Mandatory minicamp continued for the Buccaneers on Wednesday as competition heated up between the offense and defense on the practice fields. During the final phase of the NFL offseason program, players participated in positional breakdowns, as well as 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 work. During the three-day period, players familiarize themselves with scheme installs and emphasize fundamentals. During the tune-up on Wednesday, several players made a mark on the fields at the AdventHealth Training Center.
Haason Reddick Mentors Young Teammates
Over the last several weeks, offseason acquisition Haason Reddick has prioritized getting his personal affairs in order for his transition to Tampa. In March, the Bucs' signed Reddick, a two-time Pro Bowler, to bolster the outside linebacker position group.
Reddick has appeared in 124 career games between the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers,
Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets and posted 419 tackles (71 for loss), 102 quarterback hits, 59.0 sacks (14 strip sacks), 20 passes defensed, 18 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in 83 starts. He has also started all four of his career postseason games, totaling 10 tackles (two for loss), six quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He has familiarity with the Bucs' system and experience dropping in coverage, which is something he did in Arizona. Reddick has impressed with quick-twitch athleticism, change-of-direction skills and ability to slide through small creases. He is effective on twists and is dynamic in space. Over the last several days, Reddick has been mentoring players on the sideline on hand usage.
"He has been great the last two days talking to guys on the sideline about hand placement, length, what foot to use, when to go under, when not to go under and he has a lot of leadership qualities as well," said Head Coach Todd Bowles. "He has been outstanding the last two days helping the other guys, so he can only help Yaya as far as his hand placement…he is very strong off the ball. He knows how to play football and how to find creases and get after it so, he is a very savvy football player."
In 2024, Yaya Diaby led the Bucs' edge rushers with 785 defensive snaps and generated 13 run stuffs (loss or no gain). He was just one of eight edge rushers to record 50-plus pressures and 10-plus run stuffs (Myles Garrett, Jared Verse, Jonathan Greenard, Brian Burns, Greg Rousseau, Will Anderson, Maxx Crosby). Although his sack tally may not flash on the stat sheet, he consistently forced opposing quarterbacks off their spot and improved from 26 pressures and nine run stuffs during his rookie campaign. Diaby found ways to harness his power into an advanced repertoire of moves and the two are poised for dominance in 2025.
"[Diaby] is transitioning into that phase where you can see that he is becoming a vet," noted Reddick. "You see that he is starting to understand the game. To be honest, he has been helping me out on some things, saying 'We got this on this play and that on that play,' as far as the new installs. You can see that as young as he is, he is transitioning and becoming a vet. He is one of those guys that I was talking about getting a workout in with yesterday and a couple other guys. He is doing everything the right way and as long as he does that, he will continue to progress and go in the right direction."
Baker Mayfield's Moxie
In 2024, Baker Mayfield continued his proficiency in the Bay with another stellar campaign, earning a Pro Bowl nod. Mayfield established career-highs in completions (407), completion percentage (71.4%), passing yards (4,500), net yards per pass attempt (7.9), passing touchdowns (41) and passer rating (106.8). He set new Bucs' single-season franchise records in completion percentage and passer rating and Mayfield became the fourth player in NFL history to record a season with 4,000-plus passing yards, 40-plus touchdowns, and a 70-plus completion percentage, joining Drew Brees (2011), Joe Burrow (2024) and Aaron Rodgers (2020). His competitive disposition on the field galvanized the team and spurred it forward. Mayfield layered the football with precision and showcased his improvisation skills. He may be the signal-caller, but the former Heisman Trophy winner has the mentality of an offensive lineman.
"He is a warrior," stated Reddick on Mayfield. "He is a hard-fought guy, and I respect Baker a lot because he is another person in this league that has had ups and downs and continues to strive to be as great as he wants to be or continues to strive for greatness, so I have tremendous respect for him. I love his game. I think he has a warrior's mentality, and I think he is one of the QB's in this league that is on more of the physical end."
Luke Goedeke's Growth in Pass Protection
Entering Year Four, Luke Goedeke is focused on improving hand placement and consistency with his punches. Throughout mandatory minicamp, Goedeke has placed an emphasis on fundamentals to foster growth. Known for his fiery demeanor in the trenches and desire to practice at full game-speed, his aggression has rallied teammates on the grass. The club's starting right tackle has taken significant strides in pass protection, becoming more comfortable against a vast array of rushes, including quickness and power arsenals. With a developed anchor and understanding of defensive pressures and tendencies, Goedeke is on the rise in 2025.
"He has settled down in his pass pro," described Bowles. "He has always been a great run blocker but he has settled down in pass pro and in understanding different types of bodies that he has to go against whether it is speed or power. He works at it constantly. He is one of those guys that if we try to have a walk-thru period, he is pissed off because the guy is not going full speed. He has seen a lot of growth from the pass concepts that way."
