YaYa Diaby Vows To Improve
February 13th, 2025
Goals.
YaYa Diaby went missing for too long last year. But the Bucs’ outside linebacker finished strong with 2.5 sacks in his last four games.
Also in those four games, YaYa had seven quarterback hits.
Still, for the season, YaYa was little factor with just 4.5 sacks, down from 7.5 his rookie year. That’s not the direction you want to see from a second-year player.
But YaYa knows this. In fact, he took to Twitter this week and vowed that sacks will be a much bigger element of his game.
“I can’t wait to prove all the doubters wrong!!” YaYa said. “Trust and believe I am an elite pass rusher (FYI watch film).”
Joe has nothing against film but Joe also believes in results. Good quarterbacks are not fazed by pressure. They are very much phased when lying on the ground.
If the Bucs actually break down and get an established pass rusher, Joe believes that will only benefit YaYa. A quality guy coming off the edge getting after quarterbacks certainly means fewer blockers to tangle with Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey, and yes, even YaYa.
And imagine on one side of the field you have a guy that consistently gets to a quarterback and YaYa having a breakout season from the other side. The Bucs defense would be ferocious.
To accomplish this, the Bucs cannot (again) bank on hope. When it comes to an edge rush, hope seems to be a favorite tactic.
Hope is not nor should ever be a plan. Josh Sweat? That’s a plan.
February 13th, 2025 at 10:34 am
He came back much stronger in year 2.
I am sure Yaya and Zion are already evolving for next year.
Funky Funderberk needs to gain strength and speed. This is a make or break off-season for Funderburk.
Is JTS a free agent? Logan Hall?
February 13th, 2025 at 10:57 am
He probably needs to develop some more moves, they probably figured out the one or two he has, just like a pitcher with only one or two pitches
February 13th, 2025 at 10:59 am
So your saying we need an edge rush? Go Bowles
February 13th, 2025 at 11:05 am
Seeing a young and talented player regress in this defense is not at all uncommon.
February 13th, 2025 at 11:08 am
Anybody think the 3-4 ain’t working?
February 13th, 2025 at 11:19 am
Joe, if the Bucs want a pass rush they can’t play off coverage and back up at the snap. Press coverage corners will fix the pass rush. Edge rushers can’t get home on a 3 or 5 step drop, just pressures.
February 13th, 2025 at 11:34 am
It’s not you being doubted YaYa sorry but go pay a pass rusher to train you because otherwise you are all on your own with Todd Bowles coaching staff you’ll end up like JTS.
February 13th, 2025 at 11:39 am
“I can’t wait to prove all the doubters wrong!!” YaYa said.
Prove all the doubters wrong..??!! Huh… all Bucs fans are on the YaYa bandwagon. Held up as a promising pass rush hero. Have his back. What is he talking about?
Besides Bowles said he doesn’t need an edge rusher in this defense. So Yaya has nothing to worry about. Dude is golden in CTB’s eyes.
February 13th, 2025 at 12:01 pm
If we don’t acquire one of the big dogs (Garrett, Hendrickson, Crosby) which seems unlikely… I think we draft another one high and should sign Mack. A rotation of Diaby, Mack, Braswell and whatever rookie should be effective, as long as we rush them next to Vea and Kancey and don’t have these guys dropping much if at all!
February 13th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
YaYa, it’s not doubting after two years. It’s observing. As Joe states early and often, quality QBs know they’re going to get hit. Pressure means very little. Grass stains mean a whole lot more.
Get the dude on the ground with the ball still in his hands and we’ll be observing AND cheering. Step it up young man. You’ve got the gifts that have been given to you, now it’s up to you to take the next step (or step and a half in most cases).
February 13th, 2025 at 12:33 pm
Boomer
“Anybody think the 3-4 ain’t working?”
Not with the current personnel, especially without AW45 for basically the entire season. I don’t believe he was ever really healthy.
Bottom line though is the Bucs won their second SB with a 3-4 D coached by…
Todd Bowles.
Perhaps what you’re trying to say is A you simply prefer a 4-3, I’m old school and grew up watching that, I hear you, or B Todd simply doesn’t have the talent at this time to play a 3-4.
In “theory” I like Todd and about half the rest of the league’s thoughts on a 3/4
IF you can find a marvelous hybrid athlete, can you say Jihad? He has size, speed, and is strong on every phase of the game. Some players are soooo
talented that they can rush with their hands in the dirt or standing up. That’s not a traditional DE but it can still provide a great edge rush providing the ATHLETE is a stud!
But isn’t that pretty much what it always comes down to?
No matter the scheme the better ATHLETES win.
February 13th, 2025 at 12:33 pm
We did watch the film and that’s the problem
February 13th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
“Anybody think the 3-4 ain’t working?”
It works if your OLB-Shaq Barrett has 19.5!!! SACKS!!!
Even better still if one of your ILB’s has blazing speed and can also rush. DW45
Oh btw the other ILB is HOF bound.
And even better still if you the top FS in the league AW45 to clean up any leftover messes!
And to think I’ve read comments Bowles inherited a SB defense. We haven’t even mentioned Suh or JPP!!
February 13th, 2025 at 12:54 pm
He needs to get better, he had a mediocre year….
February 13th, 2025 at 1:02 pm
“Trust and believe I am an elite pass rusher.”
No. You’re not.
We’ve had Rice, JPP, and Shaq. We know what elite looks like.
February 13th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
Watching the Bucs defensive film will make you barf
No pass rush from the outside
No Coverage skill
DB’s cannot read and react to basic passing concepts
The Bucs defense knows teams are going to pass yet they have NO ANSWER
pathetic
February 13th, 2025 at 1:42 pm
I think YaYa is one of the better drop back cover edge rushers in the league….lol
February 13th, 2025 at 1:55 pm
Yaya can jibber jabber all he wants, but JTS would have said the same thing after his second year and we all know what a bust he’s turned out to be.
As Dwayne Johnson used to say in his early WWE years, “don’t sing it, just bring it.”
February 13th, 2025 at 2:48 pm
People will continue to doubt YaYa until he goes out and produces sacks. Until then meh. This Bucs defense needs help at all levels.
February 13th, 2025 at 2:50 pm
Sacks are the only metric in 2024 that YaYa did not have enough of….
He was stellar against the run – and top 5ish I believe with pressures and QB hits.
February 13th, 2025 at 3:14 pm
OK with me if Ya Ya plays on the opposite side of Myles Garrett.
February 13th, 2025 at 3:23 pm
Diaby reminds me of George Johnson…can show flashes as a role player, but is not a legitimate NFL starter.
February 13th, 2025 at 3:44 pm
YaYa was basically the exact same player in 2024 vs his rookie year in 2023, minus the sacks.
His usage increased to >70% vs 45%…& his tackles/pressures/QB hits rose accordingly…He just did not finish w/ the expected Sack total increase.
If he is going to take a real step up in yr3…Need to see him put double digit sacks in the ledger…. 4.5 over 785 snaps is not getting it done & sure as hell isn’t anywhere near ELITE category.
February 13th, 2025 at 4:09 pm
Wow, “I am an elite pass rusher.” Uh, no you’re not! If you were, no need to improve, just stay “elite.”
February 13th, 2025 at 4:30 pm
I can’t recall our edge rushers, including YaYa, showing any real pass rush moves. It seems like they only use bull or speed rushes with no secondary moves. I guess the only coaching is getting their drops right.
February 13th, 2025 at 5:57 pm
Pretty soon the narrative will be, the genius is so amazing, he doesn’t need a pass rush. They’ll drop all 11 in coverage and listen to the accolades come piling in. Maybe there will even be another 11th place trophy.
February 13th, 2025 at 6:03 pm
to be fair, he was also dropping back into pass coverage. I really wonder how many times a game they dropped him into pass coverage smfh
February 13th, 2025 at 7:15 pm
There is a good post in Reddit (r/GreenBayPackers) about pass rushers in 2024. The charts there show that Yaya is above the average in pass rush wins and pressures he just didn’t finish. We really need another threat on the other side to see how good Yaya can be.
February 13th, 2025 at 9:04 pm
“Maybe there will even be another 11th place trophy.”
Or maybe there’ll be another SB Trophy like the one he won as the DC of the last SB the Bucs won.
Or do you suppose that was a different man? Or do you simply disrespect actual success?
February 13th, 2025 at 10:47 pm
Yaya will improve, and so we got that side set, like w Barrett
Need our JPP on the other.
Wainting on you JL
February 13th, 2025 at 10:50 pm
Took Shaq And JPP to torment Mahomes.
Beast on the other side and Yaya will have double digit sacks as well.
JL needs to make his move, nobody will be able to stop our Dline.
We better be going to get Myles, or Sweat
February 14th, 2025 at 1:39 am
Nailed it Joe!
Some folks have mentioned Diaby as an established, dominant pass rusher using “pressures” as their reasoning. As Corso would say “Not so fast!”
This whole pressures stat is BS to me as well Joe. Batted passes yes solo tackles yes, TFLs, sacks yes! These are quantifiable results that are not open to much interpretation. Pressures? Not so much. Was he around the QB alot? Yup. Can you verify how much effect that had on the outcome of a play? A game? Nope. Not without a whole bunch of added reasoning and opinion.
Go Bucs!
February 14th, 2025 at 7:00 am
Josh Sweat is not the answer. He had 7 sacks last year and averages 7 sacks a year. We need a true bonified pass rusher ala Myles Garrett or Micha Parsons. Joes creaming in his pants because Sweat had a great Super Bowl. Hard pass on Josh Sweat!