YaYa Diaby Says He Needs To Recognize Plays Quicker
April 23rd, 2025
Quicker get-off = sacks.
The best thing to happen to Bucs edge rusher YaYa Diaby is the signing of fellow edge rusher Haason Reddick. Less pressure on YaYa to produce.
Last year all the Bucs had was YaYa to rush the passer. Chris Braswell was strictly a rumor. Bucs sacks king Shaq Barrett coming out of mothballs was a panic move.
Anthony Nelson actually isn’t bad for an edge rusher, but he’s a spot-starter at best.
That left it all to YaYa to get to the passer. And for most of the season, offenses had YaYa figured out.
When YaYa spoke to the local pen and mic club at One Buc Palace on Monday, he kept talking about how, if he had a split-second quicker get-off, he would have gotten a bunch more sacks instead of empty pressures.
Through the first 14 games, YaYa had two sacks. He came alive in the last three weeks to finish with 4.5 sacks.
Obviously, that’s not going to get the job done in the future.
YaYa kept repeating he had to have a better get-off. So Joe asked YaYa if that was his singular focus this offseason.
Curiously, YaYa said no. He said he always had a strong get-off.
Joe was confused but YaYa explained that his ability to diagnose a play quicker will shorten the line between Point-A (where YaYa is lined up) and Point-B (the quarterback). As a result, his get-off will be even quicker.
“Really, my get-off has never been the problem,” YaYa said. “I believe I’ve got a great get-off; it’s just play recognition.
“Just seeing if I know whether it could be play-action, or if I know it could be certain things. It’s just that extra get-off.”
Of course, YaYa said he plans to pester Reddick for advice. Perhaps Reddick has tricks to be able to read plays the instant the ball is snapped?
April 23rd, 2025 at 7:28 am
Well, he’s saying g the right things. We’ll see.
April 23rd, 2025 at 7:31 am
Seems like him, Kancey, SirVocea and Dean and Winfield can’t stay healthy.
Maybe work on some conditioning, men. Might want to consult with Lavonte.
April 23rd, 2025 at 7:38 am
“The best thing to happen to Bucs edge rusher YaYa Diaby is the signing of fellow edge rusher Haason Reddick.”
Point taken but…I would argue that moving Larry Foote back to being YaYa’s position coach is more important.
April 23rd, 2025 at 7:42 am
Sure couldn’t hurt.
April 23rd, 2025 at 8:03 am
Mod Hair… As far as injuries go, the Kancey one is strange. You might be right regarding the conditioning and preparation, maybe he needs to talk to Tom about pliability?
Winfield = one bad injury last season, he was never fully healthy. It has not been a pattern with him. He’s no different than Godwin other than his injury wasn’t as bad.
Dennis = lingering shoulder injury he probably should have taken care of right out of college. Is it fixed once and for all? We shall see.
Dean = it always seems to be something, and what bugs me, it sometimes seems to be something really small that keeps him off the field. I wouldn’t describe him as tough.
April 23rd, 2025 at 9:04 am
This is called film study and knowing an offenses tendencies. This is studying the T, QB, RB to see if his foot his aligned differently, if his weight is distributed differently, if he sticks his tongue out during pass defense (Ivan Lendl had a tick where he would stick his tongue out and point to the side where he was serving – Agassi picked up on this), etc.
Get in the film room and dissect everything. This is why Troy Polamalu was so good.
April 23rd, 2025 at 9:59 am
he had a ton of pressures. all he needs imo is better underneath coverage to buy him another second
April 23rd, 2025 at 10:41 am
I listen to some LBs say they know whats coming most of the time. Why not YaYa?
Go Bucs!
April 23rd, 2025 at 12:00 pm
Coaching.
And letting bobcats be bobcats and gazelles be gazelles.
Pass rushers who were drafted to rush the passer, maybe, need some coaching to develop as pass rushers in the NFL rather than “work on your coverage skills” messaging and practice.
Sigh.
Vodka delivery made. Yay.
April 23rd, 2025 at 2:47 pm
He could take more risks at the snap. Calculated variety. Get in the film room. Study tendencies. Lean into what the opponent does most often. Instead of being half a second late every play, be a second ahead more often than not. If you studied well.