Perspective On The Bucs’ Edge Rushers
July 16th, 2025
Don’t you dare say the Bucs have poor depth at edge rusher.
A reasoned and seasoned look at that depth painted a rosy picture.
If you ask former Bucs scout and Jets personnel chief and linebackers coach Pat Kirwan, the Bucs have the best No. 4 edge rusher in the NFC South.
Big advantage to Chris Braswell, Kirwan barked.
In a deep dive on the position this week, Kirwan noted the Falcons and Panthers have rookies in that role, and the Saints feature third-year man Isaiah Foskey, who has played very little in his career.
Braswell got 329 defensive snaps as a Bucs rookie last season, more than double Foskey’s two-year total. At least Braswell made a couple of plays, Kirwan said.
What about at No. 3 edge rusher? Well, Kirwan gave veteran Bucs outside linebacker Anthony Nelson a perfect score in his grading system for teams’ No. 3 edge rushers.
It was at the No. 2 and No. 1 edge rusher spot where Kirwan took out his red pen.
Yaya Diaby, he said, wasn’t good enough as a pass rusher and was among the reasons Todd Bowles felt compelled to blitz so often. Kirwan almost sounded nauseous when referencing Diaby’s sack rate being less than 1 percent pass plays.
As for newcomer No. 1 Haason Reddick, Kirwan put a lot of his 2025 potential success on Bowles. In short, Kirwan believes the Bucs signed Reddick because they believe he can be the star player he was from 2020-2023. So it’s on Bowles to get him back to that status or close to it.
Kirwan added that Reddick had “a terrible year” in 10 games with the Jets last season and had “strange behavior to say the least.”
Joe just wants to see the Bucs improve a step in their edge pass rush, a little more consistency and an additional 10 sacks from the position. That’s really not much to ask.
July 16th, 2025 at 12:55 pm
We haven’t seen anything yet. Doesn’t matter what people say or think. It matters what is put on tape on gameday. I hope we’re better. I think Reddick will earn alot of attention freeing up Diaby, but we don’t know until kickoff week one against the Falcons.
July 16th, 2025 at 1:16 pm
The goal should be to eventually develop this group of talent along with our interior guys on the DL, and find the best personnel groupings that give us
-flexibility to defend the run & pass
-the talent to generate pressure on demand in pass situtation
-a rotation that keep everybody somewhat fresh
I’m all for Yaya getting the first crack, but if Braswell or Walker can earn PT at his spot, just kick Yaya inside. With that you can rush head on, control gaps, and run the stunts that we’ve been running.
Another player I feel that could be a wildcard for us is Isiah Roberts, guard in a blender on a given rep. Violent players with a tone of between he & Walker we’ve drafted 2 dudes that imo 1v1 can put any OL, tackle or
July 16th, 2025 at 1:33 pm
I know reddick was great… but is he still? Lots of edge rushers were availible this off season. I hope Reddick was the right call.
July 16th, 2025 at 1:35 pm
Keep blitzing #54 up the middle.
July 16th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
I hope Reddick is good because Buster Diaby is not. Some people have hope but I do not know on what you are basing it.
July 16th, 2025 at 1:46 pm
By the way, if Reddick is freeing up Diaby that means you are blitzing. That is where we were last year where ineffective blitzes hung the pass defense out to dry.
July 16th, 2025 at 1:48 pm
If edge is the most important position on the defense and it generally is thought of in that way, why would we not keep that position continually filled with the best? Why would we ever lack in that position. Of course there are 9 other positions you have to worry about but I would think our draft strategy would call for this position to always carry the most weight when evaluating the needs of the defense. Can you imagine having 2 guys at edge that are 6-5 250lbs and runs a 4.5-4.6? I would think you would have a scout that specialized in finding, evaluating and drafting those 2 positions. And tell him, I don’t ever want to wake up someday and realize we don’t have a first round guy there. Interrupt that quarterback.
July 16th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
The Jets organization had issues. Way too much drama. I am rooting for Reddick. Thinking he has found the perfect fit with the Bucs and am rooting for him to do well. Not worried.
July 16th, 2025 at 1:59 pm
“So it’s on Bowles to get him back to that status or close to it”
So if Reddick doesn’t produce it’s Bowles fault????? You’ve got to be kidding!
July 16th, 2025 at 2:04 pm
Coaching matters. If Todd keeps coaching his DBs to line up in the stands behind the hot dog vendor, even a ferocious edge rush won’t matter because the check down for 7 yards is available for free in half a second.
July 16th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
I’m going to indulge in some totally wild speculation.
As someone who has sampled the Zaza and used it judiciously as well as abused it a time or two I know the symptoms.
The saving grace for weed is that physiologically it’s not really that hard to put down. It’s not like booze or ciggies. I’ve NEVER had a physical craving but psychologically you can end up like Snoop who said he smokes because it enables him to feel like he “needs” to feel.
Bottom line. Perhaps along the way Hassan stumbled in an herb field. Not accusing at all but actually explaining away some of the aberrant behavior the past two years.
A great reality check however can easily provide the impetus to set aside the ganja for awhile. Hassan is on the precipice of losing tens of millions of dollars in “opportunity’ costs if he doesn’t cash in this season. He’s getting older and his rep is hanging in the balance.
IMO this means he’ll come to camp motivatad and in shape and he’ll be fierce this season. The big question will arise AFTER a successful year. How much will he expect if he hits double digits sacks? Will he be worth it? But that’s next years off season worry.
July 16th, 2025 at 2:14 pm
I don’t think it will be as difficult as people think:
1) solid to good health
2) 80% of what Reddick was in his prime
3) 15-20% improvement from Diaby and brasswell
4) the normal from Nelson
5) full health from Kancey
6) talent improvement from our new corners
A lot of ‘if’s’ but none of it requires any one player to achieve outside their capabilities.
It’s reasonable and doable IMO and if it happens watch out with the offense we have.
July 16th, 2025 at 2:16 pm
I think we get at least 20 sacks from Yaya and Reddick this season
Anthony Nelson is always good for 4-5 sacks
David Walker should excel, when he’s giving an opportunity
Chris Braswell should play a lot better this season
July 16th, 2025 at 2:28 pm
David Walker > Chris Braswell
July 16th, 2025 at 2:46 pm
BUT IF WE HAD JJ WATTS IT WOULD PUT US A LOT CLOSER TO THE BIG TICKET , SUPER BOWL BABY …….
July 16th, 2025 at 3:17 pm
Generally, the aim of a good coach is to put players in positions to make plays.
Yes, really.
Joe honestly doesn’t think Jason Licht would sign anyone Todd Bowles didn’t want.
July 16th, 2025 at 3:47 pm
Until shown our edge rushers are speculation blowing in the wind. WE finally got rid of a guy (JTS) that we kept for 4years (??!) that fit the mold of a Edge rusher and was a total flop. Braswell is on the exact same pathway (shown nothing but high praise from Management). Reddick is far and away our best BET to be a decent rusher but we haven’t seen it. Walker = ????. Nelson= 3/4 sacks a year.
That’s the core of the most important position in pro ball next to QB.
July 16th, 2025 at 3:58 pm
If Bowles isn’t calling that trash super soft zone defense, and you have defensive backs in the same area code as receivers, so QBs don’t always have an open man to throw to if they’re under pressure – well do that, play some man to man, or even just a tighter zone, and suddenly people are going to say, wow, the Bucs do have talent at edge.
July 16th, 2025 at 4:16 pm
Larry Foot handles our OLBs.
David Walker is 6″2′, 260 pounds and 25 years old. He should already have his “man body”.
YaYa Diaby and Chris Brasewell have high expectations put on them for this season.
Haasan Reddick should be a major contributor.
Antony Nelson, Markees Watts, Jose Ramirez and Warren Peeples will compete for rotational slots.
What’s not to like? Shouldn’t we be excited?
July 16th, 2025 at 4:31 pm
Booger McFarland named Yaya as a break out candidate this year…. For what that’s worth.
I have high hopes for our pass rush this year but more so better team defense…. Rush gets home, coverage improves, safeties step up…… all working together! 🤞🏼
July 16th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
St. Pete—
Nailed it! THE WEED FACTOR! Maybe …
Personally, I have inside information from an outsider who heard from a guy who was Reddick’s neighbor’s neighbor who said Reddick was working for the government as a part time spy, somewhere in China where he could “blend in.”
If true, the accompanying espionage surely affected his play with the Jets.
Let us hope Bowles Will convince Reddick to give all that spy crap up.
July 16th, 2025 at 5:18 pm
WTH? THE OBVIOUS ANSWER IS …
Trey Hedrickson is still holding out. The Bengals aren’t/can’t pay him. The Bucs currently have $25M in cap. Next year Hall and Dean are free agents and LVD will retire. That’s $31M. They have the money. They could trade for him tomorrow. 3rd (possible 2nd) gets it done.
BUCS FRONT 7 …
Hendrickson – Vea – Kancey
Yaya – LVD – SV – Reddick
Super Bowl in the bag. Someone give me Licht’s cell phone number. I’ll get it done.
July 16th, 2025 at 5:42 pm
Remember when Shaq first arrived here in 2019. Same year as Suh & RNR got here, plus rookies Devin White, Dean, SMB, Edwards, Nelson & a few others. Of course, we had a good ‘defensive base’ already with Vea, LVD, JPP, Gholston, Davis, Whitehead, and a few others like Nassib & Beau Allen.
And that was Todd Bowles’ first year here as DC also. The results weren’t anything to write home about (#29 ranking?) but the guys surely did learn that 3-4 hybrid defense. And Todd did a good job IMO of putting key players in the right position to produce.
Shaq is a prime example. He ended up with 19.5 sacks that year, and got the highest number of def snaps of his career (889) for a 79% availability (almost couldn’t get him off the field). What few have ever mentioned is that Todd had Shaq blitz a whopping total of 174 times that year. Our entire defense blitzed a total of 613 times in 2019, more than we blitzed as a team in 2022 (250 times) and 2023 (341 times) combined.
In the process, Bucs ended up with the #1 ranked Run Defense that year (gave up only 1181 yards). Yet despite all the blitzing, we still only ended up with 47 sacks (kind of our ‘standard’), plus 117 QB Hits (again, fairly ‘standard’ for us). Our Pass Defense ranked way down at #30 that year, and we gave up 4322 Passing Yards.
Kinda wondering if Todd Bowles might use Hassan Reddick in a similar way that he used Shaq that year. Blitz him A BUNCH, and probably from a lot of different positions. Shaq & Reddick have a LOT of similarities it looks like.
July 16th, 2025 at 6:03 pm
Joe: “Generally it is the aim of a good coach to put players in a position to make plays”
DingDingDingDingDingDingDingDingDing…………….KMart blue light going off
That is exactly what they are trying to do with scheming, situational awareness and a host of other things but all that is 50%, the other is read and react by, here we go, PLAYERS. All the up coaching means ziltch if it doesn’t translate onto the field and that is on the players.
July 16th, 2025 at 6:07 pm
The Jets dumpster fire last season made a Qb the talking heads call a 1st round HOF look like he should have Glennon on his shirt , I think Hasson Reddick deserves a little lead way. The BUCS ain’t the jolly green flops he’s gonna show out Bank it GO BUCS!!!!
July 16th, 2025 at 6:27 pm
Just watch Walker and Roberts….rooks, i know, but looks like i missed on Braswell….we’ll see i guess, that was an expensive 2nd
July 16th, 2025 at 8:22 pm
Braswell showed pretty well when he actually rushed the passer.
Let rushers rush and DBs DB. Hopefully that’s part of Todd’s Big Epiphany on how to fix the defense, as he himself said he had found.
July 16th, 2025 at 10:21 pm
I think lack of talent and injuries dictated Bowles soft coverage more than his philosophy