Bruce Arians Implies Starters Should Stay Home Until June
May 15th, 2021
Voluntary spring practices seemed to get a bit more voluntary yesterday.
There’s been a lot of chatter from the NFL players union about whether their members should attend voluntary spring practices this season, with mighty Tom Brady weighing on the relative worthlessness of the annual exercise.
As was discussed on the first episode of The Ira Kaufman Podcast this week, there’s something stinky about Brady directly or indirectly advising a guy fighting for a starting job or a roster spot to sit home on principle.
Which Bucs running back should sit out OTAs (offseason training activities) and expect to impress coaches while his position competitors are sweating their asses off? Or what about safety Mike Edwards, for example?
Regardless, offseason workouts are voluntary and there’s momentum among players to not attend this season. Coaches, of course, treasure every practice and in-person meeting. But it seems Bucco Bruce Arians has softened his stance, per his comments yesterday.
Arians spoke after rookie/tryout-player minicamp practice and sent a message to veterans that he blesses them staying home.
“I’m sure we’ll have a bunch more of our guys show up in the next few weeks, not necessarily do I want the veterans here – the starters here – until minicamp (June 7 through 9,) but we need the bottom half of our roster here working.”
Joe got a bit of a chuckle at the “bottom-of-the-roster” comment. Does, say, Scotty Miller, call Arians to ask if he qualifies as a bottom-of-the-roster guy?
Does Cameron Brate text Byron Leftwich to ask if he’s the third-string tight end?
Of course, Arians could have said he wants all veterans in the house and will just do walk-throughs versus anything physical. Joe is not knocking Arians, but Arians will have to find just the right balance to be sure his team is peaking on Sept. 9, and mentally and physically ready for the 17-game grind.
Enjoy today’s Ira Kaufman Podcast, with special guest Bucs safeties coach Nick Rapone.
May 15th, 2021 at 9:07 am
Win – win!
With this roster!
Gives quality time for non starters and coaches to get a better feel for each other.
The veterans on this roster take their off season conditioning program very seriously.
Not worried at all
May 15th, 2021 at 9:14 am
The bottom half of our roster all have SB rings…..who’d a thunk it?
May 15th, 2021 at 9:24 am
The Bucs had a longer season last year, and the hoopla…makes sense.
May 15th, 2021 at 9:38 am
Is this a strategy to keep players fresh for a longer season?
May 15th, 2021 at 10:14 am
The veterans, including the starters, need to be present even if they don’t get too physical. This is a “team” after all. This will demonstrate an incentive to all as well. The NFLPA can’t use the pandemic as a valid excuse this time. Like many in their jobs, some folks like it better now working from home, and I can’t blame them. But you gotta be in the house to win in the NFL. Hopefully guys show even if not required, if for nothing else, to mentor and encourage the others. That said, they were a cohesive group last year which helped fuel them to the SB, so I think they will be fine.
May 15th, 2021 at 10:28 am
The team needs to peak in late November.
May 15th, 2021 at 10:30 am
smart move
May 15th, 2021 at 10:42 am
Not so good things happen when players aren’t at the facility……..Jameis, Beckwith, ASJ, JPP, Barth….the list goes on.
I do think it’s a good idea for all players to be there, at least some of the time…..even if they don’t practice……there are other things they can work on…..and they can help teach younger less-experienced players.
May 15th, 2021 at 11:05 am
Poor choice of words used ny the coach. Words matter to all of us.
THINK THE COACHE LIKES BEING called FAT?
.
May 15th, 2021 at 11:05 am
I still see guys practicing on high school fields and personal workouts. Is Brady playing soft pass and catch with receivers and oline be too much? All these boys are men. Might be a dumb question but do you have to show up everyday during voluntary workouts? Sounds like Tom is just saying cut those no names and rookies now before they have any knowledge of their coaches or the NFL atmosphere.
May 15th, 2021 at 11:08 am
Seems like they’re getting to the point now we’re voluntary actually means what the word means. In the past the players knew that voluntary workouts were something less than voluntary. Last year’s changes coupled with the fact that the season went on just fine in large part, gave the NFL PA some ammunition to work on what the word voluntary actually means. If teams don’t like it they can consider changing it to mandatory, but then that has to be negotiated and that would never happen. Non issue. I’m hoping.
May 15th, 2021 at 11:23 am
Wait what? Brady telling players to stay home? But some of the goobers on this site when it came out that the bucs were one of the teams to petition away in person otas said how brady would never skip practice and such a hard worker eventhough i tried pointing out that brady was known for skipping otas in new england. Say it aint so joe
May 15th, 2021 at 11:24 am
I cannot understand why NFL wants players to play ball during the off-season. In MLB, players take time off until one month before the season. Only few few players play winter games.
May 15th, 2021 at 11:40 am
Yada Yada Yada
May 15th, 2021 at 12:36 pm
“Cowboy Ready”
May 15th, 2021 at 12:40 pm
That’s a “If you’re worried about your job get your butt in here “ message
May 15th, 2021 at 12:58 pm
^^^ True! True! TampaTown ^^^
May 15th, 2021 at 2:01 pm
…definitely is NOT strategy. BA is forced by their union decision, as TB12 was playing polit!@s, like how much he agrees for the team NOT to show on voluntary practice. Sad. No practice, no success, period. Yes we played well, yes we won, but let consider and the LUCK that help us to get there. Probability and statics, tell us how hard is to have the LUCK in your side AGAIN. So what you do?? Practice,training,practice. I don’t care who is in your team…. no practice=more injuries. BA knows that, TP12 knows that…. but you have to be polit1@ly correct on these days…sad
May 15th, 2021 at 3:07 pm
In BA I trust
May 15th, 2021 at 3:25 pm
I like it when webster comes out of his little hate closet to remind all of us how wrong we were…. or are…. or will soon be….
Charter member of the Nuthugger Brigade and the little yip-yip dog barking out of his safe window.
Still barking.
Still hating.
Still yearning for Jaboo.
Easy little guy, easy now……
We just won the SB.
It’s gonna be alright!
Go get your ball!
May 15th, 2021 at 7:53 pm
Interesting
May 15th, 2021 at 9:00 pm
There’s a big difference between “bottom half” what BA said and bottom.
May 16th, 2021 at 8:36 am
who cares about voluntary mini camps…. We just won the F&*(ING Superbowl with no offseason and a new QB.
May 16th, 2021 at 11:04 am
I think all players should report. The starters could at least help the bottom half learn. So much for Brady, for example, mentoring Trask.
May 16th, 2021 at 1:04 pm
Stars like Tom want to do it their way–he takes his receiver buddies to Montana. Obviously backups and rookies cannot be complacent; OTA’s are voluntary for stars only, but they can’t exactly put that in contractual language–BA, as usual, is just being realistic.
May 16th, 2021 at 2:51 pm
Bonzai that is not Bradys job. It’s coaching staff and Trasks responsibility to be prepared to play.
May 17th, 2021 at 7:42 pm
Let’s face it, rookies and fringe players will want to participate in OTAs. Starters and players guaranteed to make the roster have no business being there. Rest and recovery from a REALLY long last season and a longer season this year are more important. Rest up, they’re gonna need it to win out this year.