One of the biggest moves the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made this offseason was bringing in two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Haason Reddick to try and fix the pass rush.
It's not an insignificant amount of money the Bucs paid, either. In total Reddick is set to make $14 million if everything goes well, but at the very least will walk away with $12 million guaranteed. That's a ton of money for a guy who started just two games last year for a hapless New York Jets defense, but it's a move that general manager Jason Licht believes in.
Signing Reddick hasn't been without its detractors, both inside and outside the fanbase, but lest we forget, the last time the Bucs brought in a guy who raised eyebrows when he signed. Two years later, Baker Mayfield is a $100 million franchise quarterback, and Licht has a history of having these sorts of deals work out.
The onus is on Reddick to live up to the hype, though, which is a fire Licht is already lighting under his new edge rusher.
Jason Licht sent a crystal clear message about Buccaneers signing Haason Reddick
Licht recently spoke about signing Reddick and sent a pretty clear message about why he was willing to give the edge rusher $14 million to come to Tampa Bay. It also sounds like a not-so-subtle rebuttal to some criticisms about giving a guy coming off a bad year as much money as the Bucs did.
"He's a really unique player," Licht said. "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."
This feels like a classic Licht move, and it's clear he expects a lot out of Reddick next season. For what it's worth, Reddick also sounds fired up to prove everyone wrong after things went sideways with the Jets.
Much like the North in Game of Thrones, Jason Licht remembers and it's clear he's already taken stock of some of what has been said about the Bucs signing Reddick. It's true that he's coming off a pretty unimpressive season with the Jets and a tenure that went about as poorly as it could from top to bottom.
It's also true that Reddick is just a season removed from being a Pro Bowler and recorded 11 or more sacks every year between 2020 to 2023. That's the guy the Bucs are betting on, and if they get that version of Reddick then the $14 million will be a bargain.
Think along the lines of what happened when Tampa Bay brought in Shaq Barrett when most assumed his best years were behind him in Denver. A lot can happen, but that's one of the outcomes on the table for the Bucs.
Licht knows it, too, and you'd better believe he's gathering up receipts to pull out when this deal pays off.
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