Yaya II
June 12th, 2024
Rookie edge rusher Chris Braswell.
Of course there’s excitement for the Buccaneers’ draft picks.
Unless a guy looks like a complete mess, high hopes flourish in May, June and July. That’s why the guy was drafted.
Edge rusher Chris Braswell (Round 2 out of the University of Alabama) has looked the part since landing in Tampa six weeks ago.
Yesterday, head coach Todd Bowles likened him to last year’s surprise edge rusher find, beastly athlete Yaya Diaby.
“He has semblances of Yaya from last year, as far as raw strength,” Bowles said. “We’ll see when the pads come on how that translates, but I like what I see so far.”
Everything Bowles says these days is qualified with “when the pads come on.” Right now, it’s like watching a guy hitting batting practice; everything is coming at him at half speed and easy. A hitter can look good, but what does it really mean?
Regardless, Joe has heard steady reports about Braswell looking NFL-ready. If he can be a solid rookie, he’ll certainly help the Bucs’ somewhat shaky edge rusher position.
June 12th, 2024 at 12:11 pm
How scary would that be if Diaby, Braswell, Vea and Kancey are all dominant players on the field at the same time? I am excited to see them on the field!
June 12th, 2024 at 12:33 pm
Agreed, @Mike. There’s a lot of potential to get excited about on the DL. Now it needs to be realized.
June 12th, 2024 at 12:34 pm
We just need one more guy who can consistently win 1 on 1 matchups. Hopefully the rookie can step in but I doubt we see him on the field regularly until he’s got a solid understanding of his assignments. Until then, JTS will be out there not for his potential but simply because he knows where he needs to be.
June 12th, 2024 at 12:43 pm
Hope springs eternal this time of year. Last year Bowles said we were knee deep in outside LBs. Except for Diaby it didn’t really work out. That said, this year does look promising. Diaby, Watts, and Ramirez had an NFL off-season to train. We added Brasswell. JTS is on a contract season and has lots of serious competition. Whitehead is way better than Neal. I like the looks of things. Bring on the pads! Go BUCS!!!
June 12th, 2024 at 12:44 pm
I would like to think that having benefitted from such a high-level of coaching in his background from St. Frances Academy (who plays a ‘national’ schedule) to Alabama, by getting to play against and to sit, watch and learn from THE BEST, that it’d really pay off for him now!!!! All of our dreams will come true, if as long as Yaya and Bras come through. They will become a PROBLEM (along with Kancey) for opposing teams for years to come. The future looks bright.
June 12th, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Inside linebacker worries me a bit.
June 12th, 2024 at 12:49 pm
Hey, Booger, Via looks faster this year too; according to Bowles. Nice!
June 12th, 2024 at 1:16 pm
Fred McNeil … ‘Inside linebacker worries me a bit.’
Me too Fred. I was really anticipating that the Bucs would draft a replacement for Devin White someplace in the Top-3 Rounds, but they didn’t. Tells me that they’re either satisfied with what they have (LVD, Britt, Dennis, plus 1) OR they’ll attempt to pick up a veteran MLB someplace in Preseason. My money’s on the latter.
June 12th, 2024 at 1:46 pm
@Defense Rules
It’s slim pickings on the FA ILB market rn, could be possible we’re waiting on our depth to get the pads on to see what we’ve got in them. Still got JJ Russell & Vi Jones, added 3 UDFAs including Kalen Deloach who looks like he can grow/play himself into a role this summer. I really like Dennis tho, but the best look we got of him last season was the Colts game where he clearly looked like a rookie getting his first major piece of action.
June 12th, 2024 at 1:54 pm
Contract year for JTS so we shall see if he has hit his ceiling or if the prospect of a $$ contract here next season motivates him to do so.I hope he does well until the rookie catches on anyway.
June 12th, 2024 at 2:40 pm
Anyone else seeing this team as a legit SB contender?
June 12th, 2024 at 2:51 pm
I know that, Fred. I was meaning the future with the young guys, over (hopefully) the next 10-years!!!!
June 12th, 2024 at 3:00 pm
Braswell had a lot of snaps on the left side and produced some turnovers. Probably our best guy on the left side.
June 12th, 2024 at 4:45 pm
@BucYou – I am ! I think with the better CBs and getting Whitehead back will allow Winfield to really take off . He won’t have to worry about playing both safety positions at the same time since Ryan Neal was just a statue out there. And with a better Oline, Baker in his second year throwing to Evans, Godwin, and Palmer, this team looks well rounded on both sides of the ball. Go Bucs
June 12th, 2024 at 5:06 pm
If he was drafted from Whatsamatter U I’d be worried. He played in the SEC at Bama, not like we don’t have tape.
June 12th, 2024 at 5:18 pm
Mike says “How scary would that be if Diaby, Braswell, Vea and Kancey are all dominant players on the field at the same time?”
I like how you are thinking!
June 12th, 2024 at 5:59 pm
That front 4 could be nice! Don’t sleep on Delouch ILB from FSU. That kid can play – undersized, fast, can hit, sure tackler. Can’t believe he went undrafted, but that’s what being under 6ft will do for you.
June 13th, 2024 at 4:50 am
Yaya looks like he sent away for Charles Atlas’s kit! Wow
Braswell looks bulked up as well but Yaya has taken it to the next level!
Go bucs!
June 14th, 2024 at 2:59 pm
So you’re always talking about our addresses like they’re no good I think we have good Edge rushers especially Yaya rocks you got Wells that they’ve been talking a lot about and if the rookies even half as good as what Daya was last year it’s looking up I don’t know what’s going on with Gregory if he’s actually going to play for us or not but it seems like everywhere else besides you I’m hearing that it’s a solid Edge rushing contest to see who gets playing time maybe they’re wrong but that’s what I hear from everybody but you