NFL free agent raves about experience with Buccaneers

Chase Edmonds isn't necessarily a marquee name as far as NFL running backs go, but there's no denying the seven-year veteran has earned his stripes as a quality veteran in the league capable of contributing in third-down and special teams roles.

Edmunds spent the majority of his career with the Cardinals, where he was a fourth round pick in 2018. Since then, he's spent time with other organizations, including the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos and, most recently, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Edmunds' short tenure with the Bucs appears to have expired, primarily due to the emergence of talented young backs like Bucky Irving, Sean Tucker and Rachaad White, as well as a knee injury he dealt with last season.

Recently, the veteran free agent joined JC Allen of BucsGameday on the Pirate Parlay Podcast to discuss a variety of topics, the majority of which focused on his time with the Buccaneers. When listening to Edmunds speak, it doesn't take long to recognize how much he respects the Buccaneers as an organization, as well as the players he grew to know and love during his time there.

When discussing a mysterious knee injury that forced him to miss the 2024 season and was challenging to diagnose, he went out of his way to praise the Buccaneers for doing right by him.

"The Bucs... First-class organization. They could've cut me and threw me to the curb and they put me on season-ending I.R., right? [The Bucs] took care of me financially, and I am forever grateful for that, so I have no negative things and no animosity for the Bucs," he said. "They are a first-class organization every step of the way."

Edmonds also spoke glowingly about some young players on the roster, including Bucky Irving and Rachaad White. However, it sounds like Chris Godwin was a player who had a tremendous impact on Edmonds as they both pushed each other while recovering from their respective injuries last season.

"I absolutely was grinding, grinding away. I got close to [Chris Godwin] after his injury — me and him spent a lot of time together in that rehab room and he's such an amazing guy so just to have somebody else there too that was going through like a similar situation, and just be there for him as well, that was cool," Edmonds said. "To motivate one another, to just continue the grind, CG always motivates me in so many ways. "

Having only spent a couple seasons in Tampa Bay before the team ultimately chose to go in another direction, and now being a free agent, Chase Edmunds has no obligation to speak so highly of the Buccaneers organization. The fact that he went out of his way to rave about the organization and its players is evidence that the Bucs continue to do things the right way.

From drafting players to taking care of their own, there's no question that Jason Licht, Todd Bowles and everyone else involved with the team have succeeded in terms of building a positive culture that players want to be a part of.