Chris Braswell Knows His Place As A Rookie
May 14th, 2024
Rookie OLB Chris Braswell.
One reason YaYa Diaby did not start until after the loss to the 49ers last year was that he (allegedly) wasn’t yet proficient enough in Todd Bowles’ defense to be on the field more than he had been.
If a guy is going to be on the field as an outside linebacker more than part-time for Bowles, he has to do a lot of things other than just rush the quarterback. Especially a rookie like Diaby was.
That’s where Bucs second-round pick Chris Braswell may have an advantage. At Alabama, he had to do all sorts of tasks including covering guys in pass coverage and, oh yeah, rush the quarterback.
Still, Braswell isn’t sure how much of an advantage that Alabama experience is now. He’s in the NFL. Time will only tell.
“It can help a lot,” Braswell said of his versatility at Alabama. “But at the end of the day, I’m still a rookie. I still have to learn from the veteran guys. Pick their brains to help elevate my game as well.”
Braswell added Bowles’ defense isn’t a whole lot different than Nick Saban’s at Alabama. The biggest difference is terminology, he said last week.
Unlike at Alabama until his final season there, Braswell ought to have a chance to get on the field a lot in Tampa. He was in a log jam until last season at Alabama.
The only thing Joe can see that would keep Braswell off the field, other than injuries, is if suddenly the light bulb flashes on for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Through three seasons it hasn’t.
So unless JTS (finally) flips the switch, Joe believes Braswell will get on the field for the Bucs often.
May 14th, 2024 at 9:21 am
he will be a game wrecker. I think we finally get some push this year. We may not have 1 star guy, but I think we have a solid stable of B’s and B+’s that get theirs.
May 14th, 2024 at 9:21 am
Drafting Braswell pretty much guarantees us that JTS is on a very short leach. Produce or sit and then take a bus home. Possibly the worse pick Licht ever made (JIS).
May 14th, 2024 at 9:23 am
It’s not just JTS, Braswell has a gauntlet to run just to get a share of defensive snaps in that OLB room. Nelly is still here(and viciously underappreciated by this fan base), Randy Gregory has vet exp and closes faster than a hiccup, Markees Watts seems to be the forgotten man, but he’s a ball player and then you got Jose Ramirez who’ll also be battling for snaps after a year on the practice squad. We aren’t in a position to just be gifting the kid playing time, but if he earns it over the names mentioned more power to him. Great problem for us to have btw
May 14th, 2024 at 9:23 am
It’s not just JTS, Braswell has a gauntlet to run just to get a share of defensive snaps in that OLB room. Nelly is still here(and viciously underappreciated by this fan base), Randy Gregory has vet exp and closes faster than a hiccup, Markees Watts seems to be the forgotten man, but he’s a ball player and then you got Jose Ramirez who’ll also be battling for snaps after a year on the practice squad. We aren’t in a position to just be gifting the kid playing time, but if he earns it over the names mentioned more power to him. Great problem for us to have btw
May 14th, 2024 at 9:37 am
Might light a fire under the underachieving JTS.
May 14th, 2024 at 9:46 am
Joe’s- This is just me spit ballin here but do you think the team struggles to get a 10+ sack guy because Bowles asks his OLB’s to do so many other things? I’d be interested in checking to see how many 10+ sack guys Bowles has had during his time calling defenses.
May 14th, 2024 at 9:51 am
Cobraboy Says:
Might light a fire under the underachieving JTS.
———————————————————————–
If JTS likes money then his biggest motivating factor may be that he’s in a contract year. I suspect that he’ll have his best season coming up.
That said, because of the depth the Bucs have at his position, I doubt JTS will get a new contract unless he triples his production.
May 14th, 2024 at 9:58 am
Braswell has the look of a football player and of a winner.
JTS looks like a valley girl.
May 14th, 2024 at 10:02 am
And also, seems like the primary reason players struggle with Bowels defense is its complexity. Gosh, who woulda thunk that?
May 14th, 2024 at 10:08 am
Encouraging
May 14th, 2024 at 10:16 am
JTS played well at the end of the year and in the playoffs. JTS is a solid pro but he was drafted too high. If he was a fourth round pick he would have been a steal. Hopefully, the depth the Bucs have at OLB will pay dividends this year.
May 14th, 2024 at 10:27 am
WiscoJoe … Four
May 14th, 2024 at 10:31 am
In a 3-4 defense, the OLB has a lot of responsibilities. Nothing unique about Bowles defense in that regard. Yaya eventually got onto the field and produced. In my mind, JTS has no excuses.
If Braswell can take time from JTS, that’s a good thing for the team.
May 14th, 2024 at 10:32 am
BRASWELL TAPE
Braswell has lloonngg arms and he knows how to use them to shed blockers. He could add a few pounds of muscle and his frame can take it. Excited about him. Won’t be surprised to see 8-9 sacks as a rookie.
May 14th, 2024 at 10:37 am
WiscoJoe
We’ve been in the top 10 of total team sacks since Bowles arrived in 2019. Last season we set our highest team sack total with 48 sacks while having 13 different(8 players w/at least 3 sacks) players record at least 1 sack in comparison to 2019 when we had 11 players with at least 1 sack and Barrett having 19.5 by himself(only 3 players had >3 sacks). The goal to set, would be seeing if we can get > 50 team sacks no matter who’s recording them, just get there
May 14th, 2024 at 10:40 am
Wondering if Braswell is slow to pick up things.
He came out of high school in 2020 as a 5-star recruit rated essentially as high as Will Anderson Jr, Bryce Young, Bryan Bresee and Jalen Carter. All those guys came out last year as 1st rounders.
Dallas Turner that came out of high school in 2021, again highly rated, seemed ready to step on the field sooner at Alabama although a year younger.
Now it seems like Braswell finally got there in his 2023 season at Alabama. Great production per snap.
My initial guess is that Braswell will see the field as a specialist on pass rushing downs and the read – react part of his game may come a little slower for him.
May 14th, 2024 at 10:51 am
Just Too Slow be gone.
May 14th, 2024 at 11:02 am
Bowles luvs JTS for some reason. He has shined about as much as he can at the Pro Level. Most teams would have cut him last year. Braswell has a lot to learn. He will be active though and unafraid. I see him stating by game 4 or so. Might even flat out beat out JTS for game one.
May 14th, 2024 at 11:08 am
He’s going to have to earn Bowles trust when it comes to understanding assignments….until that happens, he’ll be used sparingly similar to YaYa the first 8 games. Talent/ability is great if the defender is in the right assignment but we saw with White, you can be physically gifted but if you’re constantly out of position, the defense gets burned.
May 14th, 2024 at 11:15 am
I call BS on rookies having to
Be so smart to play. They started Devin white on day one calling the whole defense and it worked fine. He’s no rocket scientist. Bowls is stubborn, inconsistent and moody, not so stoic as
Some say. He seems all over the place when it comes to certain things.
May 14th, 2024 at 11:30 am
Braswell is more NFL ready than YaYa was last year, and JTS as a rookie. Braswell may not be the starting lefty for opening day, but he will platoon-in with about 40% of snaps early in the season. I think he’ll be the starting lefty no later than mid-season. Still, he could start on opening day so that’s something else for Joe to watch in camp – will Braswell start opening day?
May 14th, 2024 at 11:31 am
Braswell is really our only pick that kiiiind of worries me as far as pick value vs long term contribution. Not because I don’t believe that he CAN be good, but because while most of our picks are high floor moderate ceiling picks, Braswell is the ultimate “boom or bust” selection. He has a very high ceiling, but he also has the lowest floor of all our picks (as compared to pick value). That said, his work ethic combined with his desire to be great will provide him with the right tools to succeed. Hope he booms.
May 14th, 2024 at 11:33 am
^^.
Cleanhouse. Not sure Devin White is a perfect example. There was not a single experienced veteran on the team that he had to beat out. It was a position devoid of any talent.
May 14th, 2024 at 11:46 am
JTS? Please.
May 14th, 2024 at 11:51 am
Geno, just because Braswell was slotted behind Will Anderson Jr in Saban’s ALA D 2022-2022….Doesn’t mean he isn’t any good or SLOW mentally. (That dude was the the NFL’s DEF Rookie of the Yr in 2023 with HOU)…100% Braswell would have been a multi-yr starter at 99% of other major D1 programs. There’s absolutely no doubt about that.
And Braswell & Turner played different roles at ALA…Turner was a Sam LB & Braswell the Jack LB in Saban’s 3-4 scheme. Which helped Turner get on the field as a starter quicker, as he was not in competition with Will Anderson Jr for the Jack role.
Braswell has all the tools in the shed to become a very formidable OLB for the Bucs & IMO, the FO got him for an absolute steal at #57!
May 14th, 2024 at 11:51 am
OCALA said JTS is a solid pro… no
He is below average. If he was drafted in round 4-7 he’d be gone by now.
He should be third string desperately trying to hang on through special teams play.
May 14th, 2024 at 12:03 pm
I will predict Braswell is a starter by midseason.
May 14th, 2024 at 12:09 pm
Wrong
If he was drafted in rounds 4-7 he would be exceeding expectations.
You people really are butt hurt by this guy.
Like he slapped your sister and you have to get yours.
May 14th, 2024 at 12:42 pm
JTS is in a contract Year, sometimes guys pull their heads out of their arse. Money does amazing things to some football players. We will see. Personally I’ve seen enough of him to keep him off the field. But, Jason will always pull for his guys and I get it, it is his legacy.
May 14th, 2024 at 12:44 pm
@BillyBucco
A lot of people are judging JTS and most OLBs/DEs by their sack totals and it’s that one about not being able to see the forest through the trees.
May 14th, 2024 at 12:54 pm
It would’ve been nice if JTS was in the same boat as Wirfs. That is, 5th year option picked up, waiting on a long term deal. JTS had his chance. It will be hard for him now with Braswell on the field.
May 14th, 2024 at 1:53 pm
Sure, I can accept your hypothesis as a working hypothesis over the one that I gave. I just think they are both possible.
1. He will be a complete steal.
or
2. He will be slow to pick things up.
For me and number 2, the only thing I gave is that Braswell is as physically talented as all those other guys, he did just not get on the field as much or as soon, in that he was a slower learner.
Just a hypothesis – Just like you are hypothesizing that he will be a steal and the only reason he did not get on the field a lot until his senior year was there were two studs ahead of him.
To say that “Braswell & Turner played different roles at ALA…Turner was a Sam LB & Braswell the Jack LB in Saban’s 3-4 scheme.” Seems incorrect to me. In 2022, Turner played the Jack LB and then transitioned to the Sam LB in 2023 after Will Anderson left. So, Saban teaches multiple positions to guys, as we already knew. But we also know he has had guys that could play right tackle and never learn left, so we also know he has players that have mental limitations as well.
But I will listen to further explanation.
May 14th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
Personally, I think JTS has been better than Anthony Nelson. But if neither are with the team next year, that is fine also.
May 14th, 2024 at 1:56 pm
What veteran guys? JTS? Randy Gregory? Ooof.
May 14th, 2024 at 1:58 pm
I don’t think anyone is “butthurt”, they just expect a 1st or 2nd round pick like JTS to actually do something eventually.
It’s not just his pathetic sack total. He hardly gets any pressure in general, and he’s still a liability against the run.
May 14th, 2024 at 2:09 pm
Geno….Turner played SAM LB his entire time at ALA.
Will Anderson Jr was the Jack LB for Saban, until he left for the NFL after 2022 season & Braswell moved into the starting Jack LB slot for 2023.
If you understand anything about Saban’s ALA teams…He doesn’t keep slow learners or guys that really can’t play on the roster. It’s a football factory & Nick has mental/physical trait prototypes that he covets for each & every position on the field. Braswell fits the mold for Saban’s JACK LB…& is a 99% comp to Will Anderson Jr’s physical measurables. (mockdraftable 2024 Edge)
May 15th, 2024 at 10:25 am
Saban quote on Braswell in August 2022:
“He’s a really good rusher, he’s got great first-step quickness. You can be quick and fast, but if you can’t turn speed to power, you’re never going to be an effective rusher.” Saban said.
and
“He’s got a much better understanding of what he’s supposed to do playing defense, playing outside ‘backer. It takes guys a little time who have their hand in the dirt all the time when they’re in high school,” Saban added. “Then we try to teach them how to play standing up, which is a good fit for a lot of guys. Because they’re not really big enough to be defensive ends, especially at the next level. So if they can play outside ‘backer and rush on third down, that creates tremendous value when they learn how to play standing up. He has learned that, and he’s improved at the pass coverage part of it.”
So, sorry, I still go for my hypothesis of that he might just be a slower learner.
Intead of the ridiculously absurd statement that if you understand anything about Saban, he does not keep slow learners. Just an absurd statement with no actual support. Name the one guy that he threw off the team because he said he was a slow learner.