What If… ?
January 18th, 2019
Trust.
New Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians has been on a media offensive of sorts, talking to just about every national guy with a microphone or a recorder on his cell phone.
Arians like to say the stars aligned just right for him to take the Bucs job: ownership, general manager and his trusted former assistants who seemingly were all unemployed at just the right time.
In an interview with uber-NFL insider Jay Glazer, Arians suggested there was one way he would not have returned to coaching and agreed to take over the Bucs.
If your old crew of coaches weren’t available, would you have still done it?
Probably not. Not with a bunch of new guys I would have to train. I would say this, there would have to be like 40 guys unavailable because I actually turned down twenty.
If that truly is the case, and Joe has no reason to believe Arians is blowing smoke, it is an incredible stroke of luck for the Bucs that most of Arians’ guys just happened to be calling around for a job at the time the Bucs decided to step away from Dirk Koetter.
Also in the interview, Arians said one way for him to stay relaxed and not suffer health setbacks was to hand over play-calling duties to new Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. Arians said he trusts Leftwich as a play-caller because he trained him.
If Leftwich had been retained by Arizona, would Arians have even returned to coaching?
January 18th, 2019 at 12:21 am
The Stars have aligned!
Go Bucs!!
January 18th, 2019 at 12:22 am
…this has been in the works for a bit longer than a couple weeks. -Hey, whatevs. Just glad they pulled it off! 😎
January 18th, 2019 at 12:23 am
Aren’t there 4 current or former Offensive Coordinators on this staff? BA came in with a plan A, B, C and D
January 18th, 2019 at 12:40 am
Is it just me, the picture, or does he have Donald trump hands aka baby hands
January 18th, 2019 at 12:45 am
I hope he has a plan for overcoming glazers and cancer93
January 18th, 2019 at 12:49 am
Still makes zero sense to hire a QB whisperer who’s not even going to call plays
Leaving the calls ups to a coordinator who’s never done it for a full season
I expect no Jameis improvement at all
January 18th, 2019 at 12:51 am
I think BA was only going to come bac if he thought he had a legitimate shot at getting a ring as a head coach in 3-4 years. He probably felt his best chance to get a ring was with this set of coaches. Let’s hope he’s just not here to get him and his buddies a paycheck.
January 18th, 2019 at 1:32 am
Loyal,
You went A to Z with that take.
Calling plays is a bit part of the overall job. It’s the one fans get to see on Sunday and if the team is successful it’s reported by the media outlets during the week. Especially now with the success of McVay.
A few years ago, ask a non Homer to name another teams OC and all you’d hear is crikets.
Today, it’s a high profile position.
Arians will be right beside Leftwich every day . Playcalling is not nearly as important as your making it seem. Game planning and construction of the games play sheet is by far more important. I have no reason to believe Leftwich will be by himself when the real work is done.
If Leftwich fails, then BA is there to step in. So why invent issues when it’s not one.
Hey, if you don’t have faith or hope in the new staff then it’s understandable and you can double down without the need to justify it. The problem with looking for an excuse to temper expectations , is missing out on being sure that this year is the year it all turns around.
January 18th, 2019 at 1:38 am
In Bruce we trust. We can’t always think that it’s going to be bad, I know it being a Bucs life and all but…even the sun shines on a dog’s ass sometimes, right? Go Bucs.
January 18th, 2019 at 2:03 am
Bucco Bruce!
January 18th, 2019 at 2:43 am
Loyaltotheend Says:
January 18th, 2019 at 12:49 am
Still makes zero sense to hire a QB whisperer who’s not even going to call plays
——
It actually does make sense. Now arians has more time to be a QB whisperer since he doesn’t have to call plays
January 18th, 2019 at 2:55 am
Goodwin would have called plays then.
January 18th, 2019 at 3:32 am
There is 40 coaches on this staff. That’s structure there and I also see a promotion pattern here to better help the structure. Jason Licht becomes Team President and Bruce Arians becomes VP. Once we succeed there’s no way all the coaches can be plucked from this staff. I believe Leftwich will improve Winston’s pocket awareness which has been his biggest weakness. I like Harold Goodwin to be the next head coach he’s already asst head coach now so that tells me everything. I think Leftwich will be offensive coordinator for a while. Christiansen is pretty decent. He coached which QB while he was in Tampa under Dungy oh yeah Shaun King out of Tulane. No one everyone is down on him. I’m loving the stucture so far just waiting to see if more is added to the front office around Licht I mean he apparently needs some help the guy received a death threat for not drafting Derwin James. I like offensive line coaches they hired as well. The coaching staff on offense looks bonkers didn’t even get into the Todd McNair but hey he coached up Reggie Bush so no need to go there he will improve RoJo trust me. On defense I like bringing in Bowles but I think he will transition this defense not necessarily turnover the defensive personnel. He’s going 4-3 Tampa Two this season but that will be the counter to teams adjusting to our new found blitz. As far as the coaching I don’t know I like Rodgers but don’t know who is coaching defensive backs I seen we hired another former Buc in Cody Grimm which I love he was a real go getter when he played here under Raheem Morris. Bowles can coach all levels of defense though so he alone is solid but I need more on the defensive staff
January 18th, 2019 at 4:46 am
@Jason S. McLaurin … ” Jason Licht becomes Team President and Bruce Arians becomes VP.” You made me gag on my cereal with that one Jason. You have it exactly backwards. There is ONE Big Kahuna in charge at 1 Buc Palace right now: Bruce Arians. The ONLY reason Jason Licht is still employed here is BECAUSE OF Coach Arians, not vice versa.
January 18th, 2019 at 6:00 am
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Licht saved his job due to his relationship and hire of Arians……there is just no way he survives any other way with the poor stats under his management.
Perhaps our drafts will be better with Arians & Co.s influence…..I am quite convinced our FA selections will include previous Arians players.
January 18th, 2019 at 6:33 am
I have seen other people say 40 coaches on stafff. We know the names of 21 which is 1 more coach than Koetter had…Why do people keep saying 40?
January 18th, 2019 at 6:45 am
Trust the man with the funny hat!!
January 18th, 2019 at 6:45 am
Hopefully all this “stars aligned” crap doesn’t lead to another anticlimactic losing season. Otherwise, many fans will be on suicide watch based on all the euphoria in the comments section.
January 18th, 2019 at 6:47 am
Enough stories on the coaches. It’s been 2 weeks. Let’s see what the plan is with resigning our guys, FA and the draft before pre-season.
January 18th, 2019 at 8:25 am
BA said he would be heavily involved with Leftwich on playcalls.
In Bucco Bruce I trust.
January 18th, 2019 at 8:41 am
We’ll see if success comes. I hope so, but I’m having a hard time with all the hype.
January 18th, 2019 at 11:25 am
What happens in the next year or two if Ba loses two or three of his best coaches?