his four NFL seasons. His best statistical season came in 2016 when he registered 145 combined tackles, three sacks, seven passes defensed, an interception, a touchdown, and a forced fumble. It was also Alexander's best graded season (68.4) from Pro Football Focus.
Also of note is that Alexander had the most missed tackles (70) of any inside linebacker in the NFL between 2015 and 2017.
Alexander was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2017.
| Career Statistics | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | G | GS | Comb | Total | Ast | Sck | SFTY | PDef | Int |
| 2018 | Buccaneers | 6 | 6 | 45 | 34 | 11 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | Buccaneers | 12 | 12 | 97 | 70 | 27 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| 2016 | Buccaneers | 16 | 16 | 145 | 108 | 37 | 3.0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| 2015 | Buccaneers | 12 | 12 | 93 | 59 | 34 | 3.0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| Total | 380 | 271 | 109 | 7.0 | 0 | 22 | 6 | |||
H/t to Patrick Tulini for the find.
