NFL Speed: Larry Foote Cites A Hurdle For Chris Braswell
May 13th, 2025
Bucs OLB coach Larry Foote.
In no uncertain terms, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht said he expects 2024 second-round draft pick Chris Braswell to “shock” people this season.
But what is “shock” when it comes to Braswell? Yeah, Joe knows rarely do rookie edge rushers make a dent in the league unless their names are “Bosa.” It just doesn’t happen often.
Still, Braswell was virtually invisible in 2024. He made Noah Spence as a rookie look like Simeon Rice.
Braswell had 1.5 sacks more than you and Joe combined last year.
So what would be the “shock” from Braswell? Six sacks? That is more than doubling his sack total of 1.5 last season.
Outside linebackers coach Larry Foote spoke today at One Buc Palace and Joe asked him what it would take for Braswell to be noticed in a Bucs uniform this year. Foote had an interesting response.
Foote said Braswell, schooled in college by Nick Saban at Alabama, has to adjust to the speed of the NFL. Once he gets that down, he will produce.
That seemed weird to Joe to describe a second-year player like that. So by December of last year he still wasn’t used to the speed of the Bucs’ offense or the NFL in general?
And what does that say about “SEC speed?”
Joe will just go out on a limb and predict if Braswell has, oh, eight sacks (or more), the Bucs defense is balling out this fall.
May 13th, 2025 at 12:24 pm
Shockingly bad. I’ll buy that.
May 13th, 2025 at 12:27 pm
If Bucs can make a defensive ranking jump like they did offensively this past year, watch out😊
May 13th, 2025 at 12:28 pm
So not much production at all.
I wouldn’t be shocked by that.
SEC is the fastest league in college by far.
It’s not like OTs run 4.5 in the NFL.
May 13th, 2025 at 12:28 pm
Bowles and Foote want their edges to play run first and my guess is that Brass was slow in his run reads. Or, this is just a throw away statement from Foote?
I hope Joe can meet with all the position coaches as we move toward camp, including the new 4th down/end of game coach.
May 13th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
I get that he still has to prove himself but as Joe himself has said it’s rare for a rookie to come in and dominate. Normally there are better players in front of the rookie and teams wish to season them first.
What makes Braswell look bad is that the entire group of edge rushers were pretty bad. Nobody was playing ahead of Braswell to keep him on the bench. He should have gotten more reps.
Having said that Braswell deserves a chance this year. The Bucs and their fans can expect Braswell to live up to draft expectations. IF not….worse for Braswell than the Bucs because Braswell will have a tougher time getting on the field this year unless his play picks up significantly.
May 13th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
Let’s go Chris 👍🏼
May 13th, 2025 at 12:59 pm
Maybe don’t drop him 30 yards deep and have him rush the passer.
May 13th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
Hmmm. Diaby, Reddick, Nelson, Walker, Braswell. Who’s fifth in that group? would expect it to be Braswell, or at least we all hope it will be by midseason when Walker passes him on depth chart. If you need edge pressure I’m likely picking one of the other four guys.
May 13th, 2025 at 1:25 pm
Every year Bucs brass hypes up a player or 2 they want to have a big year. It’s all just words.
I remember back when RoJo was going to “shock” people. He was off the team the next year.
May 13th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
Foote is right on point about some players not adjusting to the speed in the NFL from college. Joe is also right on point. We should have seen a spark by the end of last season. Agree with stpetebucsfan too. Maybe he should have gotten more reps. Rooting for Chris and that this could be his break-out year. Foote sees something in him and that means a lot too.
May 13th, 2025 at 2:05 pm
JTS got way too many snaps last year – which prevented Braswell from getting the # of snaps that was appropriate for a 2nd round pick to develop properly.
Part of making a “big jump” in the 2nd year is being able to study your live rookie reps all off season to see the many areas that can be improved upon….
Braswell didn’t get enough live reps last year and there’s no way around that. Sure we were trying to ‘win’ – but JTS was almost useless out there – so those were all just wasted snaps from this year’s perspective…..
Seemed to me they had to know JTS would not be back with the team in 2025 – so why did Todd play him so much last year? is my question…..
May 13th, 2025 at 2:45 pm
Let’s take Logan Hall. He showed me nothing at all his first season. He’s second year he was better, but still sub par. Last year he was a lot better. I was impressed. I’m expecting an even nore impressive contract year.
Braswell is seeming like he is on a similar trajectory. If I see eight sacks I’ll be flabbergasted. If I see six I’ll be satisfied. They always hype up a player or two so I’m not really paying attention to the coaches’s musings. If I see 10 or more I’ll wonder if I’m dreaming.
May 13th, 2025 at 2:48 pm
Read, recognition, react time, angles with the speed but JTS looked fast but lost as to the angle he should take, people ran right by him, maybe not strong enough to cut his angle short and push through the blocker? If you watch the offensive lines in the NFL they are much quicker getting off the line and to the point of attack than any college line.
May 13th, 2025 at 2:48 pm
I have higher hopes for Walker. His game may translate better.
May 13th, 2025 at 2:50 pm
Also watched JTS take really wide looping path to the backfield.
May 13th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
20 for the defensive line again, 10 each for Riddick and Diaby, then 5 each for the following: Nelson, Braswell, LVD, Dennis, Winfield, Walker …
That’s 70 sacks, which of course will not happen, but every one of those players is capable of those numbers, I think. The team has a lot of pass rushers!
May 13th, 2025 at 3:18 pm
Last year tampa was top 10 in sacks with 46. That was without a single dominant 10+ guy.
With that being said, with the additions I would think anything g less than 50 is a dissapointment for the team.
May 13th, 2025 at 3:43 pm
I think this is actually Foote kind of exposing himself as a coach a lil
May 13th, 2025 at 4:04 pm
Just remember if that DE from Boston College has a breakout yr with the Cowboys, he was sitting there at 19.
May 13th, 2025 at 4:17 pm
8 sacks Joe? Everyone’s clamoring for Hendrickson. If that happened, Braswell wouldn’t be getting enough snaps to hit 5. As it is, assuming he steps into the 3rd guy in the OLB rotation, he’d have a hard time hitting 8, barring injury to Reddick or Diaby. As a 3rd guy in the rotation, anything over 6 is a pretty nice season… It’s more than that, though… Does he become a presence when he’s on the field, in the running game, or in coverage, disrupting on his rushes, causing turnovers. That’s impact. I don’t make much of Foote and the “adjusting to NFL speed” comments. That was probably an issue at the very beginning. Part of that adjustment is about knowing your assignment in Bowles’ defense so that he can respond without thinking. That’s adjusting to the speed of the game as well. It’s not all about who runs fast.
May 13th, 2025 at 4:21 pm
I don’t see the point in the continued harping on Braswell’s rookie season. Not every guy is on the same development path. Last year is last year. I still view him as a talented 2nd round pick and expect to see more production this year.