Bruce Arians And The Defense
February 27th, 2019
Gets love from new coach.
Former Bucs coach Dirk Koetter was known to stay away from the defense. Perhaps too much. He would joke that if he got involved in the defense he would really foul things up.
The way his defense played with Mike Smith as defensive coordinator, who would have known if Koetter was involved?
Koetter’s successor, Bucco Bruce Arians, doesn’t appear that way on face value. Oh sure, Arians knows which side of the bread his contract is buttered. He knows that he hired Todd Bowles to run the defense for a reason. However, it seems Arians is at least watching tape of the Bucs’ defense.
When asked today about his defense, Arians seemed to indicate the Bucs have the horses to play better than what it showed last year.
Naturally, Arians raved about the defensive line with Jason Pierre-Paul, Vita Vea and Gerald McCoy, But the back seven (eight?), Arians seems to think has the talent to be improved.
“I love the speed that we have,” Arians said. “We are young in the secondary but I think they are quality guys. The nucleus is here. It is a matter of finding the right pieces and putting the puzzle together.
“We have a young secondary that needs to grow up.”
Reading between the lines of what Arians and Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht had to say about the secondary, it seems a good bet the Bucs will bring in some free agent to play in the secondary.
As far as linebackers, Arians summed up the position thusly, “I knew Lavonte David was good,’ Arians said of watching tape of the Bucs’ veteran outside linebacker. “Man, he’s really good.”
After listening to Arians and Licht talk for roughly an hour combined today, Joe is less confident Kwon Alexander returns than Joe was yesterday. Licht admitted Alexander will be able to test the free agent waters.
February 27th, 2019 at 4:09 pm
damn right the nucleus is there….they just havent been developed and put in position to succeed…..
i dont see a massive turnover for this roster….add some pieces thru FA that excel in what bowles is trying to do and watch things take off…..
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!…GO BUCS!!!
February 27th, 2019 at 4:12 pm
i hope they trade down and draft the lb from lsu to replace kwon. matthieu would be a hell of a FA pickup, as well as another veteran corner.
February 27th, 2019 at 4:12 pm
I mean I wasn’t there but from what I heard and saw from interviews and kwons Twitter, I am more optimistic he returns. I think they’re just gauging the market.
I mean Bruce and Licht said they really want him back so not sure how you’re thinking he’s less likely to return. They weren’t the same way with McCoy.
February 27th, 2019 at 4:21 pm
Kyle Home…….Sign me up for that. I like your plan.
But if Q or Bosa is sitting there at 4 I’m going to ask you to tweak your plan and trade up.
February 27th, 2019 at 4:22 pm
“I love the speed that we have,” Arians said. “We are young in the secondary but I think they are quality guys. The nucleus is here. It is a matter of finding the right pieces and putting the puzzle together.
“We have a young secondary that needs to grow up.”
—————————————————————————————-
Feeling confident Arians and Bowles can develop what we have into some top caliber talent.
That leaves Licht free to focus on O-line and D-line.
#FIXTHETRENCHES
February 27th, 2019 at 4:24 pm
All 32 teams in the NFL have talent. Many do not have leaders though. Where is the leadership on this team? I beleive Arians ans Bowles are gonna find out come camp time. I look for most of our draft pieces to be added on Defense.
February 27th, 2019 at 4:38 pm
@813bucboi … “i dont see a massive turnover for this roster….add some pieces thru FA that excel in what bowles is trying to do and watch things take off.”
You’ve said that before bucboi … Tweak a little here, a little there and voila, playoffs here we come. Not so fast. I don’t know how you define ‘massive turnover’ but when I look at the Bucs roster on buccaneers.com I see MAYBE 15 starters out of the 25 positions for defense, offense & S/Ts (keeping in mind that some of the guys on our roster are UFAs or RFAs who could sign elsewhere). Then take a good look at some of the other names (our depth?) & consider that many won’t be on the final roster. For instance, we’ve got 2 Long-snappers, 2 Kickers & 2 Punters among the 80 names on the roster right now … only 3 of the 6 will make it. We’ve got 7 DTs on the roster … 3 possibly 4 will make it. And 4 QBs on the roster … 2 are FAs. Lots of others on the current roster will soon be FAs also. Sorry bucboi, but I think we are in for ‘massive turnover’ through free agency, the draft, and possibly some trades.
February 27th, 2019 at 4:52 pm
if we fix the dline, the LB’s we have would look great….plus we have kevin minter who had his best years under bowles in ARZ….
43 look- LVD,minter,kwon behind JPP, VV, GMC, nassib
or
43 look- LVD, kwon, beckwith behind JPP, VV, GMC, Ed Oliver
34 look- LVD,minter, kwon, Spence behind JPP, VV, Ed Oliver
or
34 look- LVD, kwon, beckwith, nassib behind JPP, GMC, Ed Oliver
bowles could use different personnel to throw off OC’s all day long unlike smitty….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!…GO BUCS!!!
February 27th, 2019 at 5:01 pm
813…….I don’t think it’s fair to have Spence’s name on a list of projected starters.
Think it’s safe to say we are in need of a upgrade.
February 27th, 2019 at 5:04 pm
Kwon will be back… believe that
February 27th, 2019 at 5:06 pm
DR
ive told you before its about coaching…..
you can look at the roster and see players that werent starters under dirk but that doesnt mean they wont start for BA and bowles…..
we have half a roster that hasnt been developed thanks to dirk and smitty…..
BA has said this team has the talent and i believe him as well as my eyes….the talent is there, they’ve just been coached poorly…..
sorry DR to disappoint you but there wont be a “massive turnover”…..the players that will be cut are the players that we expect…its called camp meat….lol….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!…GO BUCS!!!
February 27th, 2019 at 5:08 pm
jimmyjack
i was naming personnel not starters….
spence fits that 34 OLB mold….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!…GO BUCS!!!
February 27th, 2019 at 5:10 pm
Bruce Arians is an even bigger fool than I thought he was.
I’m not confident in a single member of our secondary. Carlton “Toast” Davis is the best we’ve got, and he’s not that good. I’ve already said my piece about slow-ass MJ Stewart and J. Evans and Whitehead are decidedly below-average.
Our d-line is solid, but we need replacements for G. McCoy and J. Pierre-Paul (largest salaries on defense).
February 27th, 2019 at 5:11 pm
Smh…..Lavonte David is NOT and will not be used as a OLB in a 3-4 look. He will be one of the ILBs in that look. They’ve already mentioned that. And Licht was asked anout Beckwith possibly having a career-ending injury to which Licht responded, “we will know more in a month”…..that was this morning. Doesn’t sound good for Beckwith. If so, don’t be shocked if we do draft Devin White or overpay for Kwon (leverage). Noah spence will be an OLB per Licht!! JPP is going to be used they way John Abraham was for Bowles! Nassib too! Personally I’d love for us to target Anthony Barr (OLB, Edge). MJ Stewart will be transitioned to safety per Licht also! A lot was revealed this morning at the combine……change, yes, but more scheme than personnel…..read up!
February 27th, 2019 at 5:18 pm
We def have a huge hole at LB in order to play a 34 defense.
As of right now there is LD, Minter and ?????
Spence , Kwon and Beckwith, Cichy, Lynch, Bond, Taylor?? are not certain at all.
Joe Dirt??? Maybe JJP will come thru.
Even if we manage to draft White from LSU we would still need 2-3more.
February 27th, 2019 at 5:19 pm
When you can get pressure quick enough the secondary will improve! Scheme alone will help us there! Bowles will not be afraid to blitz (5 or more rushers) by disguise and speed up an offense. In our division that will be GOLD due to the preferred styles of the offenses in our division. We do need to draft GMCs replacement though.
February 27th, 2019 at 5:20 pm
BetterBucFan Says:
nah blah blah
DUDE GO HOME – YOUR OBVIOUSLY DRUNK
geez
February 27th, 2019 at 5:27 pm
They are letting Kwon test free agency.
If they draft devin white …Kwon will most likely not be back.
February 27th, 2019 at 5:29 pm
Resurgent Bucs:
Spence
GMC
Dotson
Smith
Jameis
Ronald Jones
VHIII
Kwon will be back, won’t see him in the preseason, but he will be chomping at the bit to get back on the field with this new attacking defense with his 1 year prove it deal. We have fast LBs when healthy, but I don’t know about speed in the secondary.
February 27th, 2019 at 5:32 pm
BucNole … Minter is a UFA. So are Taylor & Lynch & of course Kwon. Bond is a RFA. Beckwith is still on IR. So right now the only LBs we can count on are LVD, Cichy (on IR), Bulloughs (who spent 7 games on IR last year). We don’t just “have a huge hole at LB in order to play a 34 defense” … we have a huge hole at LB to play ANY defense. But have no fear, bucboi’s told be before … “it’s about coaching”. We’re good with our 3 LBs.
February 27th, 2019 at 5:45 pm
I don’t hold a grudge against Kwon for wanting to test the waters. He wants his payday and he knows he won’t get it here. The kid deserves it. With the likes of DJax staying and GMC being a toss up(most likely comes down to contract restructure if he stays or goes) I think we will be seeing Kwon and Hump walk. Those kids will Excel at their position anywhere they go. Personally I see Humphries going to the west coast, specifically San Fran. Him and Little with Jimmy GQ will make that division competitive. As for Kwon, I hate to say it but he’s staying somewhere in the division.
February 27th, 2019 at 5:49 pm
Thanks Def Rules
Thats why I said none of those guys can be counted on
Beckwith is done the others are either on IR with not certainty they come back from injury or they could sign other places
LB is a def need
February 27th, 2019 at 6:13 pm
I thought we played better defense when Kwon was out injured. I wonder if Arians saw the same on tape. My opinion, Kwon is a good player but a bit overrated.