A Second Look At Chris Braswell: Success, Failure And Mystery
August 11th, 2025
On notice?
So the Bucs’ first preseason game is about 36 hours old, which means Joe has watched it a few times and taken copious notes.
Joe blasted second-year edge rusher Chris Braswell for his pass rush failures on Saturday, but Joe also must give Braswell credit for being a “hellacious cover guy” in the kick coverage game. Todd Bowles is seeking those players and Braswell blew up his defender on the Titans’ first kickoff return and made the tackle.
Job well done.
Braswell also made a play in run defense and overall looked active there.
The Bucs drafted him to be a pass rusher, but other contributions matter, too.
What intrigued Joe is official Bucs insider Rondé Barber, the Hall of Fame cornerback and good friend of general manager Jason Licht, emphatically exclaiming on the WFLA-TV broadcast that Braswell is in a pivotal time in his young career.
“Make no mistake, this is a crucial preseason for him,” Barber said of Braswell.
Ummm, “crucial?”
Is Barber trying to say the Bucs might add an edge rusher soon if Braswell looks ineffective getting after quarterbacks? Why else might this preseason be “crucial” for Braswell? There’s no way the Bucs would cut him.
Joe doesn’t think Barber tossed that nugget out there without someone planting it firmly in his head — kind of like when Barber talked about the Bucs drafting a receiver.
August 11th, 2025 at 8:54 am
H-E-N-D-R-I-C-K-S-O-N
There. Spelled it out.
August 11th, 2025 at 8:57 am
He’s got a pretty good bull rush, but no other moves it seems like.
August 11th, 2025 at 9:00 am
Braswell looks too light and plays that way. Jason needs to see if he can find Duke Tobins’ phone number.
August 11th, 2025 at 9:04 am
Maybe if he had a coach who would coach him up hard on pass rush details instead of uselessly dropping him into failed pass coverage, he might improve as a pass rusher.
He looked like a stiff when he did rush the passer, so he is in definite need of coaching. Maybe he’ll get it with his next team.
August 11th, 2025 at 9:05 am
Bucs need to add another edge rusher, period. It wasn’t just Braswell who couldn’t get to the QB, Nelson couldn’t get close either. Those are the two primary backups. If we’re being truthfull, I’m not sure YaYa is going to be a good starter. He didn’t exactly light up the sack totals last year. That leaves Reddick, who’s on a prove it deal. After those four, it’s a bunch of Lowes dock workers. The second line of defense is still a question mark if you ask me. Dennis is the golden boy starter, who’s a 5th rounder that’s done zero as a pro. Walker hasn’t taken the field, that leaves 35 year old David, and a bunch of P.S. players. Not sure we fixed our edge rushing, or our ILBs middle of the field problems from last season. If these players don’t get it done, forget about a S.B. run.
August 11th, 2025 at 9:09 am
i hear that too during the game and my ears perked up too lol….
i’ll tell you this: i saw about 6 players that i’d rather have over braswell: ryan miller, greene, jackson, bullock, jj roberts, Owen wright, #46….
those players showed something….
JL: get on the horn now and trade for Trey Henderickson!!!!….
if reddick or yaya go down, its a wrap…we’ll be looking at another 10win season, one & done in the playoffs
GO BUCS!!!!!
August 11th, 2025 at 9:15 am
Honestly he was getting blocked one on one and easily chipped. The guy doesn’t look better than JTS. He Was getting owned and really didn’t get close to the QB. This was against 2nd and third teamers. The Bucs big problem has been depth and second string talent isn’t there for OLBs. Dennis looked bad as well. Hate to say it but both didn’t look like NFL level talent even on second string.
August 11th, 2025 at 9:23 am
braswell is on his way to becoming a could have been. i guess we’ll see. but i guess the bucs will probably let him have 4 years to figure it out like they tend to do before dropping him.
August 11th, 2025 at 9:27 am
@Hodad, I just read your comments after I posted. I agree, they looked like Lowe’s Dock workers. too funny. lol.
August 11th, 2025 at 9:28 am
Maybe try him at inside backer. I thought they should have tried that with Shoyinka last year. Big long athletes, just not pass rushers. Some players have it, some don’t.
August 11th, 2025 at 9:32 am
It’s getting real nasty in “Big-D.” It’s personal now. JL better be ready to POUNCE. These guys never become available in the Prime, and he’s still just now reaching his. Hasn’t even yet!!!!
August 11th, 2025 at 9:36 am
that game was not promising for Braswell. He should have gotten to the QB in some way against 2nd and 3d string. It reminds me of Noah Spence playing all 4 quarters in preseason and getting nothing. I hope Braswell shows up against Pittsburgh. Shining in camp means nothing if you cannot turn it on during the game. Definitely a cause for concern if Super Bowl is the goal.
August 11th, 2025 at 9:42 am
Tampa fans are a special breed. We just won a game by 22 points, but the sky is falling because Braswell didn’t get any sacks. Atlanta lost their game, neither of their rookie first round draft choices got a sack and their press thinks they are a lock f of r the playoffs and a super bowl contender me. These games are PRACTICES.
August 11th, 2025 at 9:45 am
It is a known fact that not all second round picks work out as we have seen in Tampa over the years: Noah Spence, Aguayo, etc. Braswell looks like he is a contributor on special teams which is all well and good but a lot of day 3 picks and UDFA also contribute in this fashion. Day 2 picks, especially second rounder should be starting or at least making an impact on D. Braswell has not been.
August 11th, 2025 at 9:46 am
Buddah: Normally I would agree, but Braswell needs to show a lot more as a 2nd year player against second and third stringers. To me he was the biggest disappointment
August 11th, 2025 at 9:48 am
“Tampa fans are a special breed. We just won a game by 22 points, but the sky is falling because Braswell didn’t get any sacks.”
There’s nothing special about being football illiterate, Braswell looked GOOD the other night. Bowles & Yaya both spoke on Chris’ improved get-off, that was clear as day every rep he was on.
There was also another play, titans ran a smash to the a-gap, Braswell crashed down from 2 gaps away pre-snap and caught the RB & Center for the stop.
But yea, he didn’t record any sacks so mission failure and he’s a bust before year 2 of his NFL career starts.
Next Stop: Overreaction Station via Simmer Down Junction
August 11th, 2025 at 9:55 am
1 game does not a season make and his contributions in other facets of the game are just as critical. Also the first team for the Titans offense started against the 2nd team Bucs defense. I’m sure there is a difference with Vita, Kancey, Reddick and others out there to be sure. Lets give a little time here and see how it plays out.
August 11th, 2025 at 10:28 am
larrd
i agree…
zack baun….went from OLB/DE to MLB and his career has taken off
GO BUCS!!!!
August 11th, 2025 at 10:32 am
ok the writing is on the wall, Licht is going to pick up a player or two once cut down happens. Unfortunate though there may not be any bargains by then. Betting on Braswell is like betting on Noah Spence and JTS
August 11th, 2025 at 10:34 am
Second round pick for a special team player.
Logan Hall should be on special teams with him.
Bring back Joe TS and Noah Spence, we could have an entire kick team of failed 2nd round pass rushers.
Hall of fame ring of honor super hero GM Jason Licht is good at drafting linemen and DBs. He’s Fantastic at Signing Free agent QBs.
But he can’t draft a pass rusher in 11 tries. He needs to stop drafting, and stick to Free agents. He’s not that great at that either- but compared to the 2nd round picks we’ve flushed away on worthless pass rushers- he’s a Free agent Genius.
August 11th, 2025 at 10:34 am
ballwasher61 … ‘1 game does not a season make and his contributions in other facets of the game are just as critical.’
That’s the bottom line to every game IMO: evaluate each player’s TOTAL PERFORMANCE, don’t just focus on 1 aspect of it.
Braswell got 4 tackles Saturday night (2 solo), meaning that at least he was around the ball & involved in the plays (including on Special Teams). I was very unimpressed though with the Bucs’ pass rush, period, not just Braswell. But then again, we didn’t play any of the starters so why should we have expected any different?
August 11th, 2025 at 10:51 am
So Joe, are you saying that these useless pre-season games are not “useless” to Braswell?
August 11th, 2025 at 10:53 am
Ronde just sending a message to braswell
August 11th, 2025 at 11:18 am
I think that is why they played him as long as they did. They want to see if he made any improvement since last year. Pass rush he looks about the same as last year.
August 11th, 2025 at 11:22 am
” There’s no way the Bucs would cut him.”….Joe
WHY NOT?!! Didn’t we learn anything from the JTS fiasco? We kept that waste for 4 (?) years waiting for him to show up. If they can’t do their primary job then OUT THE DOOR! My “other” team, the 49rs, are desperate for WR and edge help and are prone to trade draft picks. Combine Braswell with one of our excess WR and get a 3rd rounder.
I’m not saying that Braswell is done but he has not shown ANY talent at rushing the passer so far. We should not go down the JTS trail again. Play him the whole game against Pittsburgh and see what goes down. If he shows his usual nothing then hit the trade wires.
August 11th, 2025 at 11:23 am
We need a young mean, tough, ferocious edge rusher
One that has that fire, one that’s fighting for his keeps
Licht spends high draft picks on these guys
Then give them a spot on the roster, nothing was earned
Michael Bennett had to fight for a spot as a UDFA
But he had what it takes to be a solid Edge Rusher
And he also played on the interior of the defense
We need to do a better job of scouting Edge Rushers
August 11th, 2025 at 11:38 am
JTS EFFECT
With JTS, the team invested too much time on a failed project. Braz doesn’t get the same runway as JTS.
I wonder if Braz is the player Joe was referring to last week as the low IQ player other guys don’t really care for.
August 11th, 2025 at 11:48 am
They may. Second round pick isn’t a cheap investment.
August 11th, 2025 at 12:06 pm
It’s comical we hype the rookie 4th rd pick (Walker) when we’ve shown no ability to develop 1st & 2nd rd picks. At best they are role players which you can find on nearly roster as back ups or practice squad players. Licht has shown no ability to draft productive DE, at some point just look to free agency and get someone that’s effective.
August 11th, 2025 at 2:07 pm
worst thing is braswell didn’t look like he was even trying, i was watching him and he was not even close, he gets blocked very easy
August 11th, 2025 at 2:07 pm
“””He looked like a stiff when he did rush the passer, so he is in definite need of coaching. Maybe he’ll get it with his next team.”””
Could be that maybe he just sucks. We don’t know yet. I’d be damned before I give him 4 yrs to figure it out though.
August 11th, 2025 at 4:27 pm
So difficult to draft a good edge. I think they got one with Yaya though. Really wish the rookie was healthy.
August 11th, 2025 at 11:18 pm
As I said on game night, I watched him on a bunch of plays in the first half – and he didn’t stand out in a bad way at any point. He seemed to get off the line well, and I didn’t see him getting stood up or anything. I’d have liked to see him make some plays, but I also didn’t seem him not making plays – and he was getting off the line quickly vs the Titans starters, not just their backups.
In any case, he was always a project guy, like JTS was, and those guys need snaps and time to develop. Not sure why people are so eager to write him off already.