Welcome into Bucks Insider, coming to you from the Buck Studio, presented by ticket Master Casey Phillips.
Here with Scott Smith.
And Breed Dix, and we have even more to talk about coming out of that free agency frenzy, and I'm sure things.
Might still be happening. You never really know, but we got a chance to.
Of course, we talked about some of those moves last week, but now we got to have press conferences from a few of those guys, which is exciting. We're gonna have even more of that moving in the future days here. But I wanted to go ahead and start with Hassan Reddick because he's kind of our one big, splashier new free agent signing, new addition to the team, and we wanted to help fans get a chance to know him
a little bit better. So let's take a listen to this clip of what made him want to join us here in Tampa Bay just.
To fit after talking the footy at the talking to Coach Bulls, you know, their vision for Haddie plan to use me here. That was revery intrigued and something that I knew I needed. Outside of that, you know, I felt like this was a team that was a couple of short pieces away. I felt like that I could come bring my knowledge, my abilities blended with the guys that's already here. You've got great pieces. You know, you
got feeded, you got a young guy Yaya. So just knowing that I can come here help out, I thought it'd be fun.
I loved hearing from him and his presser.
For one thing, the guy knows how to do a press conference and how to endear himself to fans. He even used the word crew already. This guy knows what he's doing already. So outside of his skills at a press conference, what are some of the things that we're excited about with him coming in? Maybe even learned from him at his press conference?
I like said he in the draw to coming here, was talking about the vision that Todd Bowles and both Larry Foot have for him, but also just he said he felt like this was a team last year that were just a few pieces away, and he said, you know, he can bring his knowledge, which he feels like separates him as a pass rusher, staying one step ahead in
the trenches. But also just wanting to join a guy like Vida Vea joining Yaya Dabi and what the capability and the potential of this team can be in twenty five.
You know, it reminds me a little bit, and I'm not trying to make a straight comparison, but the Simeon Rice edition back in two thousand and one. At that time, Money Kiffen told him he would be the final piece to the puzzle and to what would be a great defense because they needed a really good outside edge presence to pair with Warren Sapp in the middle who was dominant. I'm not saying Hassan Redika Simeon right, so I'm not
saying he's not. I don't want to paint it either way, but I feel like he mused the phrase piece of the puzzle, I think, and it made me think, yeah, we have dominant inside guys.
Now.
Our two leading SAC guys last year were Vidave and College CANSI so not that were right, College was. I don't want to I know they were there, Bat you don't want to give them press. So you know, if if he could provide that, it's it's kind of a similar situation and he recognizes that. And I think also there was the connections that helped out I mean, first of all, I played a.
Temple, so quite a temple staff.
Yeah, and then you know he played at Arizona when Todd Bowles and others were there. Larry Foot was there. Larry Foot was his coach, his position coach when he was playing off ball linebacker there. And now because Larry just switched again here for us to outside linebackers, he's going to be his position coach again. And I think he has a real affection for him.
Yeah.
I thought the timing of that was so interesting that Coach Foot did just shift and now here we get this guy that he gets to shift with him, And how cool to think that. Man, what if Coach Foot hadn't hadn't made that move, does Hassan Reddick still want to come here? Will never really know, but man, after the press conference, I got to talk to Hassan for a little bit and we were discussing how he just loves Coach Foot, like he just thinks so.
Highly of him, as we all do here love him so much.
I think, what a perfect pairing of this guy who brings a bit of that veteran presence, especially to a room that still has Yayad that's a little younger Chris Braswell, you're hoping to maybe take a step to have that veteran guy in the room to really kind of show them what to do.
I think is really going to be great.
We also had Levante David's pressler, So yeah, I heard of, never heard of this guy. He's not quite the new addition like Hassan Reddick is, but a boy are we excited we still have him? And of course his presser was just lovely and so many great sentiments shared about the organization about him.
So take a lesson.
I think it's incredible, man. I think that's I don't know if it's talked about enoughing. You know what I'm saying, these guys being loaded to their guys. You know what I'm saying, uh knowledge organizations aren't like that. And uh for for those guys to be transparent us and uh half that you know, back and forth communication about how important they feel we are to them and how much we wanna be back and playing this sit and for
the city. You know, I think that's incredible. You know, it's a test to you know, from the ownership all the way down. You know, they want their guys and they believe in they guys, and they gonna stick with us, you know what I'm saying. So, and I think for the young guys to see that, that gives them, you know, even more motivation, you know what I'm saying. They could ask guys like me, Chris, Mike for advice and things
like that. So you know, when when those guys see that, you know, I think they get even more motivated, they wanna play for this organization or organization like that, And uh, the thing is just it just becomes a mutual respect thing, you know what I'm saying.
So, Well, of course, Levante's the guy that we build the draft after ascension, now that they've talked about that, of that, I am that man's strategy and that it's Levante that we just want more. Levante's in here, So thank goodness we still have that one in the room. But what did you take away from his press conference and some of the things that you noticed about his excitement to be back and what even made him make this decision.
What really set out to me was him talking about the mutual respect that the team has, but in the front office and then the players, and how you have a guy like Lavonte that's going into his fourteenth season with the same team, which is nearly unheard of in
the NFL. But then also you have a guy like Mike Evans that just finished up his eleventh season, and for young players to see those players this team stick with the guys and pay them, but also their respect and even he said that a lot of times you don't have that open line of communication with the general manager, but he said that's something that they have with Jason light and that goes from the cure that isn't seated here from ownership down and how a lot of young
guys when you see a guy like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and Lavante David that are still here, that makes them become more motivated and want to play for an organization that treats their players right and pays their own and sticks with the players that they have.
Yeah, definitely established that kind of culture. Yeah, in over recent years.
It's great.
I mean, I think it's a great sign for recruiting new free agents or even just the culture you know you're building for these rookies that are coming in that when players are and we don't know exactly what all the options were for guys like Mike and Chris and Levante out there, but it seems safe to say that at least for a few of them, if not all of them, they might have been able to get more
money elsewhere. And that choice to stay here says so much about the organization they're hopes for, how successful the team could be, the culture we built, and I think that's a really great thing.
I liked hearing Levante talk about his process because think about this. This is the third straight year he's signed a one year contract, which is and before that it was just a two year deal, which is the sign of a guy who at the end of each season is reevaluating whether he wants to keep going or not. And what levintte they had to ask himself. Two things that were big were do I still love playing football? And do I trust myself to continue playing at the
standard I have set? And he had to mould that over and I guess he came up with yes and both, and I believe he's probably correct.
Yeah, I agree with that, And how exciting to know that the answer is still yes.
For both of those things.
All Right, So let's talk about a few more of the signings that have happened and these may not have been quite as splashy as some of those guys, but could be some really interesting additions to this team. First of all, in terms of the returning guys, we have Bryce Hall, who is a guy that I'm sure a lot of Bucks fans kind of forgot about the fact that he was on the team musher because he unfortunately
got hurt right out of the gate week one. But when we think about all season how there ended up being some pretty big issues with cornerback depth after some injuries, it's because this is the guy that you had thought was going to be your number three. I so very excited to see him get another chance here when last and didn't know.
How he wanted, And in fact he did win that third outside corner job. And in the very first games I Mcallum got a concussion and Bryce Hall was in. Then, of course, as you mentioned, he suffered a dislocate an ankles, a similar injury to Chris Godwin's, and that was it for the year. But he had fulfilled what the Buccaneers expected when they signed him from the Jets and free agencies, so it's good to see him get another shot at doing the exact same thing, and just like we've.
Talked about with Chris Godwin of seeing how he has gone through a hard injury before knew how to come back and rehab from it, so we therefore have confidence he knows how to do it again.
I feel similarly about.
Bryce Hall, where hey, he went through this in college, the same exact injury, but the other leg still went on to be able to have this career in the NFL. So you hate it for guys to have to go through multiple big injuries, but you also know they do have some experience with it and maybe know how to handle it. So all right, after Bryce Hall, we have linebacker Anthony Walker Scott.
I'll take this one great, go for it. I don't know if you are aware of this, but think Walker played his college football at Northwestern. Oh you know there's he has a lot of starting experience. I think that's the number one thing. He started eighty three games in different stops including Cleveland, Miami, I think Indy was the
other one. And he's a good coverage linebacker, which I think, apart from Levante, was something we were missing last year because Sara s Didnis went down and you know he was he was being very emphatic in his press for conference. He's like, I've seen different grades out there PFF, and it's funny to think about these guys actually looking at their PFF grades and going, come on, no way. But
he says, watch the film. Passes are not completed deep down the middle over me, and passes are not completed deep down the middle in front of me, And I think he's throwing it. He says, go watch the film. So I don't think he's making this up. Anytime you're playing cover to Tampa two and we don't do that exclusively. Of course, Todd Bowles probably doesn't do that as much as a lot of teams. But when you do do that, you're middle linebacker has to be able to drop down the middle.
So I also got an unsolicited text from someone who knows him from a previous stop of his in the NFL, who, again unsolicited, just messaged me and was like, you just got a great one. Good that this is a great guy on and off the field, good community work.
All that.
What else would you explain it?
Yeah, And of course all of us Northwestern people are just stellar.
Uh So I thought that was really exciting to hear that in addition to feeling good about his experience, and of course also I think about last year, every time there were injuries, it felt like you're not just going to a backup, which is always challenging. It felt like you were going to someone who was green as to be. You were going to someone who hasn't played a lot, doesn't have.
A lot of experience.
Doesn't mean they won't be good.
Doesn't mean it won't be good. You just it's a very unknown quantity.
And so I feel like now with someone like Anthony Walker, whether or not whoever are starting, insidelnebackers end up being if he is not your starter. To know that if something happens, you're going to someone with experience has to make Todd Bowles pretty happy on that front. And then of course another returning player, we got Sterling Shepherd. And you know, at first we weren't sure if we could
trust the source that broke us. Yeah, we weren't sure, but none other than Jason Light broke the news.
I love when he does this. I feel like every year.
He picks one random signing yeah to break himself, which I think is really great. And Sterling Sheppard, I mean, just a great person to have back. I think the trust that in relationship he has with Baker going all the way back to their college days is really exciting. And he was a guy who made some big plays on some third and fourth downs when accounted throughout the year. And of course this hopefully also means we'll get back his Sunday night football intro with his daughters.
That's the most important part.
So that's another addition coming back to this team for some wide receiver depth.
You know, he had some injuries in training camp and then he started the season on the practice squad, But the notable thing to me is that he then finished the season. It wasn't long before he was up on the active rostern and it wasn't too long after that Chris Cavan got hurt and he was essentially became the number three receiver. And as he put it, I played
a lot of football last year. I played more football last year than I have a long time, because his last three years I think with the Giants were all injury mark and so I think it was big for him to get through an entire season healthy and see that he could still do it, you know, because he could have just retired before signing with US last June.
I agree, and I think it was the fact that he knew he wanted to come back and play with Baker, and so it shows yet again for him to want to do that again is a great sign. And then now as far as another new edition, we have an outside we have an offensive tackle in Charlie Hack who just looks so the part he's a gigantic human.
With a success is a great mustash.
I'm like, already, just the look, I have faith in this person as an offensive lineman. So yeah, it seems like potentially a swing tackle replacement for and we're going to get into it after this of who we've lost in free agency, but it's looking like that might be his role here.
Yeah, it's sure sounded like that's when he was prepared for and he was talking about how you just really have to be ready to lamb bull sides. And he's another guy like you're talking about Anthony Walker. You've got a guy with experience. He started twenty three games in this league last year. I think it was he got signed off of a practice squad to San Francisco's Active Rosterer and five days later started and he started the
last two games. So I think what that says is teams see him and go, we can trust the floor of what we're getting here. Yeah, and so he's not going to put us in a terrible situation and to know how to handle it. So and you know, his dad was in the league for like twelve years, mostly with Chicago and Seattle, Andy Hick. So he's got the jeans and.
Got the category y. Yeah, very true.
So related to that, let's discuss a little bit. We wanted to start with all the fun stuff of who we added, but of course we need to also address
who we have lost in free agency as well. And so of course, based on that one, we figure we should talk about Justin's school that sort of the looks like the one to one replacement there potentially, So Justin's school has left to go to the Vikings, and because of some injury stuff there, I think he might get a chance to start at least at the very beginning of the season.
So very sad to lose him.
Great guy, did a great job, especially when he's able to step in for Tristan Worfs later in the year.
So we did lose him, but now.
We already you know, were able to say, all right, Charlie Peck is our replacement for him, it's looking like and then another seems like one to one replacement in some ways. kJ Britt went to the Dolphins and Anthony from the Dolphins. Ear we just feel like just swap these two guys out over here. And of course we did also lose Tavi or Thomas also to the Vikings, who was a very big person on our special team team. He really was, and I think that was he made.
It just felt like every time there was a big splash.
Special teams play delivering, it was him. Yeah.
And then of course also Joe Tryan Schwenka has left for the Browns, and of course we brought in Hassan Raddick. Like, look at them, they were prepared for these losses and they brought in someone each time. And so it doesn't feel like any of the losses presented some glaring hole that we haven't filled yet or feel forced to fill in the draft, which we know that seems to always be Jason Light's m of making sure in free agency
we at least fill some some holes. That way, when you come to the draft, you're not in any kind of desperate place.
At any one position.
So all right, let's go into the most important part of our show, everyone's favorite segment except yours.
Maybe it depends how you do.
So so far, so far, I got the first two right yep, and then the next two half right. Partial credit, partial credit. Yes, like the semeon one last week when I but.
Are we doing this past fail? Are we like? Ab?
No? Yeah? Well, at least you know, like last week, if I had just known what age Simeon was when he was drafted, I wouldn't be able to pick the wrong number, and in the math did net up.
But you knew all the other fun facts.
So what do we got?
All right? So, Brie, would you like to read the question for us here? All right?
The question is which Bucks pro bowler played at the University of Nebraska Omaha in twenty ten.
I was about to say this is easy because he was just was Nebraska and we drafted Levante in twelve, so he would have been there in twenty ten, as was in Domikan, Sue, But it's the University of Nebraska's in Lincoln, so I don't know much about the University of Nebraska Omaha.
Yeah.
When I saw this question, I did the same thing, and I was like, wait, why are they saying there's only one because it's.
Levante and it's Sue.
And then I went to Lincoln, which having gone to Miszoo at the time of this moment, with Nebraska in our Big twelve division, I should have immediately recognized. So I felt a little bad about that. So Casey was partially stumped because of the Lincoln. There's Omaha part I don't know nothing.
I don't know.
Well, the answer is Shaq Barrett who played at Colorado State. He did the whole bounce around, we go here, we go there, and that was one.
Of his stops.
This is very specific.
It was, which is how stumps. That's what this has gotta be.
Like a University of Nebraska OMA alumni sending in this.
I think that same problem.
See, because there were there were more than one question submitted specifically about Nebraska related football things specifically, yes, but also University Nebraska that I can tell.
They're just they're the expert at that. So thank you very much for our question.
We got to stump Scott with it's our favorite thing that happens, and again, please continue to send them und now Oh no.
Hey, unless you give me partial credit.
We'll think about it. But also, just you're a baseball fan, think of it that way. You're still batting a great average. Oh, that's true, that you're still a famer in baseball category. So please send us our our future stump Scott questions. We love it, we appreciate it. So yeah, send it to myself or Bree on social media.
Nothing else. A thousand don't even have a football program anymore, do they.
Oh, there you go.
You stumped me with that question. I don't know, I got nothing. Well that is going to do it for us on this edition of Bucks Insider. Thank you so much for being with us. We'll see you next time.