YaYa Diaby Thinks He Knows How To Turn Pressures Into Sacks
April 21st, 2025
Bucs OLB YaYa Diaby.
Bucs outside linebacker YaYa Diaby almost sounded like he reads Joe’s emotional diatribes about the need for sacks over pressures.
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. And the NFL is neither. For the Bucs’ pass defense to rise out of the bottom-five rut it has been in the past two seasons, the Bucs must get to the quarterback.
The Bucs took a major step by signing veteran edge rusher Haason Reddick. But Diaby, thought to be a rising star sack artist, couldn’t seem to buy a sack until late last season when he got on a bit of a roll.
Diaby had a paltry two sacks through the Bucs’ first 14 games. But Diaby surfaced with 2.5 sacks in the last three to prove he was alive.
Initially today when speaking with a sprinkling of the local pen and mic club at One Buc Palace, Diaby cited a better get-off would have netted him more sacks instead of empty pressures.
“Some of them was based off of not getting off as fast as I want to,” Diaby said. “If I had got off the ball quicker, I would have — it is a game of inches.
“If I get off the ball faster, it’s going to be a closeout.”
But after Joe asked a follow-up about whether improving his get-off has been a singular focus this offseason, Diaby went into more detail. His initial get-off isn’t really the issue, Diaby said. He has to be better reading plays.
“Really, my get-off has never been a problem,” Diaby said. “It’s play-recognition. Seeing if I know it could be play-action or knowing if it could be certain things. That [rapidly snaps fingers several times] extra get-off.”
So in short, Diaby thinks he can get the extra edge or split-second he needs to get a sack if he can diagnose or read a play quicker.
And in a game of inches, an extra split-second can mean the difference between a frustrating pressure and a drive-killing sack.
April 21st, 2025 at 1:52 pm
Having ANY kind of pressure from the opposite side wouldn’t hurt
April 21st, 2025 at 1:52 pm
That sounds hopeful. Reading plays should improve with experience, unlike reflex speed or something.
April 21st, 2025 at 1:52 pm
If Haason Reddick can lesson the double team of YaYa, his sack total will increase. If the Bucs can draft a DT to spell Logan Hall on 3rd downs, it will help Yaya’s sack total even more.
April 21st, 2025 at 2:10 pm
Perhaps he should hit the film room with Bucky!
April 21st, 2025 at 3:03 pm
Yea – spending extra extra time in the film room day in and day out throughout the season is what will increase Diaby’s recognition time.
Have a long talk with Ronde about that YaYa….
April 21st, 2025 at 3:04 pm
With Kancey healthy and Reddick on the other end, he should have double digits
April 21st, 2025 at 3:09 pm
That is THE perfect spot for Deone Walker, year one, “AlabamaBucsFan!” 20-25 snaps a game keeping guys fresh (and HIMSELF ‘fresh’), & using him ‘situationally’ just exactly like that, spelling Hall on 3rd-Downs, & etc. Especially, late in games when they NEED a big sack on 3rd-Down. It’d be nice to be able to bring him along slow like that, until he can get his stamina up to the Bucs’ NFL standards. All he needs is the “Vita Vea” diet and stamina plan, from last season, & a little ‘tightened-up’ on some of his basic fundamentals. Then, HE could become DOMINATE. An absolute FORCE to be reckoned with, & eventual replacement for (an older and expensive) Vea. You cannot judge him off of last season alone, being on THAT God-AWFUL, horribly-coached, & underperforming Kentucky Football Team, with MAJOR locker-room issues. HE wasn’t the problem. It had to be soooo frustrating for him. Judge HIM by his Soph (and Freshman) season, when he had 7.5 SACKS, 12.5 TFL (in THE SEC, while being double and triple-teamed), & was projected as a ‘potential’ future Top-10 Pick. Cause, THAT is the Deone I believe we would get. A. Game. Wrecker.
April 21st, 2025 at 4:20 pm
He seems like a more athletic version of Michael Bennett, excited for year 3.
April 21st, 2025 at 5:10 pm
More film study should help with that! Maybe he needs a notebook to take notes of QB, OL, RB tendencies around the league too..
April 21st, 2025 at 6:07 pm
yawn, quit talkin and get to work Ya Ya. Problem is that a lot of these young guys talk a big game and then don’t show up when it counts. I didn’t see anything special from him or Braswell last season. At least we won’t have to listen to JTS this year. lol.
April 21st, 2025 at 6:16 pm
Yawn is right @buc4evr…so convenient to have all the off-season strategy nailed, get to work Yaya and Kancey.
Draft injury updates…
Will Johnson CB–long term knee issue flagged by teams per Albert Breer. NOPE TO THAT.
Jihaad Campbell seen by many teams as PUP candidate, there goes ALL off-season, probably start of year. Per Breer also. NOPE TO ALL OF THAT.
Pass big-time on both.
April 21st, 2025 at 7:29 pm
If we get any production from Reddick the whole d line will rise up
April 21st, 2025 at 7:41 pm
Diaby said he had it figured out last year and that he was going to go off. Let’s see if this is the year his statement rings true.
April 21st, 2025 at 8:09 pm
He reminds me of Greg Spires as a stand up DE – the strength guy that will get 8-10 sacks from cleaning up and making some plays himself – typically from power clubs and inside spins
April 21st, 2025 at 8:40 pm
All the film study in the world won’t mean diddly unless you can apply it on the field in a split second and that comes with experience. This is year 3 for him so he either takes flight or not. It’s rare that some young guy’s see it outta the gate. Also Bowles said something about his film study as to the tendencies of his team that he needed to revamp and make not so predictable, that could pay HUGE dividends. I believe he was talking pass game but the rushers are part of that plan.
April 21st, 2025 at 9:59 pm
Just keep dropping him into coverage so when he actually does rush the passer, they’re not expecting it. Genius.
April 21st, 2025 at 10:05 pm
Come game time i want them to stop talking and make plays don’t tell us show us
April 21st, 2025 at 10:57 pm
@Boge,
Michael Bennett produced. Nobody cares about athleticism (Joe Tryon-Shoyinka) if there’s no palpable production. Don’t compare Yaya to Bennett, yet.
Give me production over your innate talent any day. Ray Allen said it best when he said he doesn’t believe in talent, he believes in hard work. Hard work will out shine talent any day. Look at the recent NHL article on Jake Guentzel. Hard work all day, every day. There’s no substitute for hard work. Talent will only take you so far until you plateau. Mike Evans comes to mind too. He’s not the fastest WR in the league, but he works at his craft from every angle to get that edge/inch. Tom Brady is obviously another specimen.
April 21st, 2025 at 10:58 pm
buc4evr Says:
April 21st, 2025 at 6:07 pm
yawn, quit talkin and get to work Ya Ya. Problem is that a lot of these young guys talk a big game and then don’t show up when it counts. I didn’t see anything special from him or Braswell last season. At least we won’t have to listen to JTS this year. lol.
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Can’t disagree.
He’s like the defensive version of Rashaad White for off season BS.
I still have hope for him though.
April 21st, 2025 at 11:11 pm
I do remember him talking a real ‘big game’ last off-season, too… He won’t get a pass this time around (at least not with the fans/joes), so HE BETTER step up and produce.
April 21st, 2025 at 11:39 pm
Coaching.
April 22nd, 2025 at 1:08 am
Seems to me that we got some underachievers doing alot of talking lately.
Show me YaYa!
Go Bucs!
April 22nd, 2025 at 1:29 am
Hall never gets pressure.
Hall never penetrates.
Hall should be replaced with a beast!
Draft Halls replacement in the 1st.
Vea’s backup in round 2.
April 22nd, 2025 at 4:15 am
Hard to turn pressure into sacks when someone is open over the middle every play.
April 22nd, 2025 at 9:42 am
Farmer preach