Timing Of Todd Bowles Hiring Prevented Changes?
May 10th, 2022
Bucs co-DC Kacy Rodgers.
Aside from the obvious reason why former Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians retired was the strange timing.
Rarely do you see coaching movement in the final days of March. Teams are in the thick of draft research and prep. Even Arians’ successor Todd Bowles admitted the timing made him think something happened to Arians from a health standpoint.
So during the news conference last week by Bucs co-defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers, a long-time colleague and confidant of Bowles, Rodgers seemed to hint Bowles would make changes but the timing wasn’t right.
“We were super excited and honored to be promoted,” Rodgers said. “We looked at it and we talked about it and we felt like a lot of the stuff would kind of stay the same because of the timing.”
Was it personnel changes? Was it coaching changes? Was it changes to the defense or the offense? Or both?
This isn’t surprising. Bowles surely had ideas what he wanted to do if he ever got a second chance to be an NFL head coach. And his way wouldn’t be exactly like Arians’. Bowles is his own man.
If the Bucs have a decent season, especially on offense, it’s a good bet Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich will be gone. Joe wonders what else will change when Bowles and Rodgers have time to digest the Bucs’ future in what very likely will be the post-Tom Brady era?
Enjoy the latest Ira Kaufman Podcast.
May 10th, 2022 at 4:58 am
‘Joe wonders what else will change when Bowles and Rodgers have time to digest the future of the Bucs in what very likely will be the post-Tom Brady era?’
Was wondering the same thing the other day Joe. But Todd Bowles is a very smart man, certainly smart enough to know that ‘you don’t fix what’s not broke’. Beyond having The GOAT as our QB, there’s a lot that’s ‘not broke’ with the Bucs. Bowles has a LOT to build with going forward after 2022, BUT … he & JL will have some mammoth challenges starting next year.
Doesn’t necessarily mean though that we’ll return to the ‘Den of Depression’. Personally don’t think the defense will change all that much; Todd Bowles ‘is who he is’ and it’ll always have his fingerprints all over it. The offense will obviously change when TB12 moves on, but I tend to think it’ll be more ‘balanced’ than it has been and yes, that we’ll play more smashmouth football. With a quality defense & decent S/Ts, you can win a lot of games knocking heads.
May 10th, 2022 at 8:27 am
If anything changes on offense, I suspect it’ll be running more, especially behind Shaq Mason. Brady is at his deadliest, with play action. They’ve gotta find a way to supplement Godwin’s lost production. Even when he’s back, I doubt he’ll be as dynamic as before. Usually takes these guys 18 months to get right.
May 10th, 2022 at 8:38 am
Hopefully they make some changes, they did not win the Super Bowl last year and even if they had, you have to keep evolving.
That said, hopefully he does not get in the way of the offense too much. Let BL and Brady run it. I understand he’s the head coach so going forward and a fourth down will come down to his decision. The one change is like to see is on fourth and short- be more inclined to punch the other team in the face instead of throwing at 25 yards down field
May 10th, 2022 at 8:58 am
We all agree we expect the Bucs to run more, play more smash mouth football. It keeps the D fresh and keeps the other teams O off the field and unable to score.
@DR, “decent special teams” – there is where Bowles would make changes had he been chosen as HC earlier. What is decent about them? the Bucs’ ST unit does not contribute to complementary football; we get little out of them and have for years. Bowles might have made a coaching change there – BA was too loyal, like a lot of coaches.
May 10th, 2022 at 9:40 am
Where fundamental changes are necessary: ST’s.
May 10th, 2022 at 10:15 am
Senor Harry … Can see a bunch of changes coming in S/Ts, if not this year then certainly by next year. Camarda & Borregales are most likely the future as K & P, but it might not be this year IF they don’t shine in training camp. And coverage teams really need some better leadership. That’s been a problem for quite awhile.
May 10th, 2022 at 10:28 am
@GOB
Let’s hope that Godwin recovers like Gronk. Let me give you a little New England history.
During a game against the Cleveland Browns on December 8, 2013, Gronkowski suffered a right knee injury after a direct hit from safety T. J. Ward.
Gronkowski tore his ACL and MCL.
The next season in 2014 Gronk played 15 games with 82 receptions, 1125 yards and 12 TDs during the regular season. During their 3 games in the playoffs, Gronk caught 16 passes for 204 yards, 3 tds and 12 1st downs and New England won the Superbowl.
So, let’s hope Chris recovers like Gronk, or Brady, or AP, or Chris Harris, or JJ Watt, or Jason Kelce or Carson Palmer, or Jameson Williams etc.
Typically, athletes will be back to their prior level of function by 9 months after surgery.
But we are all different people, we all respond differently. Yet, suggesting that Godwin will take 18 months to get back to normal is not a standard in the pro football realm of things. You are actually looking at worse case scenarios and ignoring many great cases of recovery.
May 10th, 2022 at 10:45 am
I do not see why the team is not set up to reprise Brady’s old SB Pat teams.
Strong running game, possession receivers, backs catch the ball out of the backfield, move the chains, rest the D…it’s all good as long as you move the chains.
May 10th, 2022 at 10:51 am
Unfortunately, too many owners subconsciously don’t like the color of Leftwich’s skin which is why I don’t see him getting a head coaching job in 2023 unless he wins with a backup QB. Owners will just say, “well he had Tom Brady”.
May 10th, 2022 at 12:51 pm
StPete agreed.
Wether Suh comes back or not this would help our defense immensely. Definitely a plus with a rookie or last year’s backup in t the d-line.