Ndamukong Suh And Haason Reddick
August 29th, 2025
Reveals Bucs secret.
This could be a good sign to take Haason Reddick and his over-number of total sacks this season, provided you can find a sportsbook that offers such a wager.
The reason why Joe is bullish on Reddick is twofold. The first is, Joe is this-close to being convinced Bucs coach and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles cannot draft and develop a top-shelf edge rusher. There’s no evidence he can when you look at his last 12 seasons as either a defensive coordinator or head coach at various stops, including Arizona, New York and Tampa Bay.
Bringing in veterans and getting them to affect the passer, that is a different story. Proven veterans have done well with Bowles at edge rush.
Part of the problem with Bowles trying to develop an edge rusher is, as he likes to say, outside linebackers have to do a lot more than just rush the passer.
This screws up young guys’ heads. They made their bones in college sacking quarterbacks and they sure as hell weren’t drafted because they reminded scouts of Darrelle Revis in coverage.
It would be like a baseball manager having Albert Pujols bunt three times a game.
So let’s take a guy who is great at something and instead have him do something else he’s never done, and when he struggles, bench him even though you desperately need him on the field to produce what he was drafted for in the first place. Brilliant!
(This past training camp, Bowles acknowledged he knows José Ramirez is “good” rushing the passer. So what does Bowles do with him? He cut him.)
The second reason Joe doesn’t believe Bowles will ever develop a young edge rusher is that Bowles simply doesn’t care about sacks from the edge. It’s very much a back-burner issue for him. How can anyone expect any team to develop a youngster to be successful at a position the coach doesn’t value?
But veterans? That’s a different story and a pattern. Former Bucs great Ndamukong Suh was on “Up and Adams” this week, hosted by the seductive Kay Adams, when he filled Adams in on a secret.
When Suh had a sack of Pat Mahomes in the Super Bowl where the Bucs won their second Vince Lombardi Trophy, Suh admitted he freelanced on the play with former Bucs edge rusher Cam Gill.
Suh said then Bucs defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers gave Suh the freedom to freelance on pass plays.
“It’s funny, it’s a very interesting to play,” Suh began. “Cam [Gill], one of our young guys, I told him that we’re going to switch positions. … I told him, just run around and we’re going to run a special stunt, and we’ll meet at the quarterback and it all came to fruition.
“So it was one of those things that I was, with coaches on that team, I got to be able to kind of make my own rules as a true vet. as long as I made plays I didn’t get in trouble. …
“We got to make our own plays and we made a lot of hay with it.”
Well, if Suh had a green light from Rodgers, you sure as heck know that came with Bowles’ blessing.
And if Suh, a veteran, was freelancing, it’s not a stretch to think so too did Jason Pierre-Paul and Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett, both seasoned veterans who had rings to their names.
Do any of us expect Chris Braswell to freelance on a pass play if he sees a path to the quarterback? Or Chris Braswell? Probably, YaYa Diaby doesn’t yet have the freedom to freelance.
So yeah, Joe would not be shocked if Reddick flirts with 10 sacks this fall.
Ndamukong Suh says THIS Super Bowl LV sack of Patrick Mahomes was totally freelanced 🤯 @heykayadams | @NdamukongSuh | #WeAreTheKrewe pic.twitter.com/2JnmXiKuTz
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 27, 2025
August 29th, 2025 at 4:03 am
So which coach is good at drafting and developing edge rushers??? Inquiring minds would like to know.
August 29th, 2025 at 6:16 am
And Yes if the Putrid Pass Defense is a thing of the past-this years Bucs team just might get the 3rd SB ring for the Bucs. LFG!
August 29th, 2025 at 6:27 am
I would have much preferred to see MICAH PARSONS freelancing this season , but DOH he is now a PACKER. How the heck did Jason Licht not offer the Cowgirls just a bit sweeter deal and get MICAH HERE? Inquiring minds want that answer.
August 29th, 2025 at 6:45 am
I’ve seen nothing out of Ramirez to suggest he’s good at rushing the passer. Maybe Bowles is good at seeing what isn’t there. What good is having a defensive coach who can’t develop, draft, or values and edge rushers. So our SB defense was good because players didn’t listen to the guru, and freelance. I was wondering why we haven’t signed, or traded for more D line help. Now I know. Todd wouldn’t know what to do with them.
August 29th, 2025 at 6:47 am
A sweeter deal than the Packers is Vita Vea and two first round picks. I would give up Logan Hall, but that’s about as far as I would go.
Never got the Packer hype this year, and now it will be through the roof.
August 29th, 2025 at 6:49 am
The Packers and Micah Parsons will be the headliner for today and the season not the Bucs and has been Riddick.
August 29th, 2025 at 7:02 am
Bowles has to know that winning another Superbowl will require putting intense pressure on opposing QBs we meet in the playoffs as we were able to do when we beat the Chiefs.
Bringing in Reddick as well as the upgrade at the coaching position (with Foote) should help. Losing our 4th round draft pick to injury didn’t help.
IMO, getting to the promised land this season will depend on how healthy the team is in the stretch run and in the playoffs. If Reddick, Diaby, Vea, and Kancey are all healthy along with Winfield, Parrish, and others who can effectively blitz when needed, we should be OK. Our defense should be upgraded, along with our punter and other special teams. If we can put up 30 points a game, no one is going to want to see the BUCS in the playoffs.
August 29th, 2025 at 7:09 am
Superbowl incoming
August 29th, 2025 at 7:09 am
“Part of the problem with Bowles trying to develop an edge rusher is, as he likes to say, outside linebackers have to do a lot more than just rush the passer. This screws up young guys’ heads.”
Hogwash the only players on the team with 1 job duty is the place kicker and punter, even the long snapper has to put a hat on somebody.
Also, freelancing could mean anything, doesn’t mean Suh went rouge as he could’ve had the green light to set up his own stunts with his teammates, which when you have vets like we had it can give us a certain freedom.
August 29th, 2025 at 7:10 am
Just for fun I checked out a Packers chat room. Surprisingly 50-50 in opinion.
August 29th, 2025 at 7:20 am
The draft and player capitol for Parsons was a very good deal for Green Bay, but that $47 million salary is a killer. The cap is $279.2 million. That is a tad over 1/6th of the cap. Jordan Love eats up a little over 1/5th of the cap space. 2 players account for about 40% of the cap. Yeah, yeah, I know they have all manner of voodoo gria gris to work around that, but one day you’ve got to pay the piper. To make things even more crazy, Parsons is having back problems this year. He got a scan and it came up clean, but now he wants a second opinion. Do you know that almost 3/4 of that $188 million is guaranteed.
August 29th, 2025 at 7:22 am
Seems like teams miss on edge draft picks about as often as on qb’s
August 29th, 2025 at 7:24 am
Yep, every trade is just a matter of us not having made a better offer. Not player preference, not the contract the other team could have offered. Every FA is obligated to sign here, and every trading team has to deal with us.
August 29th, 2025 at 8:20 am
Doesn’t the D-line coach Foote have alot to say on how he covets sacks and designing the scheme? Or does Bowles supersede that, and change what coach would implement?
August 29th, 2025 at 8:24 am
Fred McNeil – Don’t forget though.. Cap always seems to go up & we won the Super Bowl stopping Mahommes with pass rush. We currently don’t have one and until we find one, I don’t see us winning anything inthe playoffs. Cap & Picks are nice but Super Bowls are better and thats simply what it takes to win and the Packers know it.
August 29th, 2025 at 8:28 am
Exactly what Fred said regarding Parsons. That salary is absolutely prohibitive. The trade itself wasn’t so bad. But we’re not going to sign a player for twice. What we pay our premier wide receivers or more than we pay our quarterback. Simply not happening here. Nor should it.
August 29th, 2025 at 8:45 am
doolnutts Says:
“…we won the Super Bowl stopping Mahommes with pass rush. We currently don’t have…”
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Until we play some regular season games, we don’t know that.
Reddick should improve the pass rush, both as a player, and he’s also acting like another coach, helping the others.
I’m confident we’ll see improvement to start the season but I’m concerned about our depth.
I’d love to have Parson’s on the team, but paying him 47,000,000/year would be a HUGE risk, one that I would not take in the current situation if I were the GM.
August 29th, 2025 at 8:56 am
Joe, that is an interesting perspective. I often wondered why vets in this system succeeded while these young physical talents fizzle. Now we know how Bowles makes his “sack sausage,” he pees on his pigs and relies on outsourced clean pork when there is an edible product.
I’m trying to remain positive (pro Bowles), but you keep dragging back in to the darkness. This is a hot seat year for the man, and truly his last stop should he fail to produce.
August 29th, 2025 at 8:59 am
The Chiefs were missing starters Kelechi Osemele (left guard) and Mitchell Schwartz (right tackle) before the game, forcing a reconfigured line. How successful would most teams be facing the same situation.
August 29th, 2025 at 9:02 am
Another reason to keep an eye on Reddick’s sack totals this year is the quality of his opposition. Or maybe the lack. He could get big numbers on ancc of inferior opponents as well as on his own skill.
August 29th, 2025 at 9:04 am
Fred McNeil Says:
The draft and player capitol for Parsons was a very good deal for Green Bay, but that $47 million salary is a killer. The cap is $279.2 million. That is a tad over 1/6th of the cap.
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NEVER – EVER – believe the initial reported salary for deals like Parsons. Whatever he’s getting it won’t be $47M AAV in cap value. My guess is he’ll get $41M spread out to count lightly against the cap for the next two seasons. By the time it goes much higher the major cap hit will have been kicked far enough down the road that his salary won’t harm the Packers cap as much as it appears.
August 29th, 2025 at 11:07 am
The true #93 that should’ve worn the Pewter for his career and not the soft #93 that tells QB’s “my bad Ben” then helps them up, l
Just happy Suh we had him for the SB and that’s he’s been trading with Vea this offseason.
LFG BUCS!!!!
Fire them CANNONS
August 29th, 2025 at 11:16 am
Joe, your editor is an absolute gem. Definitely a keeper.
NOT!
August 29th, 2025 at 11:22 am
Yeah, totally agree…
Obtaining Parsons wasn’t about draft capital…
How could you justify $47 million a year salary for a non-QB position when your QB is around $30 million…..
If Baker performs this year, he’ll earn a bump-up to say the least…
That salary for the Packers is going to drastically handicap them when it comes to putting a solid team around their QB….
Cowboys got lucky in realizing Parsons potential from the draft…
That’s how you have to do it. Find those kids or special talent in the draft and go after them! Then you can afford them during the early years.
August 29th, 2025 at 12:23 pm
I will say, I can’t remember visually thinking that whenever we just let the front 4 rush the passer naturally that we got much pressure last year.
Never saw much with Ramirez.
And it’s not like a bunch of DE’s left Bowles to become elite. If you had a list of those guys that would help cement this possible point.
He maybe has really just been working with what he’s had.
August 29th, 2025 at 2:46 pm
This defense will be the reason why the Bucs don’t make the playoffs or get bounced from the playoffs quick. I cannot wait to throw my tv remote when I see Reddick drop into pass coverage smfh
August 29th, 2025 at 2:56 pm
Did Jason draft an edge of any consequence before Todd? Not that I can remember
Otherwise I agree, but , win the game. Plus, I’d really like to know about 4 th quarter sacks anyway. Money on the table stuff
August 29th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
I doubt Chris Braswell will get the chance to freelance but I bet Chris Braswell will get the blessing from Todd to freelance! Less beers more coffee Joe
August 29th, 2025 at 5:28 pm
“I will say, I can’t remember visually thinking that whenever we just let the front 4 rush the passer naturally that we got much pressure last year.“
A lot of of our pressure came by way of scheming and Bowles dialing up all those 5 & 6 man pressures.
What made Shaq so important to us is that he was a chronic disruptor, not only because he was able to tackle the QB, but manipulating the protection. If we can get that from Reddick, with Vita eating up 2 blocks, that’s 1 on 1s for Yaya & Calijah all game.
Could lead to some free runs for David, Dennis, Parrish, Smith & Winfield in terms of blitzing, because if your able to pressure 5 w/4 you can send that 5th man expecting to get through fairly clean. Devin White used to feast on those his 1st & 2nd year with us, then we asked him to do more and he couldn’t compute
August 29th, 2025 at 5:36 pm
If you run the 3/4 you’re not going to be rushing 5 every time so one of the OLBs is going to be dropping to cover a TE or RB.
Could switch to 4/3 like they frequently do on 3rd down with Vea, Kancy, Yaya and now Reddick. If they blitz will likely be Winfield, Parrish or LVD.