Can another undrafted Greg Schiano pupil make the Bucs’ final roster?

Rookie safety Christian Izien looks the part, but can the former Rutgers standout land the part? Christian Izien, a safety and software junkie, recently joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Rutgers. He is competing with fellow undrafted rookies Kedrick Whitehead Jr. and Kaevon Merriweather, while Ryan Neal, Ryan Neal and Dee Delaney are also in contention. Izien survived last year's preseason games and is expected to make the 53-year roster.

发表 : 11 个月前 经过 Joey Knight 在 Sports

TAMPA — Lurking inside the chiseled, compact exterior is a techie of sorts. Christian Izien, safety and software junkie, arrived at AdventHealth Training Center with a degree from Rutgers in information technology and informatics.

Informatics? “So, it’s like coding and programming stuff, using Python (a simple programing language) and all that stuff,” the undrafted Bucs rookie said following Tuesday’s organized team activities.

“A bunch of numbers and words on a paper that makes a website — stuff like that. ... I tell people all the time it’s kind of difficult to get a grasp of it because it’s such a fast-paced-moving industry where things change every year.”

Sounds a lot like the NFL. Or the Bucs roster. In that regard, Izien — to swipe a computer term — may have signed on at the ideal time.

Tampa Bay could use a box safety capable of dislodging a bicuspid from time to time. Veteran Keanu Neal has departed (to the Steelers), and so has versatile ballhawk Mike Edwards (to the Chiefs).

Moreover, the team still is smarting from Jordan Whitehead’s 2022 departure via free agency (to the Jets), and 2021 Pro Bowler Antoine Winfield Jr. is sliding back to free safety after spending a majority of 2022 as a slot corner.

“I would say it’s similar to what I was doing last year, it’s just I’ll probably be in the middle of the field more,” Winfield said. “So I like having that freedom to roam around, be in the middle of the field and have that presence all over.”

Which leaves the Bucs in need of another safety adept at blowing up a runner or route. Izien is competing with fellow undrafted rookies Kedrick Whitehead Jr. and Kaevon Merriweather, 2022 undrafted rookie Nolan Turner (one defensive snap in 2022), fifth-year veteran Ryan Neal (not re-signed by the Seahawks) and cornerback-safety hybrid Dee Delaney.

“On film, what we liked about them (is) they’re both very physical players,” Bowles said Tuesday regarding Izien and Merriweather. “They’re both very good open-field tacklers, we like that about them. The mental part, they’re getting down.”

Uninvited to the NFL combine, Izien made 41 consecutive starts at Rutgers, then registered a pro-day effort bordering on the preposterous. Before representatives of 30 NFL teams inside the Rutgers practice bubble, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound Queens, New York, native did 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds and recorded a 41½-inch vertical leap.

The vertical leap would’ve ranked third among safeties at the combine; the 20 reps would’ve tied for fifth.

“He may not be the tallest guy in the world,” said former Bucs coach Greg Schiano, Izien’s coach his final three years at Rutgers. “But he makes up for that with his physical skills. He’ll play in that league.”

Izien’s journey to Tampa was taken via bus, train, even boarding house. Raised in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, he attended three different high schools in an effort to further his football career. His daily journey to St. Francis Prep as a freshman and sophomore required him to board two different buses for a two-hour, one-way commute.

“Every journey I made was just (about) getting exposure,” he said.

At Rutgers, he totaled 303 tackles as a four-year starter with four interceptions (all in 2020) and 19 passes defended, developing a reputation as an aggressive run defender with the athleticism to play over the top.

“He reminds me of myself,” said Winfield, listed at 5-9. “Kind of similar stature, he’s put in the same roles that I was in, so it’s good seeing him out there. He’s learning. He’s a smart player.”

If the planets align, he’ll become the second consecutive undrafted rookie from Rutgers to make Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster. Linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi, Izien’s best friend, survived last year’s preseason and played in 13 games.

“I definitely expected to get drafted,” Izien said. “Had high hopes to, I spoke to a lot of scouts, but that’s the point of the journey. ... You never know how that day can go, but it turned out to be good, anyway.”

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