New Bucs edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad was turned onto the Bucs by a Todd Bowles friend and former Bucs assistant.
In one of the stories Joe typed about edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad coming to the Bucs, Joe speculated Bucs coach Todd Bowles got strong intel from two of his close friends who he has worked with in the past who currently work for the Lions.
That would be head coach Dan Campbell and defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers.
Actually, it was the other way around.
Rodgers likely knew the Lions couldn’t keep the free agent. Muhammad was interested in the Bucs and he spoke to Rodgers, since Rodgers was with the Bucs from 2019-2024.
It was Rodgers, Muhammad said, who sold him on coming to the Bucs.
“Well, my last d-line coach, Kacy Rodgers, he was coaching in Tampa, so you know me, we spoke and he said it would be a great fit and stuff like that,” Muhammad said. “I really like [Tampa and the Bucs] and stuff.
“So, I knew there was some familiarity there. I felt really confident. I felt happy about it, excited about it.”
Muhammad pulled off a rare feat with the Lions last year. In fact, Joe’s not sure if he’s ever heard of this happening. All of Muhammad’s 11 came with him coming off the bench. Muhammad never started a game last year. Not one.
“I was getting back to being myself and feeling really extremely healthy,” Muhammad said. “And building my body up, changing things during the offseason.
“In the offseason, I just locked in and worked on different things, pass-rush-wise. And, I got the opportunity.”
Muhammad didn’t even try to deny that having Aiden Hutchinson getting after quarterbacks was a big help.
“I had some unique guys around me,” Muhammad smiled. “And if you have a little bit of success, you get more confident and you get more comfortable.”
Muhammad also has a weird relationship with new Bucs linebacker Alex Anzalone. The two were both drafted by the slimy Saints, made their way to Detroit and at the same time found themselves as teammates again with the Bucs.
“He’s a great, instinctive, smart football player,” Muhammad said. “Me and him are really close, really good friends.
“So I’m super excited to be able to be on a new team and still play with him. I’m excited about it just to have somebody that you’ve been out there in games with, in live action. I just know what he’s about.”
Muhammad comes across as a really intelligent guy. It’s still weird to Joe that a guy who never had more than six sacks in his career blows up and has 11 at 30-years old without starting one game.
Whatever Muhammad used to get to this level, let’s hope — uh, oh — he doesn’t try to fix something that, as of last year, isn’t broke.