What’s Really The Plan?
April 18th, 2019
Bruce Arians likes to say he’s in win-now mode and he’s reloading and not rebuilding.
But what’s he really thinking?
It might be the greatest unknown for the Bucs entering the NFL Draft.
Does Arians really expect to be crafting a team to win a Super Bowl this season? Barring a sports miracle Joe would be ecstatic to see, the Bucs just don’t have the horses to ride to the NFC title game this season.
So shouldn’t everything sort of be about 2020? That’s a big reason Joe is ok with the Bucs waving goodbye to Gerald McCoy.
If Arians is going all-in on this season with limited regard for the future, then Joe would expect the Bucs to draft a lot more offensive players than most fans expect.
The only thing Arians is probably certain of right now is that he can outscore his share of opponents this season, and that premise instantly gets far more powerful if he drafts, say, a guard in Round 2 and a running back in Round 3 next week.
Of course, that assumes the rookies can play, which is a big assumption in Tampa.
Heck, maybe Arians and general manager Jason Licht even add to the scoring push and draft a returner in Round 4 who doubles as a cornerback prospect.
On the flip side, if Arians is more patient than he lets on when it comes to his build-the-Bucs plan, then he likely goes heavy on defense next week with the understanding that it might take a year for the rookies to find their way, as well as to weed out the dead weight currently on the defensive roster.
Joe is fine with either approach. But is Arians?
Arians may very well be planning to put his foot on the gas with the offense — No risk it. No biscuit. — in order to win in a hurry. Guard and running back are two of the true plug-and-play positions in the NFL, especially when they’re surrounded by a pile of established talent.
April 18th, 2019 at 10:40 am
I think he will do both….as best he can. More of a tweak of the Offense is in order….OG, RB & a significant upgrade of the Defense is called for….
MLB, DT, DE, CB, S……
& yes…..that happens to be 7 positions…..exactly our number of draft picks…..
All seven can’t possibly be starters…..but we do have a few $$$ from GMC that can be applied to a FA or two.
April 18th, 2019 at 10:45 am
the real plan is to setup my boys for retirement go through the motions and retire again in 24 months. The glazer retirement plan is well documented and has proven itself to meet the glazers desire for basement titles and embarrassing football. Trump should appoint the glazers to run the Social Security Administration with all their experience in high end retirement offerings it could help they damn sure have no clue about football.
April 18th, 2019 at 10:51 am
You don’t win in 2020 by putting forth a weakened commitment to winning in 2019. The bucs are cutting McCoy to free up money and reset the locker room, right or wrong
April 18th, 2019 at 10:53 am
Well the plan was for Jason Licht to run this franchise into the ground and mission accomplished. So what’s next?
April 18th, 2019 at 10:56 am
And another reference to McCoy being cut. In every other article.
April 18th, 2019 at 11:01 am
Honestly tmaxcon, that’s how this whole thing feels to me. It feels like a giant setup. Say what we will about Gruden but I never had the feeling with him that he wasn’t trying.
April 18th, 2019 at 11:02 am
I’m not fine with either approach.
We have had a bottom 3-5 NFL defense for basically 10 years now and band-aid win-now mentality is what keeps destroying our roster.
Build a f*cking decent defense with more than 2 core players that the fan base hates anyway plz
April 18th, 2019 at 11:15 am
Honestly tmaxcon, that’s how it feels. It feels like a giant setup to pad one’s bank account while taking his friends along for the ride. To give them opportunities they may not have had otherwise, especially with the lesser coaching roles.
April 18th, 2019 at 11:18 am
One Week away my friends…….
April 18th, 2019 at 11:21 am
“I feel like Im shopping at Family Dollar”
Kobe Faker
April 18th, 2019 at 11:42 am
enough to win the SB….unfortunately not….but playoffs this year is reachable…..
i think we draft 2 offensive players(G & RB) and the rest will be defense….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
April 18th, 2019 at 11:49 am
813
you need to get a new CUP for that upcoming NUTPUNCH if you think the bucs have legit playoff chances… I am not talking about that pathetic dungy the clown style either with ONE and DONE with no real chance… I am talking a real chance to compete and win a playoff game.
April 18th, 2019 at 11:54 am
I think it all revolves around what happens with McCoy. I’d love to see the Bucs draft Taylor in the first and go after a DT or edge rusher in the second. This year with the cap situation the Bucs are between a rock and a hard place so it looks like they are gong to have to unload GMC and draft a rookie DT in the first.
April 18th, 2019 at 12:14 pm
PLAYOFFS! Are you kidding me? How about next year? Makes a little more sense.
April 18th, 2019 at 12:14 pm
tmax
sure buddy….whatever makes you feel better…..
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
April 18th, 2019 at 12:22 pm
Why wouldnt we just have cut mccoyin March so we could sign one more good free agent instead of trading him for a low round draft pick? When we cut him,there will be no one good to sign.
April 18th, 2019 at 1:24 pm
I’m with D-Rome and, dare I say it Tmax, on this one…
Sure feels like a cash in by BA to me.
April 18th, 2019 at 1:29 pm
Trade for Jones from Miami solve the safety problem. After draft sign a veteran FA CB who can come in and push VH3 along with Carlton Davis. Obvi gotta cut McCoy for this to happen. Bruce doesn’t want to wait and develop rookies so why draft 2? Sign 2 veterans shore up the secondary- draft McCoy’s replacement or trade back. Pick up a MLB, DT, OG, RB in whatever order suits the team best- obvi not RB first. Trading back from 5 to say 10,11,13 makes
Too much sense. Snag bush or white, get Lawrence or Simmons In the 2nd, am offensive guard, miles sanders in the 3rd… would have another pick or 2 to move up as well. He’s got plenty of options I just hope he does something smart for once
April 18th, 2019 at 2:01 pm
So weird how fans are talking about what we’ve been for the last decade and how much we lost like its BA and Todd Bowles fault basically saying because we’ve been losing all these years there’s no reason to suspect it will happen now. Not sure where all these negative people are because you sure weren’t here the day he got hired. Probably the main guys with fitz magic beards hidden away in the closet. No one knows what this guy will do and if he can get Winston to play better they will automatically win more games same would have been true if Winston had played better for dirk. Why be so down on the team but be al excited for the draft it’s just stupid
April 18th, 2019 at 2:53 pm
Not there yet
No its not BA’s fault…. it’s the glazers fault and last time i checked they are still atop the totem pole at 1 buc….. BA like his predecessors doesn’t stand a chance…
Glazers have no intention of being great…. that is why cancer93 was such a good fit for glazers as the face of the basement years no desire to be great
April 18th, 2019 at 3:29 pm
D-Rome and tmax- BA is not that guy. I talked to him last week, one Hokie alum to another.
April 18th, 2019 at 6:58 pm
DT QWilliams or LB DWhite Rd 1, whoever falls to us
RG C Lindstrom/ Rd 2
RB D Henderson Rd 3
DE J Polite Rd 4 (major fall, Spence clone)
BPA Rd5/6/7
2 starters, 2 contributors and one of the rest that develops nicely
Maybe a draft day trade of GMC for a late rounder frees up the cap space so we don’t have to cut 3 or 4 more players
It appears the coaching is going to have to carry us, we just don’t have the money or the draft capital to make any substantial upgrades
April 18th, 2019 at 7:24 pm
Bucsfanman
I have faith glazers will break him.
April 18th, 2019 at 8:13 pm
I’m still waiting for Arians to make this team better, because outside of getting rid of Jackson, hes only made the ream worse.
I’m not buying the hype. Reloading is the same as rebuilding. The whole ‘no risk it-no biscuit’ sounds great…but it is really no different than Koetter taking chances. And getting the punter to do kickoffs? I’m not opposed to it, but it will not make Santos a better kicker…if anything, he’ll play in more games and miss more kicks than last season…unless they release him.
And finally, with the lack of true movement in free agency (because EVERYONE signed is a bust), it will be necessary for Bruce Arians to hit on every draft pick…and that’s just not possible.
Ain’t no coach of the year coming this year. By Game 6, Tampa fans will want a new coach if things continue this way.
What I would do from this point on:
– Hire Matt Bryant as the starting kicker, but keep Santos as a backup, because Bryant has a few injury concerns. (assuming he is still available)
– With the #5 overall, draft a Defensive Lineman, whichever top guy is there for us.
– With the 2nd round pick, draft a Line Backer or Safety…draft the other in the third round.
– Draft a DL in round 3.
– Draft a young kicker late in the draft…we’re never going to find the right guy in free agency. Time to start weeding through the rookies.
– Find us a good Fullback. Finally.
April 18th, 2019 at 8:16 pm
Arians wanting to help bring along hte next generation of coaches is the one thing I like about him. Tony Dungy was the same exact way. Jon Gruden? Not at all.
April 18th, 2019 at 11:49 pm
I’m just going to say it just like every other year. We going to the playoffs !! Go bucs
April 19th, 2019 at 1:21 am
Proof of hydro smoke: Whomever said “nough to win the SB….unfortunately not….but playoffs this year is reachable…..
I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about?!
Playoffs? Bro, look at the schedule.
April 19th, 2019 at 11:59 am
I think it’s pretty obvious that the Bucs are going Dline with their 1st pick. If gmc is gone which most likely he is sad but he’s not what he use to be anbthe fact that we brought in 2 LBs in FA which I know one is a rusher an the other is a hybrid. I still want white lol