TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers expect outside linebacker Haason Reddick to be present when they kick off their three-day mandatory minicamp Tuesday.
Reddick, who was the biggest free-agent signing for the Bucs this offseason, has not participated in the club's offseason program, but the team has expressed no concern.
"I keep in touch through his position coach," coach Todd Bowles said, referring to run game coordinator/outside linebackers coach Larry Foote, who worked with Reddick when they were with the Arizona Cardinals and encouraged his transition to an off-the-ball linebacker.
Reddick, the 13th overall draft pick by the Cardinals in 2017, signed a one-year deal worth $14 million ($12 million guaranteed) with the Bucs in March after a disappointing season with the New York Jets. Reddick was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to New York to play out the final year of his contract last offseason after the two couldn't come to terms on a new deal.
Reddick said that he was "happy" in his introductory press conference with the Jets, but he then went on to hold out, causing him to miss seven games.
In a year where he finished with just one sack, Reddick called 2024 "very bizarre" and "weird."
"[The] only thing on my mind is moving forward, looking to the future and looking forward to what I can bring to the team here," Reddick said during his introductory news conference with the Bucs.
The Bucs are treating last season as a mulligan for Reddick. They're excited about his speed, which they can pair with starting outside linebacker Yaya Diaby's power. There's also the 6-foot-7 length they get from backup Anthony Nelson, and they drafted Chris Braswell in the second in 2024 of Alabama and David Walker out of Central Arkansas in the fifth round in April.
Tampa Bay signed pass rusher Randy Gregory last season, but Gregory didn't report to mandatory minicamp and missed training camp before being released in August.
"With [Reddick's] situation, he's coming in with a big chip on his shoulder," Foote said. "He's upset, and we like it. He's pissed off. He wants to show this league that he's one of the premier pass rushers in this league, and we got a spot for him."
Reddick's trainer, Kenny Williams, posted a video of him training last week that shows him sprinting and performing pass rush and agility drills.
Prior to last season, Reddick amassed 59 career sacks and registered double-digit sacks in all but one season since 2020, when he converted to a full-time outside linebacker. His best season came in 2022 with the Eagles, when he notched 16 sacks, an NFL-leading five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three pass breakups.
"He has speed that you can't coach," Foote said.
In Tampa, while the Bucs had 46 sacks last season -- sixth-most in the league -- only 11 came from their edge rushers and only 24 came on non-blitzing plays, which can create vulnerability on the back end. And it did, as the Bucs surrendered 1,457 passing yards last season in blitzing plays -- third-most in the NFL.
That's where Reddick comes in. The Bucs believe Foote's relationship with him will be key in getting the most out of him, just as it was in recruiting him to Tampa Bay. Foote feels he knows how to motivate Reddick, what buttons to push, and of course, they already have the ability to have honest conversations.
"He's motivated," Foote said. "He's a guy who loves training, loves working out. But he has something to prove. And we're here to help him."