Buccaneers defensive stars speak on Haason Reddick signing

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' edge rushing room got stronger over the offseason when the Buccaneers signed Haason Reddick in free agency. Reddick had a down year last year as a member of the New York Jets, but prior to that, he'd had 11 sacks or more in his last four seasons.

While there's bound to be some competition in every NFL position group, his presence will certainly help the team overall as it looks to become a Super Bowl contender. Buccaneers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and edge rusher Yaya Diaby spoke at One Buccaneers Place on Monday as the team reported back to Bucs facilities, and they both expressed their excitement at Reddick's addition.

Kancey told reporters that he's excited to see what Reddick can do on top of a defensive line he already believed to be dominant.

“It’s nice to have him on the team. I can’t wait to work with him, make sure we all get on the same page, get out there and have some fun," Kancey said.“He’s an elite pass rusher. Everyone knows that, and why not add that on to the pieces we have here already? I think that’s an awesome addition to the team.”

Not only will Reddick help take the heat off of players like Kancey and Diaby, he'll also teach them a thing or two. Reddick is an eight-year NFL veteran heading into his ninth, and his pass-rushing skills could be invaluable to a room of edge rushers looking to take a step up.

Diaby has a particular goal in mind, and he thinks Reddick can help him reach it.

"Just watching film on him previously, the guy can get to the quarterback, and that’s what I want to do this year," Diaby said. "So, I’m just going to pick his brain and just get a little intel on what he sees and what he’s been coached his whole career and just feed off of that.”

Reddick will have plenty of opportunity to speak to Diaby and Kancey as the Bucs slowly work their way back, and he could even have a new edge rusher in the room to mentor when the Buccaneers make their picks over all three days of the NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday night.