Stunning Claim From Arians
August 4th, 2019
“Ira, these guys can ball.”
When Joe stood to the right of Bucco Bruce Arians while he offered his post-practice remarks Saturday, Arians said something that nearly had Joe fall backward into about three reporters.
(Bucco Bruce has impeccable timing. When Joe walked across the field at the Glazer Shed and got within about five yards of where Arians was to speak, here comes Arians rolling up in his Bobby Bowden golf cart. Talk about good timing!)
Arians was asked after some eight days of training camp what position will give the most difficult decision on who to keep/cut from the roster when whittling the it down to 53 to start the season.
The first position he mentioned is a no-brainer. Arians said “receivers.” The Bucs may have the deepest and strongest group of wide receivers in the NFL.
The second position Arians mentioned is what nearly caused Joe to lose his equilibrium: defensive backs.
Whoa!
Now last year, pretty much anyone half-sober watching the Bucs would have thought the team’s defensive backs would have been lucky to make a Sun Belt Conference team. The Bucs pass defense was truly hideous.
Could it be that all the defensive backs the Bucs have drafted the past four years are now (finally?) being properly used? Could it be these same players fit in defensive coordinator Todd Bowles’ defense that well, or that Bowles crafted a defense to fit the talents of his defensive backs?
This just tells Joe that the strong defensive back play witnessed in practice the past nine days hasn’t been a mirage. The Bucs just might have a strength there.
What a difference a year makes.
August 4th, 2019 at 12:08 am
Go Bucs!🤘🏼🤘🏼
August 4th, 2019 at 12:29 am
Kick ass sea bass!
August 4th, 2019 at 12:31 am
I listen often to the Fantasy Footballers, and they’re based out of Phoenix, and according to what I’ve heard them say Arians LOVES everyone and hypes the hell out of everyone, everyone is awesome, everything is great.
I wouldn’t read anything into what Arians is saying, but it’s still better to have him like the corners than to hate them.
August 4th, 2019 at 12:51 am
Rod Munch:
Arians LOVES everyone and hypes the hell out of everyone, everyone is awesome, everything is great.
Yeah–that is truth but at same time when certain players are loafing or not meeting standards or stepping up then you can expect Arians will lay the hammer down and broadcast it to the media over and over–seen him do it with with the receiver group in Arizona(he would make sure to exclude Larry Fitz..
August 4th, 2019 at 1:01 am
The NFL gonna respect the bucs this year..
August 4th, 2019 at 1:01 am
The NFL gonna respect the bucs this year….
August 4th, 2019 at 1:10 am
Rod munch on my bag of nuts. Let’s be negative about everything. Dude was asked a question about positional groups and said we were deep at cornerback. Do t need to reread quotes from Arizona to try and find something else out of it. They went from 5-11 to 11-5 with him as coach. And if I remember right the cardinals were a feared team during the Arians years. He still had a far better record than the bucs with qbs who never should have been starting nfl games. And went 8-8 with qbs you can’t even remember there name. But let’s naysay this guy. I am excited and really feel like we could win a Super Bowl this year. We have a bunch of high draft picks who underachieved so we are set up to outplay are expectations. I easily see 12-4 first round bye.
August 4th, 2019 at 1:20 am
Even more shocking, the DB vets are ahead of the rookie vets? Only Mike Edwards is the starting DB, this is because Evans is injured. Leads me to believe that the defensive coaches sucked last year.
August 4th, 2019 at 1:40 am
This article proves the level of jackassery. If its not a DE you are a troglodyte and don’t know football. If you don’t get every free agent at any time ever you aren’t trying. Every leader, owner, coach sucks.
9 days in and someone has fully drank the kool aid? Getting all these DB’s was a good move?
You are a joke if you expect to have any cred.
See you in the regular season, take your bias and choke on it.
Leave being a true ‘Fan’ to us and change your name to JBJ!
In BA I Trust!
August 4th, 2019 at 1:41 am
I certainly hope so but what I see is a qb that is vexed but wtfdik
August 4th, 2019 at 2:31 am
Bucco Bruce has got this team whipping into shape, and Bowle’s defensive scheme is looking to be a good fit so far from what I see.
August 4th, 2019 at 2:47 am
Jeffbuc – I wasn’t being negative, I was just pointing out that Arians talks about his players like Gruden talked about every QB when he was on MNF. That means I don’t really put much into what he says about his players when talking to the media. I hope they have some magical turnaround and it really was just a scheme that made them by far the worst secondary in football, but before I get hyped up I’d like to see it in an actual game. In any case I do expect them to be improved from last year. Anywho try to be less triggered in the future.
firethecannons – Yeah, I’ve seen and heard that before as well – and that’s what I meant by at least he isn’t saying they’re awful, since he will do that if he’s really unhappy with something. Can’t wait to see them actually playing in a game, I’m really interested in seeing how they do when they’re on an island after an all out blitz is called.
August 4th, 2019 at 3:06 am
I don’t see what’s so stunning about it after we drafted dbs by the pound. Some will have to go. it doesn’t mean they are all HOF. More likely they are on the same level more or less and it’s not surprising as none of them has a tape to show for himself
August 4th, 2019 at 5:45 am
I don’t see why this is such a ‘stunning claim’. Bucs have invested heavily via the draft & FA in (1) WRs; and (2) DBs for years now. Both position groups SHOULD be expected to do well & be a strength for this team. But BOTH will only be as productive as the other position groups on the TEAM allow them to be. IF Jameis has a bad year, our receivers won’t have an opportunity to shine. IF our DLine & LBs don’t get THEIR job done, the Secondary won’t get a chance to shine either. BALANCE … COMPLEMENTARY … TEAM. If the Secondary’s looking great at this point in training camp, it’s NOT just because they’re so talented and are benefitting from quality coaching. It’s also because our DLine & LBs are doing their jobs … big time.
Our Secondary is incredibly young & inexperienced, but they’re VERY talented. There’s a double-edged sword in there IMO. On one hand, they don’t have gobs of experience to fall back on (like DBs like Richard Sherman does?). But on the other hand, they’re an open book, a sponge, that quality coaches can mold to fit the needs of their particular defensive scheme.
And that’s exactly what Todd Bowles & his position coaches are doing to perfection right now it seems … against the Bucs’ offense. What I’m looking forward to is seeing how well they perform against new blood. Bring on the Steelers, Dolphins, Browns & Cowboys. I want to see what we’ve really got here, not just in starters but also in DEPTH. Don’t want to see any more high draft picks sitting on the bench … EARN your spot and EARN your playing time. This is turning into the most exciting training camp Bucs have had in almost 20 years.
August 4th, 2019 at 6:18 am
Good points D.R.
I’m excited to see the Steelers game Fri and then the joint Dolphins/Bucs practices the following week.
August 4th, 2019 at 6:30 am
Good to hear.
Mj Stewart’s name is even a name that is coming up on this site and other sites. Our pass defense was atrocious last year. But , it was clear we had press corners yet mike smith played them off? What a joke he was.
And this year , they got speed at corner in the draft. . /. But physical as well . So I think the group overall is diverse and can’t wait to see who plays where .
August 4th, 2019 at 6:44 am
Coaching matters.
‘Nuff said.
August 4th, 2019 at 7:03 am
It is not surprising…..it’s about numbers…….when you have 10 competitive WRs & you need at most 6….you have a difficult decision on the final 2.
Same with DBs…..when you have many, the choice is more difficult.
August 4th, 2019 at 7:33 am
Almost every year it seems like we are drafting and or signed another WR. This strategy hasn’t helped the team deal with the rash of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. This is the first year we have addressed depth problem on defense. Thanks BA
August 4th, 2019 at 7:59 am
I’ve heard the Hargreaves broken record enough….let’s see him make it through a season AND play sound fundamental football where he actually does something besides celebrate an over throw like he just saved the Super Bowl.
August 4th, 2019 at 8:12 am
That 62 yard field goal was middle of net
That could have been good from 70
August 4th, 2019 at 8:16 am
What a shock: coaching matters.
@Bobby M.: with a defense as bad as Smiths, I am beginning to understand why players celebrated minor personal wins the last few seasons.
August 4th, 2019 at 9:26 am
Don’t they have like 72 defensive backs in camp? Of course it’s gonna be hard to cut them all..
August 4th, 2019 at 9:50 am
It’s just the downside of developing with excellent Coaches all 90 players and you can only keep 53. But all those 90 will be able to step in and immediately play in BA’s system if anyone gets hurt. There are always some injuries every year but BA will have an advantage over the rest of the NFL. No Buc’s Coach before has had that important advantage.
August 4th, 2019 at 9:56 am
@JeffBuc…you seem to very unsettled about readers comments that aren’t all sunshine and apple pie. Then you invoke a poster to do something with your genitals as you go back to distant history to try prove your point. Nothing wrong with anyone calling it like they see it. This team sucks until it doesn’t. And the only way to prove it doesn’t suck is to win. That hasn’t happened yet. Guys who want all love and peace on the Bucs probably can find it on buccaners.com or some site TBD that has Snow White and unicorns.
August 4th, 2019 at 10:11 am
I still personally believe there was a conversation between coaching and GM about the defense becoming more physical with a goal to become more of a aggressive defense. Looking back at the draft picks for defense since Licht arrived tells a story he was drafting DB that played Press in college. The issue may have been M Smith not knowing how to use such players to the defenses advantage or adjusting his scheme to be more aggressive.
August 4th, 2019 at 10:30 am
JeffBuc, I was going to give you the Pollyanna/Buc award for most delusional post of the day. Then you go off on Rod M. for stating a fact/opinion on BA. Now you get the jerk of the day award, too.
August 4th, 2019 at 11:22 am
Aren’t there about 15 DBs on the roster, including at least 5 taken in the first 2 rounds of the last 3 drafts?
August 4th, 2019 at 11:25 am
I continue to be honest that I am learning about the 3-4 defense (and especially the Todd Bowles version) and it appears like the defensive backs are key to success.
@Sport at August 4th, 2019 at 1:40 may be correct when he says that only the DE matters.
Yet I go to NE as my NFL reference as to how a 3-4 defense should be built and they seem to every year invest a lot more in the defensive backfield than the DE position.
Below is NE current list of rostered players (There is clearly more depth and high end players in their defensive backfield than at the defensive end position):
Name Position Age
Patrick Chong S 31
Keion Crossen CB 23
Duke Dawson CB 23
Nate Ebner S 30
Stephon Gilmore CB 28
Duron Harmon S 28
JC Jackson CB 23
Jonathan Jones CB 25
Devin McCourty S 31
Jason McCourty CB 31
Obi Melifonwu S 25
AJ Howard S 23
Terrence Brooks S 27
Joejuan Williams CB 21 – taken before Greedy
Kendarius Webster CB 23
Malik Gant S 22
D’Angelo Ross S 22
Keionta Davis DE 25
Lawrence Guy DE 29
Ufomba Kamalu DE 26
Derek Rivers DE 25
John Simon DE 28
Michael Bennett DE 33
Nick Thurman DE 24
Chase Winovich DE 24
Bryan Cowart DE 23
It seems to work for them!
August 4th, 2019 at 11:37 am
Go bucs. Will miss gerald though
August 4th, 2019 at 2:41 pm
Bruce is a proven coach in this league and he knows what he is talking about more so than you Joe
August 4th, 2019 at 2:52 pm
Sure hope so.
August 4th, 2019 at 2:58 pm
Don’t tell me about the goodies on the Ship. Bring the damn thing in.
We need victories not how good we think we are. Winning is all that matters.
August 4th, 2019 at 5:05 pm
Strong DB Play automatically improves the pass rush !
August 4th, 2019 at 5:18 pm
Susan Says:
“Go bucs. Will miss gerald though”
I promise you….you won’t even realize he’s gone!
August 4th, 2019 at 7:50 pm
“What a difference a year makes.” I think you could better state the reality of this phenomena this way Joe, “What a difference a year of good coaching, with a change of scheme and improved culture makes”. But you know, we ISU guys have always been wordy.