Can Chris Braswell Show Jason Licht Proper?

There’s lots to unwrap from what Bucs basic supervisor Jason Licht needed to say concerning the state of the workforce on the 2025 NFL Scouting Mix on Tuesday morning.

Whereas the main target is essentially on what additions Licht could make to enhance the roster, he additionally shared his ideas about one participant drafted final 12 months who might step into a bigger function subsequent season. Exterior linebacker Chris Braswell had a quiet rookie season, however Licht sees extra underneath the hood and believes he has what it takes to make a second-year soar.
Jason Licht: Chris Braswell “Has All The Traits” To Take Subsequent Step

Bucs GM Jason Licht and HC Todd Bowles – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR

Jason Licht admitted on the NFL Mix that it’s not precisely a revelation that the Bucs want defensive assist.

“I don’t think it’s a secret we need to get some help in a lot of areas, particularly defense,” Licht mentioned. “It’s not as simple as some folks may suppose. The reply isn’t all the time simply throwing some huge cash at positions.

“You’ve got to be smart about it because, as happy as we are with the offense, you also want to continue to enhance there, too. We need some help in a lot of areas, which in some ways, is exciting for me because we could go any which way in the draft and it would help our team.”

Whereas Tampa Bay will make strikes so as to add expertise this offseason by way of free company and the 2025 NFL Draft, Licht hopes to get manufacturing out of the gamers already inside the constructing. Chris Braswell is considered one of them.

Bucs OLB Chris Braswell – Photograph by: USA At present

A 2024 second-round choose, Braswell performed sparingly as a rookie in simply 30% of the workforce’s defensive snaps, amassing 18 whole tackles and 1.5 sacks. Some moments steered he might play a much bigger function within the exterior linebacker rotation, and he may must out of necessity.

“Just seeing him at the end of the season playing faster, we knew he was physical,” head coach Todd Bowles mentioned about Braswell on Tuesday afternoon. “It took him a while mentally to get everything down. Knowing he’s got a year under his belt, that he can come in without thinking and play faster, excites me.”

With Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson, and Shaq Barrett coming into free company, Braswell and Yaya Diaby are the one exterior linebacker locks to make the 53-man roster subsequent season. The Bucs might commerce and/or draft one other premium cross rusher, however one participant who might make a soar is barely starting to understand his potential.

“I think he has all the traits both as a person and a player to make a big jump,” Licht mentioned about Braswell. “We did a little study on edge rushers in their first year. Some of them have a good first year, a lot of them, no. The team that won the Super Bowl took a first-rounder and in his rookie year, he had one sack and played very little. This year, he had 10 or 11 sacks and played a huge part in their Super Bowl run.”

Licht was alluding to Eagles exterior linebacker Nolan Smith. After Smith performed simply 16% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps in his rookie season in 2023, his taking part in time drastically elevated in 2024. The athletic cross rusher responded with 6.5 sacks within the common season and 4 extra sacks within the postseason. Generally, cross rushers want time to develop earlier than hitting their stride, and Braswell may very well be subsequent to observe that sort of path.

“It’s that second year that you kind of like to see a jump, and I think he’s definitely got the mentality for it,” Licht added. “He’s excited to show what he can do in that second year. It’s just, sometimes you’ve got to get used to the pace of the game, the speed of the game, the physicality. There’s a lot of intricacies and variables in the defense that can overwhelm a lot of people. He’s not one that’s going to be overwhelmed this year.”