Todd Bowles Told David Walker 2025 Is His Redshirt Year; Cade Otton Injured
July 28th, 2025
Rookie OLB David Walker.
In an effort to console a rookie outside linebacker who gave his position coach flashbacks of Super Bowl wins, Bucs coach Todd Bowles laid it out for rookie David Walker.
The fourth-round pick late in practice on Friday blew an ACL. He will need surgery and his season is gone before he ever put on pads.
Bowles talked about Walker’s injury today and you could tell Bowles is really bummed out.
“Ugh. He was making a big impact early,” Bowles said. “We were counting on him to do a lot of things. But we have other guys who have to step up.
“It didn’t look like too much on film but it ended up being that [an ACL].”
Bowles said he told Walker that this year, his rookie year, is his redshirt year, in an effort to comfort him.
For those unaware, “redshirt” is an option colleges use to either hide a player for a year, or if the player is injured and sitting out that year so the player’s ticking clock of eligibility doesn’t start.
This Bucs franchise is just haunted at edge rush.
In other injury news, tight end Cade Otton sat out his second straight practice and Bowles noted that Otton and others (Bowles did not mention names) are suffering tweaked hamstrings.
Out of an abundance of caution, the Bucs have just decided to shelve Otton and others so their hamstrings don’t fully snap.
In other words, standard operating procedure at The AdventHamstring Training Center.
July 28th, 2025 at 11:28 am
Just unreal man.
July 28th, 2025 at 11:32 am
Dude is already 25 right?
July 28th, 2025 at 11:32 am
This has been a brutal July, damn
July 28th, 2025 at 11:40 am
That’s a good way to look at it, who knows that time off after surgery and rehab might make Walker more ready down the road. Hopefully he uses his time wisely and can still stay tapped in with the team mentally
July 28th, 2025 at 11:44 am
It’s unfortunate but for perspective, we lost a 4th round rookie OLB.
It feels like we just lost Cam Gill or Markees Watts.
Our Super Bowl dreams are still intact.
July 28th, 2025 at 11:50 am
A 25 year old rookie has been red shirted enough
He will be 26 before he put pads on
July 28th, 2025 at 11:59 am
If Larry Foote thought a 25 year old 4th round pick from a small school was going to take us to the superbowl, someone needs to take away his medical weed card! Otton’s hammys thightening up, could it be from practicing in the rediculous Florida heat when there is no need to? Get these guys inside already. Three of our home games are in the back half of the season, yet the Bucs think they’re toughing up the players by subjecting them to extreme heat conditions now. Stupid is as stupid does. I’m conditioned to the Florida heat, yet I’m dredding the next two days of work outside as a starter at my golf course. By the time I get home I’m dull from the heat. Can’t imagine what these players are being subjected to wearing helmets, and pads. It just makes no sense.
July 28th, 2025 at 12:03 pm
And so it begins. Why the hell do we have so many rookies getting hurt each year before the season even starts? Are the Bucs assuming a level of conditioning that they need to rethink?
July 28th, 2025 at 12:19 pm
shelve the first string until september they don’t need this crap, light workouts and film study …play catch with the receivers all they need really
July 28th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Wish Walker the best with surgery and recovery. Sad to hear about Otton and others. Glad the Bucs made the right move in shelving them. This heat is bad and doesn’t help. For the first time in recorded history, Tampa hit 100 degrees yesterday. Thinking they should be indoors.
July 28th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
Man go trade for a pass rusher please. It was bad enough David walker would have been competing for third on the depth chart as a rookie. You officially have no pass rush if reddick or yaya get hurt. This is where I hate that Licht treats the draft picks like gold.
July 28th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
High temperatures can lead to hamstring injuries. Muscles fatigue faster which can increase strain risk. I don’t know how often the Bucs are utilizing their shed, but perhaps they should be practicing indoors more.
July 28th, 2025 at 12:58 pm
The edge rush should be looked at in the same manner as the Bucs do with WR’s IMO. Need more quality depth there and in the trenches as a whole. Really think they need to learn a lesson and they should stop banking on UDFA’s/3rd day picks & 1-year veteran prove it players to sure up one of the most important positions on a NFL field.
Top end talent & quality depth at pass rusher is what is holding this team back from a top tier contender
July 28th, 2025 at 1:37 pm
This IS Baffoonery! This happens year over year and yet they can’t adjust for Florida heat? Can’t seem tonfigure out that HYDRATION HYDRATION HYDRATION is half the battle?
You know what’s sad is that the player himself blames himself when the grow. Ups and professional trainers ARE AT FAULT! NEGLIGENCE! POOR DECISION MAKING!
I mean what does it take to satisfy their Pure Ignorance? Who has to die before someone with 2 brain cells puts it together? How Big does the lawsuit have to be?
Just who is the man at the top making these gambles? Is it Licht? Is it Bowles?
Which one of them is THAT STUPID??? This heat kills and sadly it seems someone might have to pay with their life before Adults take action!
It’s NOT Like there is No OBVIOUS CHOICE sitting RIGHT THERE! Are they trying to save on the electric bill??? The lawsuits WILL CERTAINLY COST THEM FAR MORE!
July 28th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
Redshirt year or not, you’ve got to figure David is bummed out.
My understanding is that up until his injury, he was getting the attention of the coaching staff in a good way.
I’m bummed. I think we had a solid depth player who would either challenge for a starting job this year, or grow into one in the next couple of seasons.
As for Cade, I agree with the decision to pull him (and the other injured players) off the field.
What’s that old saying about an ounce of prevention….
I hope none of the other injuries are serious.
July 28th, 2025 at 1:52 pm
Every single year this team starts out in the can. By the Atl game this team will be at 75% due to training camp and preseason injuries. It just never stops with this team.
July 28th, 2025 at 1:59 pm
I worked in florida&s.Carolina heat for 36 years on new construction builds it was gruelling work no less than 6 days a week I never got breaks it was very physical work so stop with the pitty parties these guys r in their prime of life some people body r not made to take abuse so better find out in camp I did that work til 60 yrs old did what I had to with much less money so these guys shut up & do what u get paid for & generously paid for STFU
July 28th, 2025 at 2:04 pm
By the way don’t all the other teams practice in this heat the whole country is hot in the summer it’s not just tampa.what a bunch of cry baby whiners
July 28th, 2025 at 2:22 pm
Damn just hearing this- sucks hard- was looking g forward to this kid- brutal and sad
July 28th, 2025 at 2:27 pm
@BakerBucs is a little triggered.
July 28th, 2025 at 2:45 pm
So now our medical experts are crying about hydration. And exactly what proof do you and your medical degree have they are not being hydrated? Many other things can cause many injuries. Catching cleats and twisting the wrong way is another.
July 28th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
Is it just the Bucs or does other teams have as many problems with hamstrings?
July 28th, 2025 at 3:32 pm
Obvious One Says:
July 28th, 2025 at 1:37 pm
Yes, your entire post was buffoonery.
This is the NFL. Training camp is a time for hammy strains. It happens.
Please seek help.
July 28th, 2025 at 4:19 pm
What has changed so much that these athletes these days are getting injured so often?
July 28th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
Tweaked hamstrings. Shocker.
Rather than Bowles putting his foot down with the training staff to demand improved performance or demanding personnel change, he just accepts the status quo. More hamstring problems than any team in history.
Great.
July 28th, 2025 at 5:03 pm
What has changed? Access and information. When waiting for the Lakeland Ledger to hit the porch in the morning to read about what happened at camp the day before, there was only so much column space to give.
July 28th, 2025 at 5:41 pm
I’m heartbroken for him.
If you’re not?
You’re not a human.
July 28th, 2025 at 5:51 pm
I believe it’s a bunch of things.
Yeah it’s hell outside but these guys are hydrating.
Sometimes S*** just happen
Some are pre disposed to certain injuries and/or some of these young guys are still growing and can outgrow these issues.
Heat is better than cold for practicing but within reason. I think it is so brutal outside that we do need to be cautious and move inside sometimes but that’s still a toss up. In 3 weeks very few of these games will be played inside so there ya go.
I think the CBA and it’s limits to pad practice, how they practice with all the breakups in between practices, etc, may have a detrimental effect on the players because of it. If they can practice fully in moderate heat and then more walk through’s, maybe less pads in full summer that may help. Just not enough data but it seems like more injuries are happening earlier around the entire league than before. I think if they forgo some of the mini camps and go into regular camp earlier and ease into things their bodies will have time to adjust to the rigors of full blown scrimmages.
July 28th, 2025 at 5:53 pm
Kinda like starting a cold sports car and letting the fluids do their job to grease the internals.
July 28th, 2025 at 11:27 pm
He’ll be 27 next year. This is why I never get excited about overaged guys.
July 29th, 2025 at 6:01 am
Every team has season ending injuries during training camp, preseason games, regular season.
The NfL isn’t about who has the most talent. It’s about who has the most talent still playing when the Playoffs start.
It’s a collusion sport. It’s played by oversized, over developed, incredibly fast athletes.
Just the facts.
It isn’t the heat. It isn’t poor training staffs
It’s 320 pound mega athletes shoving and falling on each other.
It’s 250 pound guys running into each other at full speed.
It’s 220 pound guys making breakneck quick turns while running full speed.
Just the facts. I hope all these guys have a rapid recovery.
July 29th, 2025 at 7:33 am
Hey! Anybody got Shaqs number?! JPP? Simeon? The FA List is dismal.
Go Bucs!
July 29th, 2025 at 12:05 pm
This team is cursed with hamstrings