“Keep Your Confidence”
March 15th, 2025
Second-year edge rusher Chris Braswell.
Joe has to draw the line somewhere when it comes to how a team spins the performance of a player.
For 2024 rookie edge rusher Chris Braswell, there has been a lot of talk about how he significantly upped his game late last season and that he’s poised to have a strong 2025. There’s so much faith in Braswell that Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht even said he believes Braswell will “shock” fans next season.
Joe can’t make the leap that Licht and Todd Bowles have.
Braswell was active but did not take defensive snaps against the Commanders in the playoffs. In fact, his playing time waned late last season.
Braswell logged just 26 snaps through the final four games of the regular season. His first sack and only full sack came in Week 16 against the Panthers.
Does that sound like an ascending player? Not in Joe’s book, especially given Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett was signed in late December in hopes he could give the edge rush a jolt.
Still, Braswell is 23 years old with plenty of potential.
Braswell’s new position coach, Larry Foote, said yesterday he’s counseling Braswell to keep his chin up. “‘Keep your confidence.’ … Come back focused. Come back confident.'”
Foote acknowledged Braswell didn’t achieve what was expected from the second-round draft pick.
“‘Don’t let, you know, the lack of production — your expectations didn’t get met — but you can come back next year and you can achieve all those goals,'” Foote said he told Braswell.
Per Foote, performance of a Year 3 edge rusher reveals what the team really has in the player. But Joe can’t buy that 100 percent, and it certainly was an interesting take considering the Bucs banked on Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in his Year 4 (after a shaky third season).
Regardless, Joe is rooting for Braswell. What a bonus it would be if he makes a healthy handful of plays next season.
March 15th, 2025 at 12:40 pm
Rookie edge rusher. PLayed strong at Alabama. Give him a year to get used to the big leagues. As The Joe says – no rookie edge plays well in the first year.
March 15th, 2025 at 12:51 pm
Hopefully he’s in the weight room with Wirfs and them.
March 15th, 2025 at 12:53 pm
Maybe he was really nervous and just couldn’t get over it when he them first few reps came. H slipped fell down, got up but something got in head. I think Foote will get him straight and things will be better. Let’s Go Bucs!!!!
March 15th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
I keep wondering if its our edge rushers or just the way the plays are schemed up?
March 15th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
Let me see if I understand what you are saying? Jason Licht and Todd Bowles don’t don’t know as much about Braswell as Joe does? How is that correct?
March 15th, 2025 at 12:59 pm
BTW, joe, what’s the status on shaq?
March 15th, 2025 at 1:00 pm
With all of the talk about him being so good, if it’s legit what the front office thinks it really makes me think that we won’t take a pass rusher in the first two rounds this year, but there’s a chance that will be the best player available as it’s deep in the first round
March 15th, 2025 at 1:02 pm
Hopefully this guy can turn into something but this past season he showed absolutely nothing.
He wasn’t even the main edge rusher on his defense at Alabama.
Hopefully just not another wasted high draft pick by Licht on an edge rusher.
Bucs are really spinning it so we will see
March 15th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
Hasson didn’t breakout until his 4th season with Arizona.
March 15th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
I have hopes for Braswell because he spent several years of apprenticeship at Bama before stepping on center stage. When he did, he jumped in at full speed.
If he is watching, studying, and conditioning with the same diligence, when the light goes on, he’ll be ready. He has the physical foundation. If he perseveres in building on it –and he’s done that before– he could be special.
March 15th, 2025 at 1:07 pm
Trey Hendrickson had 2 sacks his first year, 0 sack his second and 4.5 his 3rd year. It takes time for most edge rushers to blossom. There is a reason Adrian Hutchinson was the 2nd pick of the draft. Those cats are rare.
March 15th, 2025 at 1:11 pm
Braswell had 8 QB hits in 330 snaps
Diaby had 20 QB hits in 780 snaps
March 15th, 2025 at 1:14 pm
Looking at the grades and snaps of 2024 edge players. Braswell played similar snaps and grade as Dallas Turner. 65th and 63rd overall. The only superstar from their draft call so far has been Verse.
March 15th, 2025 at 1:19 pm
You have mentioned several times that you shouldn’t expect much from rookie edge rushers because they are still learning and it takes time but yet you continue to bash braswell or be a smart ass about Jason Licht saying he’ll “shock” next year.
“Much” is a very broad term. Joe expects a second-round pick to be getting more playing time late in a season than he did early in a season. Yes, Joe expected more from Braswell last season. –Joe
March 15th, 2025 at 1:21 pm
JTS 4 QB hits in 54O snaps
March 15th, 2025 at 1:22 pm
The things I’ve read elsewhere pin some of the blame for slower development of the OLBs on George Edwards, who isn’t a great hand-on position coach. Foote is an upgrade in that role. I’m really not worried about Braswell. I have a policy of not judging drafted players on rookie year performance. It’s a huge transition for a lot of guys… I expect Braswell to really come on. I’m also optimistic that having a dominant pass rusher like Reddick in that room will rub off on the young players, especially Braswell.
March 15th, 2025 at 1:23 pm
Simply having Hasson on our team will pay dividends for Braswell, Diaby and others. He already mentioned how his succes came from putting in the practice and truly honing in on his craft… gotta believe thats going to motivate guys like Braz, and possibly an EDGE(?) at 19. Hasson is going to be motivated to prove the past is in the past, and worth another payday. The draft is going to be truly exciting this year.
March 15th, 2025 at 1:24 pm
Licht and his staff have struggled finding star edge rushers in the draft but I think they’re getting better.
March 15th, 2025 at 1:24 pm
Our Dline needs to substitute some and we always need depth. Why wasn’t he on the field closing out last year? Every season is a new season but Braswell has a lot to prove. And Joe, we shouldn’t have to feel like it’s a bonus if Chris makes a healthy handful of plays this year.
March 15th, 2025 at 1:43 pm
He looks a little like James Winston with an edge. Less goofy.
March 15th, 2025 at 1:43 pm
It’s so much more than physical ability, it’s understanding what the offense lineman is doing in the brief 1.5 seconds and then you still have to beat him.
Obviously the Bucs see his ability and potential.
Shaq was dogmeat with Denver for a few years and couldn’t get much PT, then it clicked.
March 15th, 2025 at 2:07 pm
You clean the garage yet grandson …….no well then put grannies phone back and quit being a troll little jeff
March 15th, 2025 at 2:15 pm
I’m kinda with Joe in that if the guy was coming on late last year they would have played him more, not less. Still too early to give up on him yet.
March 15th, 2025 at 2:20 pm
Don’t think the 2nd or 3rd year theory was true in the cases of Bosa and Watt brothers, Adrian Hutchinson, or Myles Garrett. Those guys performed as advertised from day one. Not sure why this coaching stuff gets so complicated? See the quarterback. Go get the quarterback. Hit the quarterback so he will remember you.
March 15th, 2025 at 2:42 pm
Twenty five rookies have had 10.5 or more sacks in their rookie NFL season since 1982. Santana Dotson got 10 and DROY for the Bucs in 1992 as a fifth round selection but this regime hasn’t shown they can scout or develop sack artists or even get lucky with a one year wonder like Dotson. I’m rooting for Braswell but I didn’t like the pick and don’t see him reaching even JTS levels of useful/lessness let alone breaking out after getting used to the speed of the NFL game. The Rams got a ready to roll week one source of havoc in Jared Verse but he only had 4.5 sacks as DROY but between the Rams first and second round picks they got a total of 13 rookie sacks once you add Braden Fiske’s 8.5. There is no Von Miller or Micah Parsons in this draft but if the Bucs can pair Ezreiuaku with one of the many stud DTs projected to go early or ideally J J Pegues in the third and Yahya Black in the fifth they could chip their way to getting double digit sacks out of rookies and a few more out of Hall, Vea, Diaby and Reddick and Kancy by having the bodies to spell them without much drop off in mass, speed and fury. Pegues has some of the most fun film I’ve ever seen. Ole Miss has a heck of a haul of defenders getting drafted this year and every time I’m trying to watch Amos or Paul my eye keeps moving to this bouncey bowling ball of razor blades DT who also has a full repertoire of RB skills. Yahya with an ‘h’ Black from Iowa is not quite as a big or athletic as Vea but he is an undeniably fast and explosive absolute unit of 1 tech who could be a late round steal that robs opponents’ guards of the opportunity to catch their breath when Vea goes off the field. Pegues and Black combined are close to 700 lbs of hyper athletic DT that can be added with the Bucs’ later round picks. I hope the Bucs land at least one of them. Just because the Bucs signed Reddick doesn’t mean the Bucs should get any less urgent about building their pass rushing base.
March 15th, 2025 at 2:46 pm
SB~LV … ‘Shaq was dogmeat with Denver for a few years and couldn’t get much PT, then it clicked.’
I’m not a big believer in coincidences. Shaq blew up when he came here (19.5 sacks) in 2019. Look who he had on his DLine to work with him:
o Vea: 749 def snaps (16 games)
o Suh: 874 def snaps (16 games)
o JPP: 586 def snaps (10 games)
o Nassib: 630 def snaps (14 games)
o Gholston: 493 def snaps (16 games)
IOW Shaq had Vea & Suh & Gholston all healthy that year providing interior DLine pressure, plus JPP & Nassib kicking butt on the outside (Nassib did very well that year with 6 sacks BTW). Chances are that Shaq probably faced a lot of 1v1 blocking, and he excelled … 19.5 sacks.
The next year (2020) Vea was hurt most of the year, and Suh (786 def snaps), Gholston (606 def snaps) & RNR (482 def snaps) manned the interior, with JPP (943 def snaps) mostly manning the other OLB slot with Shaq (822 def snaps). Vea did provide a few def snaps (223) but not very many. Shaq’s sacks dropped from 19.5 in 2019 down to 8 sacks in 2020. So without Vea in the middle providing interior pressure, Shaq’s sacks fell quite a bit.
Things improved somewhat in 2021 when Vea returned (607 def snaps), and Suh (717 def snaps), Gholston (504 def snaps) & RNR (415 def snaps) were in the middle to help him get interior pressure. And oh ya, JPP lost a few games to injury but still got in 601 def snaps at OLB, as did JTS (560 def snaps). Shaq’s sacks increased to 10 sacks that season, his last season of double-digit sacks.
Once we lost Suh & JPP & RNR in 2022 providing interior pressure, our OLBs never sniffed double-digit sacks again. It all goes hand-in-hand IMO, just like we saw with the Eagles this past year. Interior DLine pressure is essential. Bucs NEED 1 more beastly DT/NT to really kick a$$.
March 15th, 2025 at 2:55 pm
Currently unemployed. See Joe’s story on the home page.
March 15th, 2025 at 2:55 pm
When the Cardinals figured out that maybe they should use him the same way he was used at Temple: As an edge rusher and not an inside linebacker.
March 15th, 2025 at 3:05 pm
Player regression, and lack of development, is a staple of the defensive players under you know who. This isn’t surprising, and won’t be different unless the players are given less to think about and unleashed to play to their strengths.
Pass rushers rushing the passer? Defensive backs covering receivers?
Radical concept, I know.
March 15th, 2025 at 3:06 pm
A fair critique here, to start with. But 2nd round picks…second round… shouldn’t (just) make a “healthy handful of plays next year”. Maybe if he was a 5th rounder sure. A 2nd rounder should be making a …difference in half the games he’s in, and playing 2/3 of each of those games, after all its a 2nd round pick.
But look at Noah Spence in past, LH now, and many other too highly drafted poor evaluations at DL by this staff. They just aren’t good at evaluating this position.
Plus it sure sounds like confidence should have been in the character/mental makeup evaluation before being drafted at all, much less a 2nd rounder. That flaw can persist. See RoJo issues, others.
Surprised Bama didn’t flush out the pouting.
March 15th, 2025 at 3:21 pm
I had Chris as my second round pick last year. I still like the pick . I believe a really banged up backfield which gave up several big plays changed the way the edge rushers had to play.
I’m hoping for a couple of 4.45 or faster corners and at least one good coverage middle line backer in the draft. I also like this 21 year old safety Emmanwori from South Carolina , who should be around at pick 19. This guy looks like a 4.38 middle line backer playing safety. I believe beefing up our backfield depth will pay big dividends in the pass rush results.
Chris is surrounded by smart talented team guys. I can’t see them letting him fail.
March 15th, 2025 at 3:53 pm
Braswell looked like a different player the last Q of the season. His arrow is pointing up.
March 15th, 2025 at 4:17 pm
I am really liking what I’m hearing from Foote regarding Reddick focusing on rushing the QB, encouragement to Braswell, and his history with Shaq/JPP. Braswell will also hear from Reddick about a slow career start then blowing up QB’s. If Shaq is around, he’ll help Braswell too. I think Chris will blossom just like Licht said.
March 15th, 2025 at 4:29 pm
We shall see. He’ll be in the rotation behind Yaya and Hakeem. He really needs to take advantage of his opportunities.
March 15th, 2025 at 4:44 pm
Tampa has drafted 6 DE’s in 50 years (in the first round) and one is in the H.O.F. DE/OLB is a crap shoot, especially outside of the first round.
March 15th, 2025 at 5:03 pm
There’s a good chance Braswell ran into the rookie wall late last year. Based on that I wouldn’t judge his performance too negatively in those later games. It’s a new year. He’s can use this off-season to build on what he learned last year. I have nothing but positive pass rush vibes. Tampa has a few pass rushers that could take a major step forward this year. If the pass rush improves the entire defense eats.
March 15th, 2025 at 5:09 pm
Babygrace Says:
March 15th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
Let me see if I understand what you are saying? Jason Licht and Todd Bowles don’t don’t know as much about Braswell as Joe does? How is that correct?
I’ll answer that. Licht and Bowels have made a history of pumping up their high picks, even when they show nothing. Somebody mentioned Noah Spence. The Bucs were always saying “any day he is going to great.” Never was! the same for JTS. There were some like me that raged about the TOTAL ineffectiveness of JTS, yet he continued to start, getting good press from the Buc organization. 4 years later, out the door he quietly goes.
Joe is a homer, as he should be, but if he put out the drivel/hype that he hears from the Bucs there would be far fewer people on this blog.
March 15th, 2025 at 5:54 pm
Who is on the roster at OLB right now?
Reddick
Diaby
Braswell
Nelson
Watts
Ramirez
…and a few camp meaters.
Are they going to invest in another in round 1 to push Braswell down to your 4th option? I don’t know. If Licht is being sincere about him “blowing up” this year, then I think we have that position covered. I mean, you’ll keep 5 at most on the active roster and a few on the practice squad.
March 15th, 2025 at 6:40 pm
I agree with Defense. We need to beef up the middle interior as well as get another linebacker and a corner or two that are ball Hawks. I am hoping they spend 5 picks in defense in the draft. Take at least 1 cb 1 dl 1 lb 1olb…and then another at one of those positions. Then take offensive lineman and a wr with the other. Don’t care the order of how they pick them but these are our needs. If we land a stud inside along with a linebacker ready to play right away along with a cb this team has potential to be very good. Bowles would be only one holding it back of they were to falter. If defense doesn’t improve this year you have to believe he’s on the hot seat.
March 15th, 2025 at 6:41 pm
BTW that’s not a Bowles bash either just being honest. I want Bowles to succeed truly but he needs to prove it this season!
March 15th, 2025 at 7:43 pm
Bucs pumped up JTS every year and he never panned out and is now off the team. They did the same with Noah Spence and Logan Hall. I’m over it. No more blowing smoke at us. I will believe we have an edge rush when it actually is happening.
March 15th, 2025 at 8:20 pm
Aqualung Says:
March 15th, 2025 at 3:05 pm
“Player regression, and lack of development, is a staple of the defensive players under you know who”
11 years of drafting cruddy pass rushers under you know who
March 15th, 2025 at 8:24 pm
Never was really impressed with Braswells tape at Alabama….plays too high and doesnt have that frame of somebody like Kahil Mack or Nick Bosa.
No idea what Licht saw in him to make him reach for him in the 2d round. But then again, it seems Licht doesnt know much about drafting edge rushers…..
The Bucs will try again this draft but history suggest there will be more swings and misses.
March 15th, 2025 at 8:57 pm
Tbbucs3 Says:
March 15th, 2025 at 8:24 pm
He was drafted in the range of where most of the grading and projection had him going. So, it’s a reach to call him a reach.
March 15th, 2025 at 9:09 pm
firethecannons Says:
March 15th, 2025 at 7:43 pm
They didn’t pump anybody up any more than you would expect. They kept hoping JTS’s natural athleticism would start to show up, and they’d speak optimistically. A coach has to be optimistic about his guys. And the front office isn’t gonna take a dump on guys unless they’re ready to cut the cord. JTS hung around because he was a hard worker who had skills. Just couldn’t put it together.
Spence was a different story. He was a tweener and then he wrecked his shoulder. It may have gone differently had he not gotten hurt. Don’t think there was any excessive pumpage of him as a player either. Just the usual coaching and front office looking for the upside in guys.
And, by most accounts, Logan Hall has turned the corner. He’s a good player, not a superstar, but not a liability at all. The team appears pretty pleased with where he’s at.
Maybe if you didn’t make such lazy comparisons, you wouldn’t be fed up. Each case is unique.
March 15th, 2025 at 9:09 pm
He needs to work work work the offseason. Lift weights and get bigger and stronger. Run distance 3 miles every day. No days off. Greatness takes extreme sacrifice or a lot of luck. It generally takes both. I think most players don’t stretch enough and aren’t as limber as they need to be. It will prevent many injuries. NFL Offensive tackles are big, strong and well versed. Work harder, work smarter, work work work, and then rest when you’re dead.
March 15th, 2025 at 11:55 pm
I hope he’s able to or is adjusting to the NFL speed if he can contribute pretty well with the tutelage of Barrett Reddick David. Plus being a mixed in rotation piece with all said players and yaya-diaby But seeing is believed that really hope he shows up this year
March 16th, 2025 at 1:05 am
Everybody talking about how bad Licht has drafted edge rushers. What edge rushers that were drafted after lights edge picks have lit up the NFL.
It’s rare to get a dominant pass rusher past the 12th pick. Bucs gotta go corner this draft. YaYa was top 5 in pressures last season. With a lockdown corner it would give YaYa that extra second to turn those pressures into sacks. Bucs need help at I.O.L. too. . They got torched by tight ends in the middle.. It’s gotta be best Middle linebacker or corner available.
I would be ok with Jihad 1st, the best corner 2nd then move up in the 3rd and get Hairston . He played well in the S.E.C. and has speed(4.2 in the 40) to play zone too.
I think it’s gonna be a corner in the first round of the value is there at that position .
March 16th, 2025 at 1:09 am
Joe: edge rushers rarely do anything of note in the first year and we should be patient with them.
Also Joe, after Braswell’s first season: he didn’t do much and while the coaches believe he will take a leap in year 2, Joe isn’t quite so sure, because he didn’t produce in year 1.
Am I missing something here? Are these not fundamentally contradictory sentiments?
March 16th, 2025 at 3:40 am
BigMacAttack Says:
March 15th, 2025 at 9:09 pm
I think he’ll be better served by listening to the training staff at OBP… and by the way, muscle development doesn’t happen without recovery/rest.
March 16th, 2025 at 6:53 am
They flat out played JTS to much. They gave their first round draft choice every chance to earn a second contract at the expense of playing time for Braz. Not saying Brasswell will become anything, but he wasn’t coached up by Edwards at all, and just didn’t play enough. Second year, having Reddick in the room instead of JTS will make a huge difference I’m sure. Kid hasn’t scratched the surface yet.
March 16th, 2025 at 7:47 am
Wait, in the article and comments reply it seems like you imply last year was Braswell’s second season in the league. Am I just reading it incorrectly?