Old Coaches And Young Players
October 17th, 2019
Relatable. (Photo courtesy of Buccaneers.com.)
When the Bucs hired Bucco Bruce Arians to take over the team, there was chatter about how Arians could relate to players.
Arians, who just turned 67, could be a grandfather to many on his roster. So how exactly would Arians relate?
Joe asked a few players earlier this year about relating to Arians. None had any issue and most seemed to like him if not respect him. The best feedback Joe got was from Carlton Davis who said Arians was “the swaggiest coach I’ve ever had.”
Joe took that as a high compliment to Arians.
So a couple of weeks ago when the Bucs traveled to the City of Angels to face the Rams, Joe decided to slip into the Rams locker room and talk to former Bucs corner Aqib Talib. If anyone would know about playing for older coaches, it would be Talib. His defensive coordinator, the well-respected Wade Phillips, is 72, even older than Arians.
So Joe asked Talib if it was baloney that young players don’t relate to coaches who otherwise would be collecting Social Security and passing the days by feeding pigeons in a park.
“Nah, that’s baloney,” Talib told Joe when asked if there was a generation(s) gap between players and older coaches. “Wade does a great job relating to players.”
So Joe asked Talib if he could give examples how a guy in his 70s, whose grew up as a young kid in rural Texas and a college town in Alabama, could bond with players in their 20s and 30s.
“He just talks to us,” Talib said. “He’s around us. He can relate to us. It’s not rocket science. You either relate to [players] or you don’t.
“You can’t really explain how he can relate to us. You either f@ck with us or you don’t. He f@cks with us.”
So from the mix of players Joe has spoken to, it seems if the Bucs’ season goes south after the bye week, you can’t pin it on the coach unable to connect with his players.
October 17th, 2019 at 1:04 pm
Ronde Barber for GM !…let him run the show !
October 17th, 2019 at 1:06 pm
Horrible coaching staff. Losers in AZ and Losers from the Jets. This the ultimate example of Grandpa Bucco Bruce giving his buddies his jobs. Plus he is stuck with #KluelessKoetters snitches still left in the building in the equipment room and training staff. TEAM GLAZER needs to clean the entire place out. Just like after MRSA Schiano.
October 17th, 2019 at 1:08 pm
The White Shadow
October 17th, 2019 at 1:09 pm
Arians staff looks like a poster for a retirement home (except for Leftwich).
October 17th, 2019 at 1:16 pm
no pass rush = wide open recievers = many losses
the saints game was very revealing….. our offensive coridinator so out coached it was pathetic
October 17th, 2019 at 1:17 pm
old is never good unless it’s booze…. especially with people…. save the planet fix the climate crisis implement mandatory maximum age of 65 immediately….
October 17th, 2019 at 1:17 pm
Thanks JMark. What a great TV show. I haven’t thought about that show in years.
October 17th, 2019 at 1:19 pm
Allbuccedup … Interesting comment about the retirement home & the Leftwich exception, considering that if I could replace ANY coach on the Bucs’ staff, it’d be Leftwich. Like right now.
‘Old age & cunning will overcome youth & skill every time’. Except in BL’s case, I’m not seeing the ‘skill part’.
October 17th, 2019 at 1:19 pm
I like Arians and would loved to have seen him highly successful but that just isn’t how reality has played out for him.. Being a part of winning teams and running winning teams is not the same… one, you ride the coat tails of the HC success (Josh McDaniels).. the other the team is successful because of your leadership.. Arians has not achieved that…
By delegating all his responsibilities, how much ‘coaching’ is he really doing?..
It surely seems as though not much by the production on the field..
October 17th, 2019 at 1:21 pm
Goober
loved it when I was a kid…was kinda groundbreaking for the time.
After I watched th AZ Cardinals “all or nothing” on Amazon, that’s exactly who BA reminded me of.
October 17th, 2019 at 1:29 pm
Defense Rules
no one beats father time….. 65 is old enough…. too many baby makers and too many old people…. time for seniors to take one for the team….
October 17th, 2019 at 1:42 pm
Millennial Whisperer.
October 17th, 2019 at 1:46 pm
“My Dad woke up with horrible revelations last night
End of this year, we will have a terrible infight between stubborn mule BA and the Glasers
As our QB coach intern Leftffoot continuously sh1ts the bed, the Glasers wants BA to start calling plays or remove the organic BL
This epic conflict and power struggle will be as big as poster Buddy vs the Bucs equipment manager
Whats going to happen next?
I am hoping my Dad gets the prophetic answer tonight in his dreams and as a good Son, I will post it here asap”
Son of Kobe Faker
October 17th, 2019 at 2:31 pm
Arains won’t make it to the end of his contract. He will be retiring again sooner, rather then later. Licht, and the Glazers gave him his golden parachute, that’s the only reason he came back at all, BA, is really BS.
October 17th, 2019 at 2:38 pm
where are all my pals in the Finally we have real coaching crowd???????
October 17th, 2019 at 2:47 pm
tmax, you’re staring to sound like an AOC supporter.
October 17th, 2019 at 3:11 pm
tmaxcon & Kobe … I for one would love to see BA hands-on coach a game, from game-planning all the way through play-calling. I have ZERO IDEA what he’s still got left in the tank, but at one point, BA was pretty danged good. I’m getting concerned now that he’s TOO HANDS OFF with Byron & his offensive staff. More mentoring wouldn’t hurt there, UNLESS BA really doesn’t have it anymore.
Been wondering about the Bucs’ defensive coaching staff recently & I think I found something interesting. I thought this defensive staff all had links to Todd Bowles (guess I expected that BA would let him pick his own staff?), but not so. Their links are to BA, not TB, EXCEPT for DLine coach Kacy Rodgers who has links to BOTH (was TB’s DC in NY from 2015-2018). On looking at Kacy’s resume on Buccaneers.com you find this … “The Jets defense under Rodgers and Bowles posted one of the best run defenses in the NFL, holding teams to just 4.00 yards per carry, the sixth-lowest figure in the NFL during that span, and allowing only 44 rushing touchdowns, tied for the eighth-least in that timeframe.”
Those are almost the same exact results the two of them are getting here. Kacy spent time with the Dolphins prior to Arizona, and with the Cowboys before that. Here’s what his resume says about the latter time … “In four of Rodgers’ five seasons in Dallas, the team ranked inside the NFL’s top 10 for rush defense, notably finishing sixth in the league in 2007.”
Seeing a trend here yet?
October 17th, 2019 at 3:24 pm
You know if there is one change BA is gonna have to make this offseason it’s gonna have to be his reluctance to take rookie O-linemen. Our O-line is trash in pass protection, we’ve given up 25 sacks in 6 games, Jameis is on pace to almost be sacked 70 times at this rate (which would be double his career high). We need new tackles in the worst way.
October 17th, 2019 at 3:46 pm
D-Rome Says:
October 17th, 2019 at 2:47 pm
tmax, you’re staring to sound like an AOC supporter.
i only support my love of Jameson
October 17th, 2019 at 4:02 pm
@AlteredEgo
For once I agree Ronde /Brooks could not be this bad drafting even if on purpose, they know the ingredients needed to have a championship roster
October 17th, 2019 at 4:14 pm
He’ll resign at the end of the year. Possibly before that.
October 17th, 2019 at 5:04 pm
Joe, it really has nothing to do with coaching (even though that is what so many naive posters were saying all offseason). The coaching regimes that have come thourgh fail because the GM sucks and has assembled horrible talent.
October 17th, 2019 at 5:09 pm
What kind of article is that? All of a sudden a coach that could relate in first couple weeks can’t any longer so blame him for any losing seasons? As Parcells said ….paraphrased, if i did not pick the players don’t blame me. We are talking about over ten years of losing culture is gonna change? That is not how it happens nor will it. The players have a losing mentality and the way it change so is you replace them and get some winner mentalities to lead the team. Make examples and cut the non conforming to the team goals such as no penalties, no slacking at practice or game. just like he did with the idiot BoBO!
October 17th, 2019 at 5:43 pm
I seriously think the Glazers should make a JBF poll act as the president of operations at this point.
I’m not even kidding.
Why not at least give the fans some power so if we suck we can at least feel like we have a voice vs paying $$ to support/watch a bunch of overpaid clowns fail year after year?
Seriously why not? Let us play freaking live Madden at this point because we’ve earned it and the Glazer boys haven’t earned anything other than a reputation of constant failure.
Just get a lapdog GM that answers to our internet power without emotion or ego or all the BS that hurts the team: I.e.
1- How to approach FA, coaching staff (i.e. who to keep, let go, target). Put a poll on every player and cut the one’s we are ready to move on from. Hm how would that play out over the last few years based on most opinions here?
A) We’re trading Gerald McCoy for a high draft pick years ago
B) We don’t re-sign Drug Martin
C) We’re cutting Swaggy Baker early in the season
D) We’re not signing JR Sweezy (fan base hated this move at the time)
E) We’re moving on from Grimes earlier
F) We’re firing Mike Smith after his 2nd season failure
G) We’re not signing Perriman and some freaking punter knowing it’s likely costing us 3rd & 4th round compensatory picks. LICHT CUT THEM NOW PLEASE SO WE CAN STILL GET THOSE PICKS.
And a bunch of other stuff other’s here could come up with.
2. How to approach the draft – i.e. big board / draft philosophy. How does that play out?
A) Not sure if this site was on the Aaron Donald train or not honestly but I thought many were. A lot of people also liked
B) We take Laremy Tunsil or Sheldon Rankins over VHIII.
C) We take an OG over Charles Sims (2 probowlers went that year after our pick in that same range – Gabe Jackson & Trai Turner). Everyone here wanted that.
D) We take someone like Michael Thomas / Yanik Ngokue over Roberto Aguayo
E) We take Dalvin Cook over Howard.
F) We take Derwin James over Vea (although Vea is a beast). We take James Daniels C from Iowa or Josh Jackson CB from Iowa if I had to guess the votes here.
G) We take Donte Jackson over MJ Slowart.
H) Give me Nathan Shepard (remember some love here for him) or various other DL/Edge/OL over slow Calrton Davis.
Let’s do it. Or just hire LUVMYBUCS. H3ll I would be fine with Kobe & Realist running the team at this point.
BUCS LIFE lmao
October 17th, 2019 at 6:03 pm
Replace leftwhich
October 17th, 2019 at 6:28 pm
I’d rather have Charles Davis be our new Gm than Ronde honestly.
That dudes player evaluations seem to be pretty spot on year in and year out.
October 17th, 2019 at 7:08 pm
Lord C … Fascinating proposal. Count me in.
October 17th, 2019 at 7:13 pm
Let’s see if with jpp if he plays the defense can stop opponents.
October 17th, 2019 at 8:45 pm
Huge game this weekend. Oregon vs Washington or more importantly Justin Herbert vs Jacob Eason
October 17th, 2019 at 8:47 pm
Can they hurry up and give Winston that 4-year extension so I can stop wasting my time on this team for a few years?
October 17th, 2019 at 9:13 pm
Justin Herbert vs Jacob Eason on Saturday, tune in one could be your future Bucs qb
October 17th, 2019 at 10:16 pm
tmaxcon Says:
October 17th, 2019 at 2:38 pm
where are all my pals in the Finally we have real coaching crowd???????
Still right here. Don’t comment a lot but I predicted a 6-10 record. Still think our coaching is decent, just a lack of talent and loser mentality that kills this team. And you can point a lot of the blame right at Lovie Smith, worst hire we ever made.
October 17th, 2019 at 11:35 pm
I second the Ronde Barner for GM proposition. look, anybody but Jason Licht as GM. I won’t even go into this last draft’s multiple fails by Licht. All you need to know was Robero Aguayo was picked in the 2nd round. If Aguayo turns into the next Vinatieri, it’s still a dumb pick. You need an instant starter that plays snaps in the 2nd round for a bad football team. In fact, just take a gander at our entire 2016 draft. It’s nauseating. At least a few of these guys could work out from last year’s draft. The Bucs 2016 draft has already been proven to be horrific. We don’t have a coaching problem. We have a GM and ownership problem.
October 18th, 2019 at 6:05 am
BA is BR (beet red)…
see the above pic…it’s crazy!…
much worse that tom coughlin’s face when the giants played the packers in the playoffs a few years back in like zero degrees…
bruce’s facial coloring is not normal…he needs to see a doctor about it asap