“I Think It Is Just A Reload”
January 24th, 2022
Bruce Arians
If Bucs quarterback Tom Brady happens to up and retire, Joe is thinking the 2022 Tampa Bay roster could be a rebuild.
Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians disagrees. While he admitted he hasn’t yet spoken to Brady about his future, Arians didn’t exactly say the team will hit the panic button if Brady calls it quits.
“I think it is just a reload, like it is every year.,” Arians said. “For us, free agency will be our guys. See how many we can get back and build a team from there.”
While Arians said bringing every starter back for the 2021 season was an unexpected present, he didn’t discount that several Bucs free agents could be re-signed. “Last year, to get everybody back was amazing. Doubt we can do it all again this year but we are sure going to give it our best.”
So who would play quarterback if Brady packs it in?
Arians said he is comfortable with starting a quarterback already on the roster, but he offered no names. Arians, almost with a twinkle in his eye, also invoked the notorious “Door No. 2” reference.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:10 am
Go get Rogers and let Brady retire
January 24th, 2022 at 11:10 am
Deshaun Watson!!
January 24th, 2022 at 11:12 am
Dare I say, Aaron Rodgers.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:12 am
trask? it can’t be gabbert
January 24th, 2022 at 11:13 am
If they manage to get Rogers Im buying season tickets and I live 700 mile away. lol lol lol
January 24th, 2022 at 11:13 am
if you bring Rodgers might as well include AB.
drama vs drama = comedy
January 24th, 2022 at 11:15 am
I would prefer Trask over Diva Rodgers. Not a team player
January 24th, 2022 at 11:19 am
Russel Wilson or Desaun Watson.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:21 am
I want AB as far as he can be from the Tampa area…..and if possible, out of the planet….Disgusting ego maniac, bad person, bad teammate….
I hate that dude…..
And we do not have the money for Rodgers……so forget about it!!!
January 24th, 2022 at 11:22 am
IF Brady leaves, I think we should go after Watson. Man can play and is mobile.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:22 am
@ClodHopper – Good choice with Wilson. Watson, not so much.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:23 am
If Brady leaves, we lose Gronk. We also probably lose a lot of other guys too.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:23 am
I just hope it’s not Gabbert…….give Trask a chance……maybe he fails but he should have that opportunity……No future with Gabbert…..
What about Jimmy G. ?
January 24th, 2022 at 11:24 am
I figured Brady was gone, but not so sure anymore.
I HOPE he comes back!
January 24th, 2022 at 11:24 am
And now we have to put up with Ahole Brown mocking the Bucs on twitter.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:25 am
Brady has made us top of our division this year and Super Bowl Champs last year. I hope he comes back. ONE MORE YEAR!!!
January 24th, 2022 at 11:27 am
Any FA quarterback would love to come to Tampa. Great O-line (When healthy) solid RB’s and elite wide receivers. Good TE’s also. The Bucs are an ideal landing spot. Just need to wave some glazer loot at them.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:30 am
there’s no way it’s Trask… if so, then how do you explain adding Ryan Griffin to the roster… unless that’s just how the chips fell but my guess is that Trask was inactive yesterday and Griffin was #3…
January 24th, 2022 at 11:32 am
IF only IF Brady decides to retire,,,,,,,,,,, try to get Rodgers, then Wilson, Watson is questionable, depends on his legal battles, bring Jameis back… NOT!
January 24th, 2022 at 11:32 am
I am sorry and I will start sh!t. But I would take Jameis before I would take the Proven Choke Artist first.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:32 am
He’s referring to Trask whom I’m ready to see… As far as door #2 he’s referring to bringing Luck out retirement lol …Bt no seriously
Wilson, Watson , Carr
GoBucs!
January 24th, 2022 at 11:33 am
The only guy I want is Brady. My season tickets for next season hinge on his decision. Go Bucs! Let’s get one more Brady!
January 24th, 2022 at 11:37 am
It may be more of a reload. He may be referring to Bowles or Leftwich have already accepted other positions. If Brady comes back, I bet we only lose a couple. And if JPP has surgery and wants to come back, I’d bring him back. I think we need to replace SMB in the secondary. Donavan Smith looked awful yesterday, but so did the entire line. The series of replays where they showed Donald beating everyone on the line was sad. We need Godwin and maybe Grayson could turn into an everyday 3rd. We’re really close again.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:38 am
Jameis will resurface if Brady leaves. Maybe the Bucs will make a run at him even if Brady stays one more year. The bottom line is that Trask and Gabbert are not up to the job , so the Bucs need a real starter if Brady leaves.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:48 am
Watson is toxic
Jimmy G is injury prone
Wilson’s play ability looked declining this year
Rogers fades in the big games
If Trask would pan out would be ideal…
If the Dolphin jump of Watson, would Arians have the patience to coach up Tua..
Surely their has to be a better option than Gabbert!
January 24th, 2022 at 11:49 am
I couldn’t help but notice no-one is talking about Todd Bowles and his stupid &^%$$%^^^&^&^)(&^$%$$%$^% defensive call at the end. If I was Tom, i’d tell the owner, Todd here, Tom gone!!!!!!!
January 24th, 2022 at 11:57 am
Deshaun Watson would fit in great in Tampa. We have many massage parlors that keep strange hours. But he’s also a world class talent.
If not Brady, I’d love to see him or Russ Wilson. Both would be a lot of fun with Arians style of offense, especially without Left Sandwich.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:59 am
We saw very little if any of Trask “number 2” at all but I hate to be even having this conversation. I really hope Tom comes back period. Tom is still under contract and I don’t see him breaking it. I see him playing one more year. He said last night, “I feel great” , so if anything it is going to be a mental/emotional decision not about if he can physically do it.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:11 pm
Carson Palmer hes younger than Brady!
January 24th, 2022 at 12:13 pm
@buc4vr
How is it known Trask or Gabbert are not up to it? Neither have had a full game as a starter. Granted, a known veteran would be preferable, but even they had their first game at some point.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:13 pm
Seems to be a lot of doom and gloom about our free agents. I see the list and it seems totally doable to bring back the guys that are worth it. We can actually get better I think. Rid ourselves of the obvious non contributors like OJ and RoJo. There’s NO WAY they let Godwin walk. No way. Keep the O-line intact and Brady will return. Lenny is a tough one if he actually wants to test the market and get top dollar, but I think he likes his current situation in Tampa and there’s not a lot of franchises throwing huge contracts at running backs. The cap will go up, Licht will find a way and I think the roster could actually improve. Honestly… Even if Brady retires i think the roster can be good enough to support a guy like Trask.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:27 pm
Tom coming here and having success motivated other veteran QBs to seek the same. We reload the roster as best we can, emphasis on our offense to attract another vet QB if needed. I think Florida is super appealing to the older guys, no income taxes, no miserable cold weather games, easy division, great coaching staff….there’s plenty to like if we have the talent. Arians can say all the right things regarding Gabbert but he wont have near the attraction for FAs as a guy like Wilson, Rodgers or Watson. There’s chatter Matt Ryan could be available as well.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:32 pm
The mistake last year was bringing everyone back. I know it sucks but you have to let players go BEFORE they are completely worn out.
Lichthouse just took the easy way out. Teams need fresh blood. This one certainly does now.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:33 pm
What are the chances this team could be better with new coordinators, Brady returning, Godwin healing up and returning, smart FA signings, and a solid draft? Our division isn’t full of world beaters. The doom and gloom might be a little premature.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:34 pm
As far as QB
I agree with Tye.. right up to the Tua part. Don’t know what pro scouts saw in him.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:35 pm
They’ve got like 13 starters under-contract for the 2022 Season (not including Succop and Pinion).
Notable UFAs:
Lenny
Rojo
Godwin
Davis
Jensen
Gholston
Whitehead
Kappa
Gronk
Suh
JPP
THEY ONLY HAVE ~$22.5M in cap space after dead money and before draft picks (According to Sportrac.com)
I know Greenberg can work magic but I just don’t see how/why Brady comes back a year older with less weapons, less protection and most likely a worse defense.
———
It’s really looking like a total rebuild is the best option at this point.
Ugh… This sucks!
January 24th, 2022 at 12:47 pm
Arians needs to reload his OC, DC and ST. All are incompetent coaches when faced with adversity.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:50 pm
How come we dont have a cap space while RAMS where able to reload with high caliber players. It seems that we have a lot of dead weight in this roster.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:55 pm
alton d green … ‘I couldn’t help but notice no-one is talking about Todd Bowles and his stupid &^%$$%^^^&^&^)(&^$%$$%$^% defensive call at the end. If I was Tom, i’d tell the owner, Todd here, Tom gone!!!!!!!’
Without Todd Bowles accomplishing what he did with this defense this year (and last year), Bucs wouldn’t have even sniffed the playoffs. Constant injuries in all defensive position groups this year, yet he managed to achieve a #5 ranking in Points Allowed … the only defensive ranking that really counts. And do you really think that Suh or Shaq would’ve been here if not for Todd Bowles? Me neither.
I’m a believer that on a good day you ‘get what you pay for’. On a great day you might do even better than that, and if so, consider yourself blessed. Bucs defense cost us $67.7 mil in 2021 in terms of our full roster CAP (barely 37% of our salary CAP), and ranking #20 in the NFL in terms of defense cost. Yet we performed at a #5 ranking in terms of Points Allowed. I’d say Bucs’ ownership more than got their money’s worth.
BTW, Bucs’ offense cost us $92.0 mil for our full roster CAP, slightly over 50% of our salary CAP & ranking #5 in the NFL (behind Browns, Cowboys, Colts, Packers). Yet our offense ranked #2 in Points Scored. So again, Bucs ownership got more than got their money’s worth.
January 24th, 2022 at 1:09 pm
Brady will be back for one more year and then Kyle Trask will be given a chance.
For those saying Aaron Rodgers… No chance, no way, no how.
January 24th, 2022 at 1:20 pm
Watson would be a better fit for Green Bay, there aren’t many distractions there. Tampa is the titty bar capital of the world
January 24th, 2022 at 1:24 pm
~$22.5M in cap space to:
1.) Resign/Replace 9 starters at key positions
2.) Sign Draft Picks
3.) Add quality depth who can start
I just don’t see how they are going to be able to do this.
We all knew this was coming and I think it was worth it.
Just sucks when you’re hit with the reality of it being time to pay-up when you’ve been deferring the bills for a while.
January 24th, 2022 at 1:30 pm
If we bring in Rodgers, then we also must bring in Dr. Heimlicht to maneuver through de post season.
Brady is #1 heck of a QB. Nobody could even imagine at the 1/2 yesterday that it would be a tie with under a minute left. Kudos for making it a game.
January 24th, 2022 at 1:33 pm
Don’t give us Trask. That’s like going from Gruden to Morris. Watson makes sense, coming from AFC, young, can pass and run, has many years remaining. Yes, he’ll get suspended, but he’ll play again. I.E. Vick.
No way can we go total rebuild. We just had two winning seasons out how many years? Watson could give us that. QB could be the most important position in sports..
January 24th, 2022 at 2:06 pm
Lesko_Brandon, the Rams went all in this year. This was a super bowl or bust year for them too. They will have cap issues in a year or two. But they are in a worst position long term than we are. Not only did they spend a ton of money but also traded a ton of their draft picks away. They don’t have the money or picks to reload once their final bill is due.
January 24th, 2022 at 2:11 pm
There is NO future with BA, simple like that.
With him as HC, if not hired by some blind/fool organizations, BL,TodB,SpecialT, will be back. And the most value players in BA list are going to be:
Gabbert and Darden!!!🙄🙄
January 24th, 2022 at 2:16 pm
Tampa has quite a few gentlemen’s clubs. Give Watson one for himself. Sign the guy if Brady leaves. He can ball.
January 24th, 2022 at 2:37 pm
Brady took this inept coaching staff about as far as he could. They won in spite of Arians last year. Ben has said this time and again. Brady will not play for a coaching staff that hamstrings him. If the bucs want any chance of retaining Brady, they’d better recognize that Arians and his staff need to go. Y’all are going back to the yucks if he leaves anyway. Ben knows Arians said he’s coming back, will believe it once management says so. Ben can’t believe they’d choose him over Brady, even if it’s for one more year.
January 24th, 2022 at 2:41 pm
I would love to see Brady come back for one more year. It’s time to let Gabbert go, and elevate Trask to QB2. Trask needs some reps next year as the primary backup to Brady.
January 24th, 2022 at 2:44 pm
These are predictions; mostly off by 100% , but Rodgers possible places for 2022:
Denver Broncos. …
Pittsburgh Steelers. …
Raiders. …
Packers. …
Nowhere.
January 24th, 2022 at 2:56 pm
Brady return or not, in QB position we can’t compete with Mahomes nor Allen; and by mid-season 2022 more name may be added to that list.
Brady or an above average QB should be OK to have, but the only way to compete with these unstoppable QBs, is GREAT defense (players & DC).
Right now we lacking some players, but most important we don’t have a champion DC.
We don’t do anything to change that, and will remain a below average team just to complete the 17 games season.
January 24th, 2022 at 3:06 pm
“I would prefer Trask over Diva Rodgers. Not a team player”
What a horrendus take!
January 24th, 2022 at 3:09 pm
I’d rather see Trask then Rodgers as well and I hated that draft pick lol
January 24th, 2022 at 3:19 pm
While Rodgers is a great football player he is not a winner outside of the regular season. And is frankly an unbearable human being. I would root for him but he is whiny and full of himself. Although I imagine he would have a lot of fans on this site based on all his non football related beliefs.
January 24th, 2022 at 3:20 pm
agree with Lesko ; clean house -starting with coaches Bowles & BL
January 24th, 2022 at 4:31 pm
Neither coordinator made any adjustments in the first half of Rams game. Giving us those deep balls is an unforgiveable sin. Blown coverage, poor awareness on the play to Kupp with 28 seconds left. You have to drop back and keep it in front of you. That was inexcusable. The first one he caught he got behind the defense. The Rams set the Bucs up on those plays.
Yes the Bucs stopped the run, but they failed to stop Kupp. He is the one player that makes the Rams offense what it is and our defense couldn’t keep him from getting deep twice. Wrong game plan against a more powerful team. You have to fight power with power. Bucs and their finese offense was no match for Rams D. Rams passing game was no match for Bucs secondary as the zone holes were porous. Rams coach and Saints coach always know how to pass against the Bucs.
January 24th, 2022 at 4:34 pm
Will be an interesting year.
January 24th, 2022 at 5:23 pm
DR, how many games did D win versus the O always having to score 30 points? Give it a rest, that last play proves what the Jets saw, Bowles is NOT a defensive guru. 99.999% of the time in that situation D is in sideline prevent, not blitzing, not to mention the QB torches the blitz. The .0001% is Bowles.
January 24th, 2022 at 6:50 pm
Bucs hit their peak last year. This year time and injuries took their toll. Tom needs a rock solid line. He is just not mobile. The trend now is athletic young qbs who can beat you with their arm or their legs. Bucs, Packers and Titans all went down with pocket passers. Young mobile qbs like Mahomes and Allan are awesome. The Bucs had no consistent pass rush this year, and a porous pass defense. Kind of amazing we got as far as we did. Injuries were a big part of the story, but older players are more vulnerable. And we got no significant help from the draft. Free agents were a mixed bag of mostly older guys past their prime. Speed kills in the NFL, and through age and injury we lost team speed as the season progressed. If Brady and Gronk retire they will be very hard to replace. Brady for his brain and Gronk for his size and strength. Bucs have a big rebuild job ahead.
January 24th, 2022 at 9:24 pm
I see speculation landing Rodgers with Denver, Phil, Pitt, NYJ, NYG, not here, although who knows. From a purely football perspective. Rodgers is/was the most talented passer, perhaps ever, but has never been a leader, does not have a burning desire to win, and isn’t a good locker room unifier. He should have at least a bunch more SBs, but he squandered so many seasons. A disappointment, really. When he first came out, I thought he was more than a gunslinger, but that’s what he chose to be.
If by miracle he winds up a Buc, you’d have a gaudy passing attack (think Rodgers+Godwin+Evans) and a lot of highlights.
January 24th, 2022 at 11:20 pm
We haven’t drafted very well, we have had to rely on free agents.
Now they are old.
O line will be okay
Wideouts?
D line ??
Backers ?
Secondary?
Trask?
4-13
Was fun having babe Ruth for 2 years..
January 25th, 2022 at 10:16 am
Deshaun Watson? Seriously? If so, then there’s not a single woman in the Tampa bay area who is safe. It’s always the quiet, choir boy types who harbor the darkest demons. No thank you! He’s good, not elite, and definitely not worth it.
I don’t like Diva Rodgers but he is one of the very few available with the skillset to take us back to the SB.