Jason Licht: Don’t Give Up On Chris Braswell
March 1st, 2025
Now a bunch of Joe’s readers wonder why Joe hasn’t teed off on Bucs edge rusher/outside linebacker Chris Braswell.
Simple.
Despite Braswell being a Nick Saban product, he was almost totally MIA as a rookie last season. Saban may have been the best college coach at producing plug-in-and-play NFL defenders.
The Bucs’ second-round pick 57th overall had only 1.5 sacks, damn near MIA. But Joe didn’t and hasn’t been bent about Braswell.
History says rookie edge rushers rarely make an impact. For every Nick Bosa you have a dozen Joe Tryon-Shoyinkas.
But dang, 1.5 sacks is a little too close to tackling dummy range.
This week, Licht advised folks not to throw in the towel on Braswell.
“I think he has all the traits, both as a person and a player to make a big jump,” Licht said. “We did a little study on edge rushers in their first year. Some of them have a good first year, a lot of them… The team that won the Super Bowl took a first-rounder and his rookie year, he had one sack and played very little and this year, he had 10 or 11 sacks and played a huge part in their Super Bowl run.
“It’s that second year that you kind of like to see a jump and I think he’s definitely got the mentality for it. He’s excited to show what he can do in that second year.
“Sometimes, you have to get used to the pace of the game, the speed of the game, and the physicality. There’s a lot of intricacies and variables in the defense that can overwhelm a lot of people so he’s not one that’s going to be overwhelmed this year.”
Let’s be real: Since Bucs coach/defensive coordinator Todd Bowles took over the defense in Arizona in 2013, he has developed as many rookie edge rushers into double-digit sack guys as you and Joe.
Does Joe have hope for Braswell? Of course. Hope, unfortunately, never puts a quarterback on his tail.
March 1st, 2025 at 8:05 am
THIS is why we need to trade for or sign an FA edge
March 1st, 2025 at 8:20 am
Re-sign A. Nelson.
Bring back Shaq (as a back-up/rotational guy)
Sign a solid free agent.
Hopefully Braswell improves.
Ramirez and Watt can also compete for playing time.
March 1st, 2025 at 8:30 am
Brass will do well this season playing with coach Shaq. Send all the edge guys to the Sacks Summit because Bowles can’t coach pass rush, only blitzes.
March 1st, 2025 at 8:32 am
Do everything Marine says, plus I say we still draft an edge rusher in the first couple days of the draft because there are a ton of productive, athletic ones in this particular draft.
March 1st, 2025 at 8:33 am
I love JL, but no way he goes for a Myles Garrett or anyone like him. JL is no Les Snead. I love Les Snead, love his gambler mentality. But JL is not of that cloth.
I think a Harold Landry is doable for JL, a reach, but doable. If we don’t sign, or trade for a decent FA edge, I will be so disappointed. It is such a GLARING NEED
March 1st, 2025 at 8:41 am
@Marine
Re-sign A. Nelson. – I like Nelson, but he was a backup on a terrible group of edge rushers
Bring back Shaq (as a back-up/rotational guy) – Love Shaq, but almost the same thing. I do not think he has anything left in the tank.
Sign a solid free agent. – YES, YES, YES
Hopefully Braswell improves. – Hope… as it is, we also have to hope Yaya improves too.
If JL does not sign or trade for a decent edge, on the level of a Harold Landry, that is just stubbornness and arrogance. 2 closely related forms of ignorance. I will be so disappointed.
Ramirez and Watt can also compete for playing time
March 1st, 2025 at 8:53 am
These rookies know how to play and they have just figured out how to game the system. Year 1, coast along, learn the pros and fine tune your game. Year 2, continue honing your body and flash a few times here and there but preserve your body. Year 3/4 “contract year”, let hell loose to cash in the big bucks. Year 4/5 “new contract signed, sealed and delivered”, revert back to coast mode. For a more detailed explanation, see A. Winfield or J. Dean.
March 1st, 2025 at 8:55 am
Under Bowles, Braswell should make a big jump as an edge rusher DB.
March 1st, 2025 at 9:10 am
Translation of Licht speak: “i’m not trading for or drafting an edge rusher”.
anyhow i’m willing to wait and see for one more year on Braswell to see if he has what it takes to make it in the nfl after a season of not being that great in his rookie year out of college.
March 1st, 2025 at 9:38 am
THIS is why Todd can’t develop edge rushers. He wants them to rush stop the run, drop into wide zone, drop into deep zone, do multi-variable integral calculus on every play, explain the meaning of life to teammates every play, sell hot dogs from the stands , and edge the field before being an edge rusher.
Let dogs be dogs and cats be cats. How about simplifying it to, “stop the run on the way to the QB.”
March 1st, 2025 at 9:49 am
A rookie. Looking forward to the next season.
March 1st, 2025 at 10:05 am
@ KABucs
“Do everything Marine says, plus I say we still draft an edge rusher in the first couple days of the draft because there are a ton of productive, athletic ones in this particular draft.”
I’m OK with this as well but I agree with Joe on this…
It is very rare to draft an edge rusher who comes in right away and dominates. It typically takes 2-3 seasons before an OLB is at full potential.
Joe is correct – for every one insta-studs there are 12 that need time to develop.
I would rather focus the draft on IDL, ILB, DB, WR and IOL.
We typically carry 6 IDLs and we only have 3 currently signed.
March 1st, 2025 at 10:11 am
JTS volume 2
March 1st, 2025 at 10:37 am
Marine Buc … Second your approach. I think both Diaby & Braswell will do significantly better this year.
o Diaby: Like Bowles said, Ya Ya was close (but few cigars). He waas in all 17 games (785 def snaps) and did great in terms of pressures (32) … 12 QB Hurries, 15 QB Knockdowns but only 4.5 sacks, plus 13 TFLs, 1 FF & 1 FR. I was impressed with his tackling (only tagged with 3 Missed Tackles) … 54 tackles (39 solo). Tells me he did a decent job on contain. If Bucs can get more pressure up the middle this season, there’s no reason why our OLBs won’t feast.
o Braswell: Typical rookie OLB, but he surely learned a lot last year. He too got in all 17 games (329 def snaps) and did OK on pressures (12) for a rookie … 5 QB Hurries, 5 QB Knockdowns but only 1.5 sacks. Bummer. His 18 tackles (12 solo) wasn’t terrible I suppose, and he only got tagged with 1 Missed Tackle. Got a hunch he’ll put on a few more pounds & a lot more muscle for this year. Bowles puts a premium on containment from his OLBs, and Braswell & Diaby seem to have learned that lesson fairly well.
o Nelson: I still like Anthony, and don’t know why some don’t want to re-sign him. He’s reasonably solid, and Bowles must like him because he got 50% of the def snaps, not to mention 80% of the S/T snaps.
o Shaq: I can see taking him into the season as a 5th OLB (as long as he’s 100% healthy), but I doubt he’ll be getting a lot of snaps this year. I like having a senior guy like him around though to work with the youngsters. Besides, old age & cunning will overcome youth & skill every time. (I wish).
o Veteran OLB: I takes 2 to tango, and the Titans may want too much for Harold Landry (he does have a big CAP hit this year). Still, if we can swing it, would love to have someone with his background in our OLB stable.
March 1st, 2025 at 11:14 am
Edge, along with CB, has historically been the hardest position to transition to the league. It may take two or three seasons to get up to speed if ever. Be patient and if by the end of his rookie deal he hasn’t shown anything, bye bye.
March 1st, 2025 at 11:17 am
Easy Joe; “…he has developed as many rookie edge rushers into double-digit sack guys as you and Joe.”
As it turns out, I HAVE developed two edge rushers. Albeit at the flag football level…so there!
March 1st, 2025 at 11:40 am
Lt Dan – please send your resume’ to Jason now. Since the Bucs edge guys tackle like it’s flag football, you should be an excellent addition!
March 1st, 2025 at 11:42 am
Henry… harsh on Winfield. He’s never coasted for a minute. You realize this is tackle football and people get injured? Maybe your daughter plays flag football and that’s what you’re used to watching?
I don’t think Dean is coasting, he’s just kind of fragile.
JTS on the other hand… not sure.
March 1st, 2025 at 11:47 am
I disagree with this whole thread. Guys like the Bosa brothers, and the other premium edge rushers, showed flashes of great ability in their first year. I watched every BUC game last year other than a couple of quarters lost to Youtube. I never remember Braswell doing anything of note.
Someone commented “JTS Volume 2”. After JTS, Licht has little credibility with me on edge rushers.
March 1st, 2025 at 11:50 am
I feel we still have to take an edge rusher somewhere in this draft. It is the premium position for talent this year along with a DT & running back. Is it a roll of the dice? Seems to always be. But somewhere in the first five rounds we should take one, if even just for depth. Not saying use our first or second pick on one but thanks to the depth and what other people actually need, we could have a pretty good edge rusher fall. For some reason, I really like this Campbell kid. Watched some videos on him, seems like the perfect versatile player for Bowles… would love if he falls to 19… if Licht doesn’t do some crazy trade stuff.
March 1st, 2025 at 12:02 pm
“ History says rookie edge rushers rarely make an impact”
Actually, history suggests “Jason Licht” picked rookie edge rushers dont make an impact. Fixed it.
March 1st, 2025 at 12:04 pm
I agree KABucs on Braswell – I wasn’t concerned about the production stats, but really never saw him make a play that made me think, “wow, that was special”. Hoping he makes a jump in year 2.
March 1st, 2025 at 12:28 pm
In the past 20+ years who were the best Edge rushers for the Bucs? Simeon Rice, Michael Bennett, JPP and Shaq. None were drafted by the Bucs. Just like QB, we don’t develop them. Admit your shortcoming and go get one in FA or by trade.
Trade for Landry. Give up a 3rd or 4th rounder and throw in Jamal Dean. You won’t get any Edge in the 3rd rd (or 1st rd) as good as Landry and he’s still young. Performance over potential as the Bucs are ready to make a run in 2025. This move also allows you to get Campbell at ILB in the 1st and a high end CB in the 2nd.
March 1st, 2025 at 12:50 pm
I, too, have hopes for Braswell. If I recall correctly, he spent several years backing up at Alabama before coming into his own during his last year. Some people adapt to change more gradually than others, but they adapt more fully. Hope for Braswell is based on past performance.
March 1st, 2025 at 1:07 pm
I hate to burst bubbles here in JBF land, but we’re not signing any expensive free agent edge rusher, or making a blockbuster trade. They believe in Diaby and Braswell, they’re likely going to draft another on day 1 or 2 and I think they believe Larry Foote is a better pass rush coach than George Edwards was, so i absolutely think that the front office believes they’re better off at OLB/Edge than the J03s or the average fan does.
I’m actually more concerned about cornerback, where we only have 1 guy worth mentioning as Dean is not someone you can count on and he may get axed anyway. And ILB is also higher priority than edge.
I’ll be watching the usual freakout when the front office makes decisions that don’t conform to the expectations of the complaining coalition.
March 1st, 2025 at 1:23 pm
Personally I’m not a big fan of project players who didn’t do much in college as the miss rate on them is extremely high – but really you should never write off any player based on their rookie year, in particular on the defensive line, edge, and at TE – those guys take the longest to develop typically.
We will see on Braswell if he makes the jump or not, but I won’t take much of anything from that rookie season either way.
With that said, if you’re going to draft an edge guy, follow in the mold of Kancey – a guy with some special traits who had good college production at a big school. While there’s plenty of misses going that route, it does seem the success rate is higher.
March 1st, 2025 at 1:55 pm
Bras flashed some imo he will get better but he isn’t a freak EDGE. Heck there aren’t many freak EDGE guys anymore
March 1st, 2025 at 6:01 pm
Jason, go get a top flite FA DE. The Bucs can’t risk another JTS situation. Braswell may be better next year, but why risk the season a guy that has shown nothing.
March 1st, 2025 at 6:04 pm
I hope Licht is right but using the only measuring stick we have in JTS, the future looks dim. In fact, keeping JTS around for another year giving dancing lessons to offensive tackles may have retarded Braswell’s development. Playing twice as many downs, JTS only garnered a half sack more than Braswell. Pathetic
March 1st, 2025 at 7:10 pm
He’ll be better next season.
March 1st, 2025 at 7:46 pm
It’s tough to judge a rookie but to me it seems the great players show flashes as rookies, the guys who are average to good have kind of quiet rookie seasons, and they guys who aren’t going to be good have lots of what was he doing moments as rookies. There are always exceptions but Braswell seems to be on track for average to good.
March 1st, 2025 at 10:53 pm
Hey Jason, It’s hard to give up on guys that you haven’t even seen. BTW are Watts and Ramirez still on the team? I haven’t given up on them either. I did give up on JTS though. I think it was mid season, a year and a half ago ago.
Go Bucs!
March 1st, 2025 at 11:43 pm
it’ll be interesting to see where joe sho winds up…
what market is out there for him…and how that pans out..
it’s perfectly feasible he has a breakout type season somewhere else in a couple years…in a new system…
all players are system players – and in the right place they can thrive…
could i see shoyinka having one big 10-12 sack season if he gets the snaps and things are clicking for him…?…sure…he just might be that guy who finally gets it, and breaks out the pack 2-3 years down the line, while we shake our heads and mutter…”why couldn’t he do that here”…
i’m saying like……..one awesome season…….not a bunch
or he might just slowly burn out in another uniform…like a candle
March 2nd, 2025 at 5:05 am
Braswell is a rookie, young. He will do better this season.
March 2nd, 2025 at 9:30 am
Nothing we do in the draft is going to dramatically improve the defense this coming season. We flooded the offense with talent AND had strong coaching. We don’t have the confidence to flood our needs on defense because we don’t have the coaching leadership to shepherd their development. Todd may be a leader of men but he can’t develop enough players to sustain a difference making defense. Plus his game management stinks. We will only go as far as the offense can take us. So we might as well keep feeding it our high picks and accept that we have to score 30+ to have a chance to win. Hopefully we can get a new defensive coordinator when we have to promote Grizz to keep him
March 2nd, 2025 at 10:41 am
Ya took a long time to give up on Tryon also