Yaya Diaby, Cade Otton & More’s Takeaways From Season | Press Conferences | Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Published Jan 13, 2025, 8:34 PM

Hear from Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Rachaad White, TE Cade Otton, OLB Yaya Diaby, LB Lavonte David & C Graham Barton as they speak to the media to wrap up the 2024 NFL Season.

He's often had under a lot of change this year. When you lose guys like Mike and Chris for any period of time, paid with down. Just what can you say about the way you guys came together?

It was huge and obviously my obviously just finished up my third year, but just my time being here, Uh, the guys' locker room, that's what the guy has been made of. So uh, it's been that way, you know, And like I said, it's just, you know, a tough way to go out like that, but you know, it's life.

Baker's beat himself up over last night with that lost funneling thing.

What would you say to him?

Just keep going.

I mean it's a part of the game. Obviously, it's ups and downs. We all beat ourselves up at a certain time. That means he carries a competitor, had another great year man and revived his career and just doing this thing. So I'm happy for him and he's gonna keep going.

Competitor.

Did you learn about yourself this year?

Uh? A lot?

But you know, you just understand everything that goes on, you pay attention to it, and you just got to be grateful for everything that you get and the ins and outs that comes with the game, not think about Uh yeah, I mean you really kind of don't think about it. The biggest thing I think though, too, Like you said, dealing with all that, I think a lot of young guys stepped up and uh played.

A huge role.

Obviously, that's huge. Got a lot of player time, got a lot of experience. That's what comes with it, and I think they stepped up and did a great job.

To be honest with you, what can you say about the season that you young.

Man?

It's great man. I'm happy for Blucky Man, genuinely, man like, so happy for him.

You know.

He came in, did his thing, and that's why I tell him all the time, he's only just doing his job, playing free, playing happy, and I just tell him to keep going, talk at all after Yeah, that's my boy. So we always talked the text, call everything. So that's my boy. I'm happy for him.

What was the best play for you personally? You felt like this season? Was it that that stiff arm that Baker had with you and you were leaping into the air.

I know the out come of that forty nine ers game was what you had hoped for, but maybe the touchdown in Kansas City.

Uh, man, I don't even know. I don't know. I don't even reflect like that.

Yeah, but yeah, I have some good moments, some good plays, and yeah, trying to build a stack on it.

I'm sure. What was the season like for you?

Uh?

The season? I think it was good.

You know.

Obviously I'm not gonna talk about what I did and provided, but I think I did a lot that I could help the team win. I did my job, did what coach my coaches asked me to do, and that's all I can do.

What about your growth as a leader, you know, you didn't have your big growth chase out there?

No, man, No, I missed him. Man, I missed him.

Man, just learn, just grow.

Obviously, I'm a father and uh, you know, so a lot of that life teacher teaches to me, and you know, you just kind of carried it over. I mean I was not trying to say, of course, like Sean and Bucky my kids or nothing like that, but you know, just being being father helps you be a leader, helps you navigate through a lot of you know, difficult difficult in different situations.

And that's all I can do. And I'm just happy to see them guys, honestly see in that room.

But the development of attained during defficult especially in your absence stretch.

Yeah, we were just talking. It was, first of all, so much fun to come to work every day and work with that group and our coaches. We just had a ton of fun every day. And we also, you know, just really grinded, really committed to getting better. And you know you saw that, and you know, Pain and co and Devin as they got their opportunities when I was hurt and I expected nothing less. You know, they all they did was work hard, and I knew they would take advantage when they had an opportunity.

How do you handle maybe Leam Cohen possibly being elsewhere next year and how do you guys.

Kind of handle that monthly?

Yeah, I mean we'll just wait and see. Selfishly, i'd love to have him back, but if he has the opportunity to be a coach, that'd be incredible for him and his family. But we'll just you know, take a couple of weeks to see how things shake out and go from there.

What do you feel like he maybe did for you as a coach, and.

Just talk about your relationship.

Yeah, he was, first of all, he was just really personable and really cared about us as individuals. And then just the detail and passion he brought every single day to our offense was just just something really cool.

To be a part of.

And I think you you saw it come to life throughout the season and so just really fun to play for him.

Kiden Everble, parts of this locker room will look different next year. That one makes the off season someone difficult sometimes.

Yes, Yeah, like I said, it's just a joy to come to work every single day. And football is such a special sport because it brings so many different people from different walks of life, and you know, you go through hard things together and you bond and you share these moments and it's gonna look and that's the hard part, but you know it also be cool to share this for the rest of our lives. And but yeah, well we'll see how it looks going forward and go from there.

What did it take to get back to last night? I know that that.

Yeah, a lot of work from a lot of different people. Big shout out to the training staff. Just spend a lot of time in there, really, and uh, it's always tough watching on the sidelines. I always want to be on the field, but also it was great to see other guys in the room and on the team step up, and I knew they would.

As well right now, and I guess not really anybody.

Yeah, just any time you go through a full football season, there's there's rehab and rest that has to be done, and so I'll be sure to take care of my body and rest specifically like where there's still stuff and I need to do how much improve a lot?

Yeah?

Yeah, I think you know, part of that is just having another year under my belt, but also coach Peel helped a lot. You did a great job coaching us tight Ends, and I felt like I was a little more detailed this year and felt felt confident going into games.

Heavy focused on his that he felt improved. I don't know if there's any one thing.

It's just, uh, you know, a body of work, like going through drills every single day and talking through things, watching film.

It's hard to point to one.

Thing, but definitely felt like he helped me a lot.

Do you hope to get to tight End University that I'm.

Sure you've seen it.

Yeah, that would be really cool. I'm not sure what day it is yet. We'll see how it works out.

But that would be a great opportunity.

Yes, yeah, yeah, lass last year, my wife could have had our daughter around that time, so I wasn't.

Able to go. Yeah, it'd be cool to go.

Was the biggest takeaway from this season, and you know, maybe the execution stuff, those late game things. It just seems like the difference between maybe you guys being a thirteen win team or a seven win team, right, Like the margin seems so small for this team the entire year.

Yeah, we were just talking about that, I think specifically as an offense, just like we were top ten and pretty much every category except for turnovers, and so that's something as a as a team, as a group we'll work on fixing next year. But definitely when you look back at it, just some of those mistakes at key times definitely came back to bite us. I mean, Baker is just incredible and I've said this before, but I think the team takes on the character of the quarterback and just who he is as a person. Just friendly, personable, but also competitive and hard working. I think he's one of the main reasons why, like it was such a great place to come to work, and you saw it show up. I mean he's played like one of the best quarterbacks in the league, which this year, which he is, and just can't wait to keep.

Working with him.

What can you say about just the way he was able to galvanize this locker room when Mike and Chris went down so cruelly in that Week seven game, And like, you were one of the guys that really had to step up in that moment.

You know, you had to be ready for it and you had to be in sync with him. Just what did you see out of him during that nine period specifically?

Yeah, he just instills confidence. Same with the coaches. You know, we're not going to change our offense mid season, so.

Him and the.

Coaches just entrusted us to do the job to you know, take over those roles. And we know, like Mike and Chris, like they're amazing players, some of the best in the league, and but we still had a job to do and guys capable of doing them. And Baker was the first to say that to us.

About the role that you guys played as a unit in helping this round game.

I Mean people talk about the job that Bucky Irving did and the old line, but you guys played a big role in that too.

Yeah, I think there is just a lot of detail that went into a lot of meeting time, and I think it was super cool what coach Cohen and Carbs brought in, just some of the gaff schemes, the wide zone, the mid zone, the pin pull stuff.

It was.

It was a lot. But we also, you know, were able to get it down and create a lot of explosive plays in the run game. And when you get that going, it opens up everything and it's fun to be a part of.

I would just say, man, from year one, year two, you know, I've done I feel like I've done a lot this year.

You know.

The sacks number might not say say it all, but overall, if you look at all the other statistics, I'm top ten and all of them. So I feel like for me, I've done I've improved a lot, you know, and I still got more more to improve. And that's what I'm a you know, look over this off season and see what I have to do to you know, be the yaya dab. That's what I'm trying to get this team the yayadiyab they deserve.

From year one year two, right, I would imagine that you face a lot more shipping, a lot more double teams maybe you were used to last year and your rookie year, and during this offseason, is that gonna be something that that you study a lot and seeing how you can navigate through that.

Yeah, especially, Yeah, I'm gonna definitely do that, like watching guys like Miles Garrett, who who who goes through chipping like that and how how they overcome it. So I'm gonna definitely do a lot of film study this offseason and just try to improve, prove on that.

You're working on yourself all sea. How much you always people around you help you, like Golida and the young guys likes and guys like Joe and in that room, how do they help you with alms?

You know, when you like when you just got guys with all with the same goal. You know, it's always always nice nice to have guys with the same goal because you just push each other and you know, if one person down you can say something to you know, bring them up, and because we're all going through the same thing, So those guys are always a big help.

You're going to be doing a lot of film work.

Do you mean that.

I haven't thought about that. I haven't give thought about that. I mean, I got a lot of movies in the locker room, so I'll never forget it.

But as far as like, you know, me getting that exact last time minute, you know, I haven't really gave me thought.

Everyone talks about just how much you mean the defense, and when you think about it, h how much of your teammate in and and the younger guys have meant to you and maybe he learned.

From this season.

Uh, it meant a lot, man. You know, just seeing these guys come.

In and working and putting effident in and uh, just seeing these guys just want to be their best self what really inspired me, you know, uh mind me and myself when I first came in, just looking at those guys just trying to learn from veterans, just trying to contribute the best way they can or there's on the field and just trying to make an impact off the field too as well. So you know, it definitely frekelling for me to see those guys, yeah, coming in and putting their best foot forward and uh obviously helping us contribute to wins and also just being great people.

About so many years here without any kind of playoff screen? What is it say for how fuckings it come? When when a division title in the first round lost can see it came and came the wrong way. Man came the long way.

But you know, uh, you know when obviously when being and them came in and BOT took over, you know in different different standards that you know took place, and uh, we.

Never want to be in this position, you know. We always want to try to get the super Bowl every year.

You know, winning the vind Tier was cool and everything, but those of the goals winning the super Bowl we fell short back.

But we definitely feel like we got the pieces, uh in place to do that. But this year, you know, feel short. What was your injury? If the game ling, whatever it is, I'll be fine, I'll be fine.

Just rold up on just so you know, usual you know football such thing.

So knowing myself tough.

And angry.

I know you said you're gonna take some time to figure out what you want to do next year, But how much does it help.

Out you got with this organization, the trajectory that they're on, that they are an organization with how young they are, that they could be back in the playoffs, they certainly have a window here that could potentially make it fall.

For sure, I think waiting me over minute. You know, got a great play.

That's aboard, say, got a great galafs, got a super Bowl.

Take take, take take us to take this to the next level.

And you know you've seen it. You've seen a lot of young guys trigger this year, so you know, they know they understand that, you know, it's feel good. It takes some true bad tastes, so I'm sure they dont know what to expeculation.

But Banda, what are you going to find yourself this year?

I mean, I know, I know you played so many seasons, but you still kind of having these big takeaways and learning moments in this part of your career.

Yeah, for sure, for sure.

You know, I just feel like, you know, I can still you know, impact the game, you know, be more consistent in that area.

But I do still love the game football. Yeah that's the main thing, you know, other playing games.

Is own six years old and another miss of years, and uh, I think love football will always be there with me. But you know, uh, you know from lying on, you know, I'm just going ahead and just you know, kind of like just don't wine and relax and you uh uh just see see what happens. Is that.

As much as or when you were younger?

Yeah, I mean yeah, I mean it's different now.

You know.

When we were younger, you know, uh it's it's it's fun.

Uh And as you get older, you know, it's a lot of uh different aspects come probably become up grown.

Man.

We got all the responsibilities and other probably ality to take care of.

So but the love football is still there, but you know, uh, probably not a burn as much excite as it was when I was young.

About like last night, it just seemed like, I mean, you show games, but it's like, you know, at this phase in your career, you don't.

Know if you'll have another sack you and you kind.

Of have to weigh that out and does that stuff enter your mind approach games.

Like yeah, that's just me, that's just me being a competitor, you know what I'm saying, you know, me going out there and just wanna win, play my best to help out football team in Uh. Like I said, man, you got a.

Good, great football team, a great football team.

Uh feel like you had a chance to win that game. You should have won that game, but those things didn't happen. You gotta get a command. There's a lot of respect that came out. They executed it when they uh won the game. So uh, you know, for me personally, you know, I'm just competed.

I'm gonna go out there and do our best any times. Don't you leave your decision this summer. It's important for you to go out on your own terms. Oh for sure. There's always a point of going on my all time. You know, when I played this game, started playing on this level, always said I want to go out on my own term. I don't want to buy it to force me out. You know, I want to put my best foot forward every time. You know, you know, make sure that you know, when I do leave a game, you know you stamp with that. You know I was an incredible player. You know, That's just how it feels.

Uh.

You know, I'm just gonna take some time and reflect and sort of get away from it. You know, it's been a long year, just from senior year of college to the draft, to OTAs and camp and you know all that's come with that, whether that's you know, changing.

Positions or move in to a new city or et cetera.

Just you know, it's been a long year. Sad it had in the way it did, but you know, just gonna learn. You know, all you can do is learn from it.

It's uh and just you know, gotta gotta take on the chin and keep moving forward. That's all you can do.

So arguing teammates kind of ringing on each other right now.

Yeah, just uh, like we've said this all year, and I know it's out there, just how close of a unit this was, Like it's not normal, you.

Know this for me. For me, this is all I've known.

So it's been expressed to me that, like this is not normal to have the bond and the chemistry that we do. You know, we do everything together, and so it's just sad to see that come to an end just because of you know, the way, uh, you know, the way the NFL is.

There's gonna be turnover and things like that. So you know, it is what it is.

But you know, you're definitely gonna spend some time in the next coming weeks together and you know, sort of hang out and.

You know, spend some good time together. But yeah, it was a it was a wild ride, and you know, we it's crazy. I think.

You know, one of the biggest things I learned is you can have a great regular season, you can do all these awesome things, but you know, once you get into the playoffs, kind of all that's forgotten and it's all about what you do and the playoffs, and you know, so our resume is not you know, like last night was obviously not what we wanted. So you know, it kind of stings because all the great things we did achieve sort of you know, are put on the back burner. So just you know, trying to still you know, pat ourselves on the back for the things we did do, but at the same time learn from you know, what we've got to.

You know, do better, and yeah, go from there.

Over a bit of an uncomfortable question, but yeah, how do.

You handle maybe when Calent not being dat year?

Yeah, I mean that's all way above me, and you know, I don't.

You know, I don't have much to say about it because I don't really you know, I don't know what's going on or what's going to happen, and you know, I don't know anything more than you guys do, so you know, but obviously we love Liam and what he's done with this year with us is is awesome.

And and to be able to get another opportunity with him to.

To improve and you know, sort of take an off season to reflect and see where we can improve, I think would be awesome and I'd love that opportunity to work.

With him again.

But you know, obviously this is a business and people have to do what they have to do for their families and and you know, opportunities don't always arise like this. So you know, obviously whatever he does, love him, appreciate him, you know, hope hopefully I get to work with him again.

But you know everyone's different. I once got their own situation and families.

And things like that, so you know, whatever happens happened, and you know we're going to move forward regardless. But you know, definitely appreciate Liam for all he's done, and you know, hopefully hopefully we'll get the running back next year.

Cliche in the NFL, with so much more intensive regular season, you you experience that last.

Night you playoff game. No, to be honest with you, I just tried to treat it like a regular game.

You know.

The obviously, the like the atmosphere is a little more, you know, loud and stuff like that. But you know, I just try to treat it just like any other NFL Sunday and approach it the same way.

And yeah, I mean, I mean, obviously the stakes are heightened, but I think the level of play is is pretty similar, to be honest with you.

And you know, we just didn't execute down the stretch.

And that's what is it remarkable to think about the market for error in the National Football League when you reflect them the season going even last night and just throughout some of the losses, even a couple of the wins that you had, just how close you are teetering between the win and the loss in the game.

Yeah, you know, we're really close obviously, just you know, a couple of mistakes down the stretch and you know it's a different game. But yeah, like you said, in a playoff NFL football, you've got to be able to play mistake free and crunch time to pull wins out.

And we didn't do that.

And so that's something you know, going in this offseason, we've got to we got to emphasize is cleaned up the little things because you know, I think if you look at the big picture, big picture, we were impressive as an offense, but when you look at the details, there's things we could have done better. And so I think that's really got to be the main focus point going in the next year, is is you know, just making sure we're you know, we put emphasis on little things that you know, you may not put as much emphasis on in OTAs but become very important in playoff football.

So got to make sure we're locked in on those things.