“I Thought It Would Be Fun”
March 17th, 2025
Sacks = fun.
Hey, if you can ball out and win at the same time, what is more fun than that?
That’s the way new Bucs edge rusher Haason Reddick saw it when he decided to sign with the Bucs last week.
The Bucs are a winning team. Reddick said he has known Bucs coach Todd Bowles for years and knew about him even longer.
Tampa Bay almost became a no-brainer destination, he said, when you throw in a chance to help others on the field, re-establish as an elite edge rusher and win.
“Just the fit,” Reddick said of what drew him to the Bucs. “After talking to Footy [outside linebackers coach Larry Foote], after talking to Coach Bowles, their vision for how they plan to use me here, that was very intriguing and something I knew I needed.
“Outside of that, I felt like this was a team that was a couple short pieces away. I felt like that I could come and bring my knowledge, bring my abilities and blend it with the guys that are already here.
“You’ve already great pieces. You’ve got Vita [Vea], you’ve got [Calijah Kancey], you’ve got YaYa [Diaby]. So just knowing that could come here and help out, I thought it would be fun.”
Well, Joe is pretty sure if Reddick is drilling quarterbacks, then the Bucs are winning. And Joe wants that kind of fun.
So the more sacks the merrier, Mr. Reddick. More sacks mean more wins and more fun for everyone.
March 17th, 2025 at 4:19 am
Girls ain’t the only ones who just want to have fun!
March 17th, 2025 at 5:09 am
grats joe. u deserve this hand-picked signing
March 17th, 2025 at 5:26 am
Lots of football players think Todd the Bucs team and organization are winners. I do too! Go Bucs.
March 17th, 2025 at 6:26 am
This Guy is literally the answer to our Pass Rush prayers. A little draft help and this team is ready to make a run this year. Go Bucs!!
March 17th, 2025 at 6:41 am
Todd makes football fun.
March 17th, 2025 at 6:47 am
Good article Joe. The part that intrigues me is that Todd Bowles told him how he’d be used, and Reddick still came here. Something tells me that Todd didn’t say ‘Ya Haasan, we’re going to drop you into coverage every other play but blitz you on the rest’.
Looked at Reddick’s career and it wasn’t until year 4 with Arizona that he got into double-digit sacks (12.5 sacks in 2020). The next year he was with Carolina (11 sacks), but then he really blew up in 2022 with Philly (16 sacks), the year they lost the Super Bowl. Got me curious who he was playing with on the Eagles’ DLine. It should’ve been called the ‘Pick Your Poison DLine’ they were all so good.
o Haason Reddick: 17 games – 817 def snaps – 16 sacks
o Fletcher Cox: 17 games – 713 def snaps – 7 sacks
o Javon Hargrave: 17 games – 712 def snaps – 11 sacks
o Josh Sweat: 16 games – 587 def snaps – 11 sacks
o Brandon Graham: 17 games – 474 def snaps – 11 sacks
o Milton Williams: 17 games – 395 def snaps – 4 sacks
Eagles that year had the #8 ranked defense, allowing 344 points. The Eagles run defense was ranked #12, but their pass defense ranked #1. They ran a 4-3 alignment that year, and did relatively little blitzing (only 195 total blitzes, and 77 of those were from … Haason Reddick). The Eagles got 69 total sacks that year, with the 6 DLinemen listed above getting 60 of those. THAT IMPRESSES ME. Everyone stayed healthy, everyone played beastly, and the Eagles’ defense feasted.
And BTW, all 6 of those DLinemen together only had 7 PDs on the season, and I suspect all of those were from ‘hands up’ on the DLine. Doubt that any of them were used to fall back into pass coverage. It was undoubtedly attack mode on every play.
What does that tell me about the Bucs’ DLine? We NEED 1 more beastly DT/NT to rotate in with Vea, we NEED to shore up our ILB & CB position groups so that they can provide better pass coverage, and we NEED to do a lot less blitzing and more attack the friggin QB with our big guns.
March 17th, 2025 at 6:57 am
Defense Rules is right again.
The Eagles set the example.
You need to be extremely deep on the d-line to win a Super Bowl.
We need another DT/DE to rotate with Vea, Kancey and Hall.
I want a DE and a NT to sub with Vea.
March 17th, 2025 at 8:03 am
“I like that kind of party!” Mike Singeltary.
March 17th, 2025 at 9:25 am
Don’t know how you find all these great stats that I count on to help analyze my favorite team DR. No wonder Philly had the number one pass defense that year. Really, 4 guys with OVER 10 sacks each? Opposition QBs had their hands full that’s for sure! I don’t think any team in NFL history can boast about 4 players with over 10 sacks. If that has ever happened before or since I expect someone here will let us hear about it.
March 17th, 2025 at 9:41 am
Kenton … ‘Really, 4 guys with OVER 10 sacks each? Opposition QBs had their hands full that’s for sure!’
With another beastly DT/NT to rotate in with Vea, I’d be willing to bet that the Bucs could replicate that feat. The new ‘youngster’ wouldn’t get double-digit sacks (they almost never do), but Vea, Kancey, Reddick & Diaby certainly could, providing that they can stay healthy … they’re all beasts. I’m also convinced that Nelson & Braswell could do a LOT of damage also rotating in.
That’d mean running a LOT of 5-man attack packages (3 DLine + 2 OLBs) and cutting down on the blitzes a bunch. That’d leave 6 back (2 ILBs & 4 CB/Safeties) to provide pass coverage, hopefully playing a lot less zone. With a pass rush like that (CONSISTENT), opposing QBs would have to get rid of the ball quickly, and with 5 WR/TE/RBs max going out (more than likely 4 max though), 6 defenders SHOULD be able to deal with that.
March 17th, 2025 at 10:34 am
teacherman
This comment is everything… So many historical references to how to win a super bowl and its always an elite DL. I personally think you cant have enough elite DL/EDGE players. Giants I remember when they were good & winning super bowls they would continuously draft DL/EDGE players in the first round even when they already had people like Strehan.
I would like us to draft another DL or EDGE if available.
March 17th, 2025 at 11:01 am
doolnutts, “another DL or EDGE if available”. How about another DL and Edge if available. That’s what I’m talking about!
March 17th, 2025 at 11:04 am
I think we set the bar in 2020 with our d-line then the 🦅 stole the blueprint that was Todd special blitz on blitz on blitz
March 17th, 2025 at 11:21 am
Im hoping its simeon rice type production
March 17th, 2025 at 11:42 am
Every comment on this link stinks think you know everything because you are computer stat gèek. Play the game. Then you know the game….most real plaYs are off the ball set up others.go
Back to your nintendo/playstation its the geek season. Have a. Opinion when the pads are on. Go have another cup of coffee and granola bar.
March 17th, 2025 at 11:47 am
El HEFE Says:
March 17th, 2025 at 11:04 am
I think we set the bar in 2020 with our d-line then the 🦅 stole the blueprint that was Todd special blitz on blitz on blitz
Might want to take a look at Vic Fangio’s career and give credit where credit is due.
March 17th, 2025 at 12:11 pm
Agree with the lot of you. First 5 rounds we need OLB, DT/NT, ILB and 2 CBs or 1 CB and 2 ILB. My preference is the OLB/DT come early.
March 17th, 2025 at 2:31 pm
Totally on board with beefing up the middle of the D.
March 17th, 2025 at 6:54 pm
I think it would be fun if we should snag DT/NT, Kenneth Grant, with our first pick at 19th.