Chris Braswell Talks Playbook Challenges, Haason Reddick Help
August 2nd, 2025
Second-edge rusher Chris Braswell opens up.
Being a rookie edge rusher is hard. And it seems to be harder at One Buc Palace under defensive guru Todd Bowles. His playbook is not for the timid.
It’s not just rookies. Savvy smart veteran defensive back Logan Ryan talked about this when he arrived in 2022, and after he retired.
That playbook, though, seems harder on edge rusher. Remember how YaYa Diaby wasn’t ready to start (allegedly) in his rookie year depite flashing and looking more dangerous than other Bucs edge rushers?
Friday after practice, sophomore Bucs edge rusher Chris Braswell, who is looking meaner, leaner and quicker, talked about how he’s progressing with the playbook.
And it’s a work in progress.
“I definitely feel a lot more comfortable [this year]. I was able to really digest the whole playbook and kind of see what I needed to improve on,” Braswell said. “It definitely feels a lot easier this year. Obviously, it’s a healthy playbook and it’s still hard, but I definitely feel a lot more comfortable coming into Year 2 into the playbook.”
Braswell talked about finding a better comfort level late last season and he’s still progressing.
Is the playbook too hard? Joe’s not sure.
Regardless, Braswell noted that he’s also learning more technique and tips for his new teammate, veteran free agent edge rusher Haason Reddick. That’s a guy Braswell knew well from afar.
“I used to watch him in college when I was young. So everybody looked up to him,” Braswell said.
The Bucs’ 2024 second-round pick added that Reddick has been offering a lot of “pointers” to him and other young pass rushers.
August 2nd, 2025 at 12:21 am
I’m hopeful he can break out. He obviously didn’t show anything really last year. If he doesn’t pan out, the trend continues for Bucs drafted edge rushers. That is until we can see our 26 year old 2nd year player play his 1st season. The HOPE continues. Go get Micah!!!
August 2nd, 2025 at 12:35 am
I’m hopeful Reddick plays as good as he coaches and compliments teammates
August 2nd, 2025 at 12:43 am
I don’t care how “hard” the playbook is, there is literally no excuse when you have people coming in and producing their first year in the scheme. For the players that use this excuse it means they’re either dumb, have a learning disability, and/or didn’t care to put in enough time to learn it properly. No other choices really. I’d be wick and tired of hearing this if I was Bowles. It’s crazy at this point…
August 2nd, 2025 at 12:58 am
JASON LIGHT & TODD BOWLES BE LIKE…
Saquon Barkley ??? No thanks we can build thru the draft
Eagles win superbowl
Jalen Ramsey ??? Who wants to lock down St. Brown, Terry Mclaughin and AJ Brown come playoffs??
Nah we good let’s build through the draft save some money
August 2nd, 2025 at 1:37 am
Weird. Simeon Rice said they only had about 5 plays on defense and a few variations of each, which is why they were so in sync and dominant the year they won it all. Why so ridiculously complicated? No wonder there are so many times when wide receivers are wide-ass open.
August 2nd, 2025 at 1:42 am
Please keep in mind, people, that few truly one of a kind, stellar players at any position are available at pick number 19, 26, 19, 27 and 32, which is where the Bucs have selected the past five seasons in reverse order. Really, you are just picking high to mid second round when you are that low in the drafting order, which is why there were so many losers on this forum hoping the Bucs would tank the last couple of years in order to get one of those top 5 draft picks.
August 2nd, 2025 at 1:47 am
“Nah we good let’s build through the draft save some money”
Well, there is a thing called the salary cap – something the Bucs have been buried under in negative numbers to start the last couple of years to consider.
The Bucs have done an unbelievable job doing as well as they have the past couple of years with so little available to spend on free agents.
August 2nd, 2025 at 2:51 am
Building through the draft is the way to go. The Esgles GM will tell you that. Of course, Reddick wasn’t a draft pick, in any case.
August 2nd, 2025 at 3:46 am
Get em Braswell and Reddick!
August 2nd, 2025 at 5:41 am
You have to really study, and watch lots of film in the NFL
It’s more mentally than physically challenged
Every play is a different situation with a different call
You have to know exactly where you need to be, what to do
You can’t afford to get caught out of position
Some players learn quickly, some take longer to grasp the system
August 2nd, 2025 at 6:34 am
Just give us a sack against Atlanta Chris. Give us one and we’ll be happy. Put Penix on the turf twice and it is on.
August 2nd, 2025 at 6:56 am
Book smarts isn’t in every player’s wheelhouse.
August 2nd, 2025 at 8:03 am
watch out folks…here comes CB43…….all gas…no brakes!
August 2nd, 2025 at 8:07 am
i don’t care how hard a playbook is…this is professional sports…if a player is having difficulty, the team should hire a tutor…like in school…you get a tutor to go home with the player and go through it over and over and over again – until numbskull players wake TF up…the team should have one or two tutors ready to go and to teach these foos the ins and outs of everything…
and if that doesn’t work – there’s always shock treatment to the head 🙂
#TeenageLobotomy #EyeWannaBeSedated
August 2nd, 2025 at 9:46 am
If you watch the 16 losses over the past two seasons, you will see multiple assignment busts, repeatedly, over and over and over.
Either the playbook is too hard or its creator doesn’t do nearly enough to explain it to the less Mensa-oriented players. And its creator sure doesn’t believe in simplifying it so the players can just play fast and to their strengths.
Time to start drinking already.
August 2nd, 2025 at 10:57 am
What the hell is the coaching staff doing if Hassan walks off the street and coaches up Braswell. Good on Reddick but who is the Edge coach? Was he a player? Sure most players can give helpful tips to others, but this article shows a deeper problem:
1. Braswell is not too smart or
2. Playbook is too complex for normal players or
3. Edge coach is over his head.
August 2nd, 2025 at 11:21 am
I believe all of his siblings are special needs and I remember reading about this during the draft so maybe he is somewhat afflicted himself???? Just Say’in.
August 2nd, 2025 at 11:31 am
My thoughts — the playbook is not too hard — if it was too hard — we’d be hearing it from lots of folks — not just here and there occasionally.
Further, in my mind — 90 percent of the guys in the NFL that succeed do it because they know how to study film and understand the playbook.
Those guys can then go to their coaches and have frank discussions with the coaching staff about what might work and what might not. Then adjust accordingly.
August 2nd, 2025 at 11:35 am
No better example of that than 2020 and KC.
1st regular season game. Hill goes off against CD in the 1st half. Poor planning — poor game plan for him.
However, the playbook stayed the same. The Bucs made adjustments at half time and their defense looked much better against KC.
What did they do in the Super Bowl. The film studied and did not let KC make any big plays down field. The guys suggesting that Bowles or the defensive guys who have been here don’t know what they’re doing — just apparently do not get how successful they really are.
August 2nd, 2025 at 3:36 pm
I think the Bucs addressed that issue this off season. Bucs put Larry Foote in charge of OLB and Charlie Strong in charge of DL. I think we will see a big difference in the play of those two areas. A lot of the improvement will be due to being coached up a little better. Earlier this preseason, there was the mentioning of “change in concepts”. That change in concepts will be big this year. “stop the run on the way to the QB”, “closer coverage tactics” , rotating DB ” as circumstance dictates”. This is all due to Todd recognizing that he can no longer force his square clog defense to play against today’s zig and zag offences. So, he is making his adjustments.
An my assessment is that this will result in more than a one win improvement from last year record. I won’t say SB, but more wins for sure. As long as we stay healthy. Go Bucs,,,,, Go Bucs Go
August 2nd, 2025 at 4:33 pm
Is Jarrett the former spokesperson from Subway?