“That’s What Wins For Them”
May 17th, 2021
Bucco Bruce Arians’ friend speaks out
Could this be the final year in Tampa for Bucco Bruce Arians?
Joe thinks so, especially if the Bucs win the Super Bowl again.
As Arians himself has said, when his top assistants depart Tampa, then he’ll think very seriously about quitting his head coaching gig.
But that’s just Joe’s take, a far more intriguing opinion comes from Buccaneers icon Rondé Barber, a lifelong friend of Arians and a guy who for the Bucs’ in-house media.
Barber was asked on CBS Sports Radio last week how many more years Arians will coach.
“I think Bruce has whatever Bruce wants,” Barber replied.
“He’s a guy that didn’t get a chance until later in life. I think his experiences leading up to this put him in a perfect position to make him a Super Bowl coach. And so his perspective is great. He gives a lot of deference to his coaches, a lot of deference to his offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator. And he just lets them do their job. And I believe that Bruce is as good as that as anybody in the NFL. Bruce is great, man.
“Bruce has this sense of himself, that he’s not so insecure that he has to do Byron Leftwich’s job. He doesn’t have to do Todd Bowles’ job. He just lets himself be who he is and talks to the players. And to me, that’s what wins for them. And Bruce has been great at it.”
Yes, Arians is a savvy, CEO-style head coach. It suits him and the Bucs well. But that CEO approach only works when you have trusted assistants that you don’t have to mold/groom/train. Arians has said multiple times that he no longer wants “to coach coaches.”
Joe views it as largely up to Team Glazer to determine how long Arians stays in Tampa. If Team Glazer pays Bowles and Leftwich enough, they won’t leave. Everyone has a price.
May 17th, 2021 at 7:28 am
I dont think the Glazers let Lefwhich go and that depending how this year goes that Bowels gets another shot at the HC spot if he wants it. There will be several teams on the market for an HC and depending on their record the Bears might be a spot for Bowels
May 17th, 2021 at 7:32 am
Bruce is out. A lot of changes coming so enjoy THIS season immensely
May 17th, 2021 at 7:45 am
Tough one to guess , I could make a case in both cases if they are fortunate to win the SB again this year.
May 17th, 2021 at 8:20 am
If he wins the SB again this year he might be gone. Otherwise it’s all about his health and how he FEELS.
AND what kind of position he may wish to create for himself if he wishes to continue working but at a more relaxed pace.
He has a buddy above him…two buddies beneath him so he seems somewhat stuck but they could easily create some kind of Coughlin like hybrid position for him where BA leaves the sidelines to either BL or TB…whomever succeeds him.
May 17th, 2021 at 8:51 am
I agree that Todd Bowles deserves another shot at a head coaching position, but why in Chicago ?
If Aaron Rodgers leaves Green Bay, then Chicago is poised to possibly win that division, especially with their drafting of Justin Fields from Ohio State.
May 17th, 2021 at 8:53 am
@Joe … “If Team Glazer pays Bowles and Leftwich enough, they won’t leave. Everyone has a price.”
Oh you were doing so great up until that point Joe. That view of mankind assumes that money is the great motivator for ‘everyone’. For some it probably is, but for many that’s not the case IMO.
Bruce Arians is a case in point. Do you really think that BA would’ve come out of retirement for say $5 mil a year to be the Bucs’ offensive coordinator working for say Jon Gruden if the Glazers had gone for Chucky? I seriously doubt it. BA was more than likely ‘financially comfortable’ prior to taking the Bucs’ HC job. I’d bet that it was the CHALLENGE of getting back in the driver’s seat & making a run for the gold that put it over the top for BA.
Same thing I’d surmise with Tom Brady. He could be making a LOT more than he’s making, but his motivation is to WIN. And he’s a smart businessman in that he’s willing to settle for less than he could get to help pay for a strong TEAM around him.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with BA & Bowles & Leftwich at the end of this season, but for right now, I’m just grateful that we’ve got the coaching staff that we’ve got.
May 17th, 2021 at 9:08 am
My money would be on this being BA’s last year. Realistic observation is how the Belicheats get their coaching staff raided every year. With what Bowles did last year with the Buc’s D, and Leftwich to a lesser degree, I think teams already realize they missed out on snagging a quality HC.
At least one will be gone following our Bucs undefeated season and 3rd SB victory this year
May 17th, 2021 at 9:26 am
If someone were to start constantly calling BA the “Old Stale Biscuit” then perhaps he’d stay longer to prove them wrong.
May 17th, 2021 at 10:02 am
Wait what? Arians gives a lot of deference to BL? But the posters here said BL does nothing. They say Brady call the plays. So let me get this straight…..Barber who is very plugged in to whats going on behind the scenes is yet another person acknowledging that BL runs the show offensively yet the coach/posters here says he does nothing?.?.!.!. Interesting….Who am I to believe? Arians who stated as such multiple times? Maybe barber who is just reiterating what Arians said? Or Brady who has acknowledged BL’s playcalling and gameplanning or the coach/posters on this site? Very difficult lol
May 17th, 2021 at 11:32 am
No matter how one describes it, the Bucs have an ideal mix. They’ll be better this year.
May 17th, 2021 at 11:45 am
TBBF…nice.
May 17th, 2021 at 11:58 am
I could see him sticking around Tom Moore style. There’s plenty of fresh water lakes here in Tampa, ya don’t gotta go to Georgia for that
May 17th, 2021 at 4:13 pm
BL and TB absolutely KNOW there will be opportunities available to them when BA turns in the golf cart, regardless of whether one or both stay or end up going somewhere else, the opportunities will be there.
BA, BL and TB are very tight, perhaps more so then I’ve ever seen watching the NFL for 50+ years. So it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them stay together even after this season ends, regardless of how successful it is. I think as long as BA stays, so do they. After all, cue up the Rollin’ Stones here: “Time is on their side, yes it is”!
Go Bucs!
May 17th, 2021 at 6:50 pm
I lean to agree with Methacated Pete as every year is different.
May 18th, 2021 at 10:25 am
Lefty is way overrated just like Justin Fields. When was the last time a QB from Ohio State made it big in the pros?
May 18th, 2021 at 10:27 am
Bowles should be considered for the Bucs next HC. By no means no Lefty. Would be a big mistake.