Arians And Winning QBs
December 31st, 2019
Expects strong defense in 2020.
Joe noticed commenters wigging out why Joe has yet to feature a comment Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians made about winning and quarterbacks.
Why did Joe not run it yesterday? Joe didn’t think the comment was any big deal or enlightening.
Arians, of course yesterday, despite trying to stem the tide and beginning his opening remarks to his season-ending press conference that asking questions about Jameis was “moot.”
Nevermind the presser was mostly questions about Jameis.
In response to a question about fixing Jameis’ interceptions. Arians was asked if the team is good enough to win with another quarterback. Here was Arians’ response:
“With another quarterback? Oh yeah. We can win with this one. We can definitely win with another one too because we’re going to have a defense,” Arians replied.
(You may also watch his response in the ESPN video below shot by Jenna Laine):
So for those asking why Joe didn’t run with this quote earlier — what’s the big deal? Arians said he can win with Jameis or without Jameis, in part, because he believes the defense will be strong.
What’s so special about that? Did anyone expect Arians to say, “Nah man, we can’t win without Jameis. May as well throw the towel in on 2020 and start trading dudes and stocking up on draft capital so we can get Trevor Lawrence. Season’s over and it hasn’t started yet. The roster will be filled with no-good bums.”
So for those who craved Joe’s feedback this quote, you have it.
Arians is prepared to go on and play without Jameis. He has to. What choice does he have other than to retire (again)? Besides, keeping Jameis or not may not be his call.
Remember, Arians doesn’t own the Bucs. Nor does he cut the payroll checks.
December 31st, 2019 at 2:39 am
So the “who ya gonna get to replace Jameis” question is moot as well.
It doesn’t matter to BA. Evidently he feels he could move on and have as much of a chance to win with someone else. Or lose for that matter
In the immoral words of Hillary Clinton
“what difference does it make”
December 31st, 2019 at 3:20 am
100% agree Joe. Thank you for not reporting it the way others have.
The media all too often likes to take a piece of what someone says that is either out of context or doesn’t fully describe what someone is saying.
To me this is one of the primary reason most Americans do not trust the media.
Did Arians say what the media is running with? Yes he did, but the narrative is a lie and unfortunately the media as it often does runs with the lie.
December 31st, 2019 at 3:43 am
Lol a killary Clinton quote
December 31st, 2019 at 4:13 am
Ocala
Sadly far too many Americans do in fact trust everything the media barfs out
December 31st, 2019 at 4:35 am
Fake news is called fake for a reason.
December 31st, 2019 at 4:39 am
It wasn’t a ringing endorsement of the 30-30 man.
December 31st, 2019 at 4:42 am
The Bucs resign Winston and Shaq, then use them, with OJ and some 1st rounders to trade for Andrew Luck.
Book it.
December 31st, 2019 at 4:45 am
“Remember, Arians doesn’t own the Bucs or does he cut the payroll checks.” While this seems a pointless comment to end the article, shouldn’t it be nor and not or?
December 31st, 2019 at 4:48 am
Some thoughts…
If Perriman is gone, then the Bucs have complete garbage at WR in the 3-6 position. They have to address that. One option might be Hump if he gets cut after his 330 yard season with the Titans. Even though he doesn’t fit the offense, you make some space for a guy like that and you play him around the LOS as an outlet for Winston that won’t drop the ball like Brate did to lose that Houston game.
You figure Brate is out, at $7m he’s too expensive to keep – and should get a decent draft pick (maybe a 4th). Watson was terrible, so he should be gone. Scotty Miller, who knows as he’s like a more injured D-Jax if D-Jax had no track record.
So seriously, they have to make a lot of moves at WR. Basically it’s Evans and Godwin and you can flip everyone else if Perriman is too expensive.
On the o-line I’m asking Jensen to give back like $3m a year, if he doesn’t, then I’m cutting him. He’s OK, but not at $10m a year. If you find an early center in the draft, a pro-level guy, then take him and save a ton of cap space.
That’s all for the moment, I’ll have more over the coming months, so stay tuned as I know you’re going to be awaiting my every word.
God bless.
December 31st, 2019 at 4:57 am
There are more interesting things that he said, some of which seem like BS.
For example, they didn’t bench Winston because Gabbert was hurt. However, earlier in the season he simply stated INTs were part of the growth process. In retrospect, Koetter was clearly right to bench Winston, even though Fitz was not eventually the answer either. Bottom line is Winston wasn’t working in2018, and he was sat. He didn’t work in 2019 either and should have been sat. EXCEPT…my take is Winton was given all the rope he needed with no fear of repurcussions for turnovers and continued (over) nurturing..and he took that rope and hung himself. Very few, and probably NO other teams will want him as a starter because the QB whisperer couldn’t fix him. Arguably, he may have made Winston worse in the interception department.
But here is something many should get a grip on: BA is on management’s side. He nurtured, coddled, otherwise tolerated a player with traits that cannot be tolerated during the season. Now that it’s over, BA is in bang-for-buch mode with Licht to look at the best combinations of draft, FA, and salary cap on an aggregate basis…for the whole team. The Bucs owe Winston nothing, and they probably regret ever drafting him given five years of problems on and off the field. If they can find someone who will take better care of the ball, not singlehandedly lose multiple games in a season and be a major risk every time he drops back, they will. They most certainly will. And a bridge QB (who they will look at in the meatime) doesn’t have to be “better” than Winston. He needs to be a better decision maker and take better care of it. As Arians said…”We have this defense.”
So Winston will act like a hurt puppy and proclaim all things about God just like he usually does when he is in sort of trouble. After five years, no one is fooled anymore and I think they Glazers can rest east knowing they gave him every chance…and con move on in good conscience now.
December 31st, 2019 at 4:59 am
I understand fake news but he did say it…he didn’t have to and often fake news is only fake because it doesn’t fit the reporters agenda.
This narrative does not fit the we must keep Winston, the 30-30 man, man at all costs because__________________ (fill in the excuse/reason) so a reporter that ascribes to that agenda isn’t likely to give this quote much ink and be dismissive of it.
Present company excepted of course.
December 31st, 2019 at 5:05 am
Speaking of Jean’s comments above, too many Winston campers are acting like you can’t replace a guy unless you have someone better. That rule applies to coaches and sports where there is no salary. In the NFL, if a part of the whole machine isn’t working, and probably isn’t going to work and is drawing resources from the rest of the machine, you try something different…especially if you think you can get the same results as you are currently by swapping out for cheaper and perhaps more reliable parts to make the machine work better…or allow it to work at all. Arians pretty much said it too…in so many words, 5000 yards doesn’t mean a thing if 30 INTs and five fumbles make you lose. And all the Winston campers say “Well, that’s who Winston is.” Not here he’s not.
December 31st, 2019 at 5:06 am
^^^salary CAP that is
December 31st, 2019 at 5:12 am
Here is another point folks need to grip: They DID give Winston all the rope he needed (as mentioned above, he hung himself with it). But the “leader” of this team and who SOME (not me) think would be the face of this franchise, had TWO opportunitys on EACH of the final games (as he had numerous times in the games before that he also failed in) to take him team down the field and win the game. He had it in his wheelhouse to HAND the Glazers who were so patient with him AND HAND BA, the QB whisperer, a “winning” season to help the Glazers out with marketing and help BA out with his pride of saying in his first year he went in and turned the Bucs into a winning football team. Licht, with a reputation of draft busts, obviously has some equities in Winston proving detractors wrong. And of course, the fans never boo’d him in five years as they grew ever more restless and gave him still more chancces. And Winston SCREWED them all. So thanks a lot Winston….for nothing. Man is bad for all.
December 31st, 2019 at 6:13 am
Rod Munch:
That’s all for the moment, I’ll have more over the coming months, so stay tuned as I know you’re going to be awaiting my every word.
Lol! love it! cant wait for the next installment! kinda cranked up there @O-dark thirty! Anyway, I agree with trading Brate and signing Perriman. I would like to get a QB 2nd round-Jacob Eason to learn while Winston plays on the franchise tag. Defense is a strength! Wow-fast turn around!
December 31st, 2019 at 6:27 am
Ok Rod… thx for the Luck pipe dream…. lol…
Would be so cool if Luck came out of retirement and played for Arians somehow. With Evans & Godwin…
Good lord this offense would be unstoppable w a tackle and nice RB in draft…
We can dream Bucs fans… it’s more pleasant than our reality.. lol…
December 31st, 2019 at 6:31 am
If we bring a veteran QB in around $15-20 mil it would certainly almost guarantee we can bring everyone we want back next season.
December 31st, 2019 at 6:32 am
The most important thing Arians said yesterday is that the money is all in the same pot…..that money for Winston (QB) affects what you have to spend elsewhere….
This is all about the money.
December 31st, 2019 at 6:35 am
One word stands out….”definitely”. To say we can win with the one we have but then we can definitely win with another…..that’s a bit telling.
I really believe coaches understand the data/stats when it comes to probabilities of winning/losing when you turn the ball over. HC for the Colts, Reich, mentioned this after losing to us even though we turned the ball over 4 times. Statistically the odds are heavily against you when you’re on the negative side of the turnover margin every game. The data is clear….Winston turns it over more then 3% of his drop backs….The league avg was 2.4% this year….He was at 4.7% for the year.
So here’s the angle I think folks really need to consider…..Arians time remaining. We go one more year with Winston on the franchise tag…..and that doesn’t work out, now we 3 yrs remaining. Which means the next year a new QB comes in and he’ll likely go 8 games or so with a higher degree of turnovers learning the system before settling down. So now we may be at only 2 good years with Arians. That’s our “window”? This defense will be 3 yrs older…JPP, Suh, even David….They may be on the serious decline by then. The window is now….I firmly believe that. Half that defense is on rookie deals for another 3-4 yrs and Arians believes they are about to be a top tier unit. The offense is stacked….I don’t think the Glazers waste another year looking at Winston unless he comes in at $20 million.
December 31st, 2019 at 6:44 am
Ocala Says:
December 31st, 2019 at 3:20 am
100% agree Joe. Thank you for not reporting it the way others have.
The media all too often likes to take a piece of what someone says that is either out of context or doesn’t fully describe what someone is saying.
To me this is one of the primary reason most Americans do not trust the media.
Did Arians say what the media is running with? Yes he did, but the narrative is a lie and unfortunately the media as it often does runs with the lie.
LOL – JOE IS THE MEDIA TOO
December 31st, 2019 at 6:44 am
LOL! It’s amazing how people can hear the same thing being said and have vastly divergent views on what was said.
Media is there to sell soap folks. Every last media conglomerate is beholden to their stockholders and are….wait for it….FOR PROFIT! Yep, they have bills to pay and mouths to feed. Do you know what sells in media? Titillation. That’s why you rarely hear stories about athletes giving time to help children, the needy, or the elderly. What sells? Antonio Brown sells, Jameis Winston sells, Jason Garrett sells.
Fake news! Fake news got started because the media stopped fact-checking news stories BEFORE running them. Know why? US! Because we want everything right freaking now. Forget about facts, just scoop the story before the other guy does.
Sadly, the term “fake news” is now primarily used to counter stories we don’t agree with, factual or not.
I say that to say this: Jameis Winston will remain the great drama in Tampa Bay. Everything said for or against will be magnified and picked apart. The really sad part in the end is the fans have no control over the it, but will be the most effected by it, drama and all.
Don’t be mad at the media, they’re just trying to sell soap! Soap is what we’re going to get!
Rant over.
December 31st, 2019 at 6:54 am
Arians comment are along the lines of what I have been saying for weeks. I have confidence that the Bucs will win next season with or without Jameis. I think Arians has already spotted a QB that he will take in the 2nd round whom will sit and observe for 5 to 6 games and if Jameis is his same ole self he will be replaced without the Bucs missing a beat or Arians will bring in a experience QB. Maybe he already have one on staff. But I don’t think he will put up with Jameis bad decisions next season
December 31st, 2019 at 7:29 am
Kudos Joe
Everyone else added the word “if” and completely changed the context and his entire point. I’m shocked that the media would do such a thing SHOCKED I tell you!!
December 31st, 2019 at 7:31 am
Joe.. you are thing too deeply, or wishfully. It is like when Erin Andrews says she has plenty of dates, whether we date her or not….and you interpret that to mean she is just negotiating for the place to go out to dinner, but down deep she has her heart set for you.
The Jameis deal is in flux…depends on many factors as Arians said. Take his word for it.
December 31st, 2019 at 7:35 am
How about we take the money that Jameis wants and spend that SAME amount and sign Teddy Bridgewater as a starter
December 31st, 2019 at 7:40 am
I love you people, you think a new QB is going to walk in here next season coming into a new offense for them, new receivers for them, new coaching for them, playing behind this line, with no running game, with a defense that we’re are being sold as better (yet just let the freaking Atlanta Falcons walk right down the field and tie the game on us AT HOME in the last seconds) and play well? Didn’t this same coach say all off-season this offense takes time to learn and there will be struggles during this first year and even pointed to those struggles by Manning, Luck, Big Ben and Palmer? But now some dude is going to walk in and just dominate? So all year when this coach said some of the TOs were on other players he was a liar and he was covering for his boy, but now since it is something you want to hear you love him and believe every word?
December 31st, 2019 at 7:40 am
On the OTHER hand, if throwing INT’s is an important part of growth and learning than Winston will be a genius next year! (lolololo)
December 31st, 2019 at 7:41 am
He didn’t say it tho. We’re not hearing two different things from the same word.
It’s added words that he didn’t even say.
I even saw it on NFL network last night. They used the word “if” then played the clip and “if” wasn’t in his words. Maybe NFL network should get their Bucs news from JBF so they don’t become the NFLs version of CNN.
December 31st, 2019 at 7:43 am
@bucsfanman… you could have just said, “Bruce Arians was asked a question that was, by design, impossible to answer without being the focus of rumor based articles.” Dispite joe constantly referring to himself in the 3rd person constantly… which makes me want to rip his thout out and feed it it to infants… I felt it was appropriate that joe recognized the media driven question that was designed to get clicks. Seriously.. can the team win with another qb? Technically, yes.. a team can without their starting qb. Its amusing to watch reporters ask idiotic questions.
December 31st, 2019 at 7:59 am
yeah many press outlets have cropped this statement just right and are running with it to stir the pot…
#MediaManipulation
bruce believes he will always win with whomever he puts out there
December 31st, 2019 at 8:00 am
So Ndog… on what basis do you think Jameis will be any better next year than he has the last 5? He wasn’t in bulk this last year. And we will be lucky to ever make the playoffs with his inconsistencies.
December 31st, 2019 at 8:04 am
And if that is the case, on what basis do we play the game? Just so we can have the personalities we like on the field? Maybe that is good enough for you, but I want to be in competition for championships. And we never will be with Mr. Hyde lurking any given game to knock us out of any string of victories.
I mean…if you listened to Arians, he basically said we will NEVER win with such performance.
December 31st, 2019 at 8:04 am
jameis is no mariotta…he’s been a hot topic all year and is becoming a superstar off “entertainment”…he’s like the cover boy for “us weekly” of the nfl…if that makes any sense…
notice he’s growing his hair out too…i bet he comes back with a funk new hair-do next season too…
maybe even a freaky deaky more stylish wardrobe too…
jameis is the nfl’s very own crazy entertainment…
what is he gonna do next besides get his 30 mil…
vegas is a crazy place…he might just fill the bill there with chucky
December 31st, 2019 at 8:06 am
When I watched BA’s presser it reminded me of some of the same stuff Koetter used to say. In not so many words BA said, if we could fix it, the turnovers, it would’ve been fixed. I think that’s the bottom line. Jameis’s interception problems are not fixable. When watching the Clemson game a commentator mentioned how quickly Lawrence learns from his mistakes, and doesn’t repeat them. Five years people, Jameis is a slow learner, or simply just can’t be taught.
December 31st, 2019 at 8:06 am
facts:
did you know jameis believes you can fit a square peg in a round hole…
#ThusTheUberIncident
December 31st, 2019 at 8:08 am
dam…losing the last 2 games like this at home, really down cycled everything we were building….
going into the entire offseason off that final pick 6 is ruff stuff
December 31st, 2019 at 8:11 am
jameis coulda been a hero if he marched them down for a td…
instead he is eating a lot of dust due in reality to kicker matt gay’s ineptitudes…
we shoulda won with 28 points long before they got to 22 or 28…
(say matt gay made 2 of 3 on the day = 28 points)
December 31st, 2019 at 8:21 am
Yeah but let’s be honest, if you guys weren’t such huge Winston fanbois you’d have interpreted that comment much differently.
December 31st, 2019 at 8:25 am
@BA … “We can win with this one. We can definitely win with another one too because we’re going to have a defense”.
Maybe I missed something in the comments, but BA is focused on one thing in those comments: THE BUCS’ DEFENSE. Sure does appear that he’s convinced now that REGARDLESS of what his offense or S/Ts looks like, that THIS DEFENSE can lead us to CONSISTENT WINS. Why? ” … because we’re going to have a defense” in his words.
BA has seen the light. The Bucs have historically been a DEFENSIVE TEAM first & foremost. We’re returning to our roots.
The best TEAMs this year ALL had strong defenses, plus more-than-adequate offenses. Now someone needs to tell BA that a goodly portion of his 2019 defense doesn’t belong to him any longer. Build on what we developed in 2019. Re-sign JPP, Barrett, Suh, Nassib, Nunez-Roches, Minter, Adams & Ryan Smith then draft a bull DT/DE high to replace Allen & sign a veteran starter-quality Safety. That SHOULD allow us to pick up where we left off.
December 31st, 2019 at 8:28 am
It is not that Jameis makes throws that others can’t, he makes throws that others don’t care to throw. He throws too many 50-50 balls that minimize ball security.
It would be easier to win with a more careful QB, not harder. Without receivers who can win contested catches, Jameis would be even worse.
Put some hope into this franchise and dump Winston.
December 31st, 2019 at 8:36 am
Joe, love the way that you covered this story. I have been so 50/50 on Mr. Entertainment this year. I think that Tampa has to bring him back, outside of Bridgwater, I’m not positive with other options. That said, Do you think that Tampa has to get a deal in place before Dak and Mahomes? I have not said it here But I fully think that Winston will get $30 a year on a 3 maybe 4-year deal. guarantees in years 1 and some in year 2. make the deal incentive based. Do you think GM’s are motivated to extend players before the new CBA is agreed upon? I know that the new CBA wont start until next offseason but currently the news is that players revenue would jump from 47% to 50%. that could see a large jump in the CAP for teams meaning that contracts will raise fast. I think that in 2-years we could see quarterbacks making 45-50 million a year, which would make Winston’s $30 mil-a-year look pretty team friendly in retrospect.
December 31st, 2019 at 9:27 am
Winston is as good as gone. BA knows they have to resign a lot of valuable players and signing America’s interception machine isn’t smart. They can pick up a veteran QB and draft the future QB. All for much cheaper and less drama.
December 31st, 2019 at 10:24 am
First off I would not franchise JW. He would be paid around 27mil. Way to much. Like I said before, put the transition tag on him or pay him 20mil w/incentives. Or maybe just let him walk. Who knows BA may already have someone in mind if he walks. Carson Palmer comes to mind. By all that is holy take care of the defense first.
December 31st, 2019 at 10:34 am
Plodding Brad Johnson won our only Super Bowl by protecting the ball with a stellar defense and a decent run game (Michael Pittman).
December 31st, 2019 at 10:37 am
What is it Warren Sapp said?
“Just give me 17 points”?
December 31st, 2019 at 10:39 am
December 31st, 2019 at 11:33 am
Can we stop with the Teddy Bridgewater crap? He’s not a fit. Captain Checkdown QBs that lack the arm strength to drive the ball downfield and can’t take a hit are not a fit here.
Derek Carr is a great fit. Trubisky might be okay. Stafford, even Foles is a better fit than Teddy.
If you think a rookie can come in and master this offense when Carson Palmer and Winston were turnover machines in their first year, you’re crazy.
December 31st, 2019 at 12:03 pm
Our defense is turning into something special. With that said if our defense keeps improving at the rate they are I’d be ok with bring Winston back can’t deny his production but not to many great QBs can with with the bad defense that we’ve had. Even with the turnovers rate that comes with Winston we have to have a great defense
December 31st, 2019 at 1:06 pm
Denial is strong on this site.
December 31st, 2019 at 1:12 pm
We can win with another q.b., isn’t telling? It was a clear shot at Jameis, and actually says a lot. So much so that nfl.com, espn, Tampa bay times and many other outlets reported on it.
December 31st, 2019 at 2:21 pm
This is NOT about a “QB Whisperer” or five years of “learning”.
JW is NEVER going to learn because if that is a problem it’s far second to his major issue.
He is an egomaniac…athletically…he BELIEVES he can make throws that he cannot…throws sometimes that NO QB could make…he simply does not have a realistic evaluation of his own abilities versus NFL talent.
Jameis seems pretty sure that he is SPECIAL…he DOES have a special arm…after that….not so much…character issues…horrid decision making on and off the field…
Why must we pay 30 million for POTENTIAL? How about a contract with a minimum salary and maximum bonuses allowed.
A contract that pays him what his “performance” is worth.
IE…This year he was overpaid…Andy Dalton could have done this year for less money. So could Ryan Tannehill! So could…(fill in the blank)
Win 12 games and a first round playoff and I wouldn’t care if JW earned 35 million. Can they not structure that with bonuses or does the CBA not allow it?
December 31st, 2019 at 3:52 pm
You were smart to wait to run this story Joe, as Jenna Laine got roasted on Twitter yesterday and it was ugly. The Jameis 1of1 book guy went at her and she sent him a nasty little tweet back but quickly deleted it … but not before he got a screenshot of it and posted it and then things got crazy and even Scott and Carmie (Bucs employees) came in and defended Jameis 1of1 and attacked Jenna. It was a wild show! Bucs Twitter might be the most entertaining NFL team Twitter there is, soooooooooooooooo fun!!!!
December 31st, 2019 at 4:10 pm
D.R.
JW is the focus but I picked up what you did as well. BA is obviously pleased with how the D have turned out.
The only place I may mildly disagree is the need to tell him. He pointed out how talented our front seven D players are and how many are ready to get paid…making the point that it all comes from the same pot of money as Jameis.
Some of that may be negotiating but I do not believe it’s posturing. It’s the truth! We have now become D.R.’s team. LMAO
Although with our receivers I haven’t given up yet. A Philip Rivers could light this place up! He just had one of his worse seasons ever and is kvetchng over 20 ints…he’s done that twice before but averages in the lower teens. 20 would have looked good for us this year.