Whether the Bucs’ signing of edge rusher Haason Reddick works out or not remains to be seen. But the initial thought of the overall contract of one-year and $12 million with a chance to get to $14 million was viewed as a low-risk, high-reward type of deal.
This allows the Bucs to bring in a new edge rusher who hopefully can tap into the kind of player he was just a couple of seasons ago when he recorded double-digit sacks each year. It also gives Reddick the opportunity to get a solid pay day this year while also putting himself in a position to get that sought-after big contract next offseason (either with the Bucs or somewhere else) that he wanted a year ago with the Jets before everything fell to pieces.
In the meantime, the Bucs still have Yaya Diaby and are developing Chris Braswell at outside linebacker. There’s also a good chance they draft another edge rusher this season. It’s a win-win for each side. And if it doesn’t work out…well…it’s only for one season.
Bucs Get Big Praise For Haason Reddick Contract
That’s why many people have been fans of this deal, including Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated, who compiled a list of the best and worst free agent value signings from free agency this offseason. Manzano has the Reddick deal with the Bucs in the category of best value signings along with Justin Fields going to the Jets, Najee Harris inking a deal with the Chargers, and D.J. Reed heading to the Lions.
Here’s what was said about Reddick:
Bucs OLB Haason Reddick – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
If Reddick didn’t have a messy contract dispute with the Jets, he probably would have been considered the top free-agent edge rusher over Josh Sweat. Reddick and Sweat were a solid duo in two seasons with the Eagles, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say Reddick was the better player of the two.
Yes, Reddick turns 31 in September and is three years older than Sweat, but their production level could be the same in 2025 and the Buccaneers didn’t need to pay Reddick $41 million in guaranteed money, as the Arizona Cardinals did with Sweat. Reddick partly struggled in his lone season with the Jets because he missed all of training camp and didn’t make his season debut until Week 8 because of the contract disagreement.
Another reason to like this deal: Reddick is now working with coach Todd Bowles, a defensive guru who knows how to manufacture pressure against quarterbacks.
While at the NFL annual meeting in West Palm Beach, we finally were able to hear from the Bucs’ brass with general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles with their reaction to the Reddick deal for the first time.
Licht spoke initially on Monday.
“[We’re] really excited to have him,” Licht said. “He’s a really unique player. He’s got a lot to prove; he’s very hungry. I really enjoyed the conversations we’ve had since we signed him. He’s going to play to try to get another bite at the apple, which I like. He’s really excited to help the young guys. He’s talked about that – being a leader and all those things. So that’s always going to help.”
Bucs OLB Haason Reddick – Photo by: USA Today
Then Bowles spoke on Tuesday.
“I knew him as a player. He came to Arizona after I left,” Bowles said. “He got there the year after I left, I’m pretty sure. [Run Game Coordinator/Outside Linebackers Coach Larry] Foote had a lot to do with him, and we talked about it quite a bit. I knew he was a heck of a pass rusher. We needed a pass rusher. We knew he started halfway through the season, so I would consider last season a wash for him. We expect him to be his old self with us.
“He can do a lot of things, but more importantly, he can rush the passer. If we’ve got guys that can rush the passer, we let them rush the passer. Like I said last year, we need to rush better with four. I think he brings a great addition to help us rush with four, so we can cover more and do those types of things. We’ll still pressure some, but hopefully it won’t be as much as last year because we had to instead of how we want to. I think he brings that to the table for us.”
Bucs Rival Has Worst Value Signing
Saints DE Chase Young – Photo by: USA Today
The Bucs did not have anyone listed in the worst value category, though a rival in their division did. It was the Saints and their signing of edge rusher Chase Young for three years and $51 million, which is not viewed well.
New Orleans is already in a difficult financial situation, and this didn’t make it much better. This is what was said about the move:
Young has overcome his durability issues, but the Saints overpaid for a player who only lined up for 63% of the defensive snaps last season. Young went from being a dominant No. 1 edge rusher—before the injuries—to a reliable rotational player in obvious passing down situations.
The Saints had no business committing long term to Young, knowing all their salary cap obstacles. The better route would have been to let Chase walk in free agency and draft an edge rusher to play next to Carl Granderson.
Check out the entire article at this link.
