On The Bruce Arians Issue
December 27th, 2017
Has some Bucs fans buzzing.
Joe’s getting a lot of queries on Twitter about Bruce Arians, the current head coach of the Cardinals.
There are published reports from reliable folks that Arians and the Cardinals will part ways after the season. Arians was asked about this and he offered a non-denial denial last night on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Of course, Bucs fans who don’t want Dirk Koetter back as head coach have been hitting up Joe on Twitter if Arians would come to Tampa Bay.
Joe is hopeful, but not as head coach. Again, Joe isn’t ready to start shoveling dirt on Koetter’s days with the Bucs. Joe can come up with compelling reasons he should stay.
(And no, Joe isn’t yet won over with the notion that a guy who confessed he couldn’t figure out a way to get Antonio Bryant and Joey Galloway on the field at the same time when he last coached a decade ago is the panacea Team Glazer may need.)
But as a quarterbacks coach? Joe is all in on Arians. He could be the perfect fit.
A game away from completing his third season as Bucs quarterback coach, Joe still doesn’t see the value of Mike Bajakian. There is nothing in his resume that gives Joe any shred of confidence (Dan LeFevour, really?) and given Jameis always seems to have some hangup or another (once one is fixed, another pops up), Joe has to wonder about Bajakian’s value compared to a guy like Arians who has worked with a Who’s Who of quarterbacks. Two will be in Canton one day and another will be if he stays healthy. And there’s a fourth quarterback Arians worked with when the quarterback was a kid in high school in Alabama.
A kid by the name of Jameis Winston.
Oh, and the guy calling the shots on the football side of things at One Buc Palace is a big fan of Arians.
But there are all sorts of road blocks here.
* Would Koetter/Chucky/whoever is coaching in 2018 want Arians as a quarterback coach? Joe would have to guess whoever is the head coach, given how trigger happy Team Glazer can be, they would be suspicious of Arians.
* If anyone has watched recent documentaries on the NFL Network about Arians and the Cardinals, it is clear Arians’ wife desperately wants her husband to retire. One reason is that Arians’ health is breaking down. He’s had two medical episodes in the past two years related to the stress of being an NFL head coach. Arians’ wife was peeved when he took the offensive coordinator job in Indianapolis (the second time) as she thought he would finally retire and they could move to their Georgia lake house.
* If Arians is having medical issues, does he even want to deal with the hassles of being a full-time assistant?
* Would he want to work for Koetter/Chucky/whoever is coaching in 2018?
* Does he want to retire now?
On face value, Arians would be a perfect quarterback coach for Jameis. They clearly know each other and the two have a ton of respect for each other. Arians last year referred to Jameis as a “legend.”
Of course, being on board with bringing in Arians would suggest that Jameis is struggling and needs Arians to turn around his career. Um, Jameis isn’t struggling (but he is fumbling).
Joe would hope that Bajakian is capable of breaking Jameis of the fumbling habit. It does not — nor should it — require a passing savant to teach a quarterback how to hang on to the ball.
December 27th, 2017 at 5:19 am
Arians isn’t coming to the Bucs, no matter what. The Florida heat is one thing brutal to a guy like Arians who has heart problems. The Bucs have their new indoor facility, but it’s not the exclusive field used during training camp, where they need at least two, if not all three practice fields. Sounds like the wife has spoken anyway.
December 27th, 2017 at 6:10 am
GREAT Joe!!! Wonderful let’s have another Tedford issue on our hands just what we need! Cmon man we expect MUCH better from you.
December 27th, 2017 at 6:13 am
Bring in his defensive coordinator
James bettcher
Top 5 defense with nobodies
Son of Kobe Faker
December 27th, 2017 at 6:21 am
This is so implausible for so many reasons, it hardly seems worth the column.
December 27th, 2017 at 6:22 am
Speaking for Pablo
“Pablo wonders, who would want a coach that listens to his wife? Pablo’s wife does what she is told…..bear childrens (many of them) clean the casa and cook the tacos, chimichangas, chalupas, burritos and quesidillas. Pablo knows this won’t sit well with Life Of A Buc Fan (one of Pablo’s favorites)….but Pablo rules.”
December 27th, 2017 at 6:34 am
Arians has already coached one hands oaf in Pittsburgh. He doesn’t want to deal with a Child at qb.
December 27th, 2017 at 7:01 am
Two time NFL coach of the year ( and Smitty’s Sporting News participation trophy awards notwithstanding ) is not going to come to a current bottom 5 franchise to be a QB coach. He’s an arse kicker and a grumpy older man…the Bucs could certainly use that.
December 27th, 2017 at 7:04 am
Why!!!!! He rans the same deep passing offense that Joe says we should abandoned!!!! Why bring him in, when he will say that the o-line needs to be fixed and that JW3 needs work to be more accurate!!!!! Do you think our current coaches don’t know this?????
Go Bucs!!!!!!
December 27th, 2017 at 7:13 am
At this point in Arians career, how does one go from a head coach to, a position coach under somebody who runs a different system? Doesn’t sound like a smart career move to me. That’s like Tom Coughlin leaving the Giants to go be the WB coach in Jacksonville rather than an executive. Love Arians, but don’t think this is plausible.
December 27th, 2017 at 7:54 am
Arians come as a QB Coach? Sure…but we could have Gruden as a HC, and while we are smoking, Billick and Koetter as his OC, Marvin Lewis and Rex Ryan as DC, Brooks as his LB Coach, Sapp as the D line coach, and Paul Gruber as O line coach. Why not?
December 27th, 2017 at 7:55 am
Oh…I forgot Mike Alstott as our RB coach, and Jerry Rice as our receivers coach. Why not?
December 27th, 2017 at 7:58 am
Now while we are at it, how about Mike Holmgren as co-QB coach…and Vince Lombardi as Assistant HC? If we are dreaming, why do they have to be alive?
December 27th, 2017 at 8:21 am
Arians wouldn’t take that much of a demotion.
And he needs to retire.
December 27th, 2017 at 8:51 am
The QB coach role would be a drastically reduced role in terms of overall work load, but if he wants to reduce stress in his life I don’t know that assigning him to watch over Jameis is the way to go. Even at his best, Jameis is a risk taker QB who could do something on every play that makes me feel like I’m going to have a heart attack and I’m perfectly healthy and in my early 30’s. I’d love to see him come here. He’s a great guy and seems to have an impressive track record. I’m just not sure that he’s going to do it.
December 27th, 2017 at 8:54 am
Now while we are at it, how about Mike Holmgren
(Ahem).
December 27th, 2017 at 9:06 am
Winston might..fall apart under Arians. He is a..no nonsense, get her done type coach. Arians was my choice for the Bucs long ago before he went to Arizona. You Buc fans wanna talk injuries? Arians has had his share every year and still puts together a ragtag team that plays hard and wins..most of his coaching seasons. He does NOT..baby his players and will sit starters in a heartbeat. HE offers no excuses. However Arians ain’t comin here. HE will stay in Zona for another yr or 2 then retire. Word is he might retire next season.
December 27th, 2017 at 9:23 am
LOL @ Pablo…I always felt like the man in my household..my love of football has overwhelmed my male suitors and spouses..yep..
—-
Arians is not going to take a QB coach job…especially when his wife doesn’t want to move again and we still do NOT know what’s going to happen with Jameis next season..is he going to be suspended? And there’s the man’s health..no thank you…if we don’t get Gruden, I rather see one of those NE coaches take their first shot as HC..
December 27th, 2017 at 9:49 am
ARIANS IS A FAR BETTER COACH THAN DIRK!!!!!!….
that’s not even up for debate…..
@joe…you say you can make an compelling agreement for dirk to stay?….besides “winning 9 games” last year, what has he done?….
offense, defense and ST has regressed under his watch….Winston hasn’t developed as he should…..evans seems to be regressing…..play calling sucks(even tho you wont admit it)….we cant score over 20 points a game with all these weapons….
the cons out weigh the pros and it aint even close….something im sure the glazers know….theres no benefit to keeping dirk besides the notion consistency and we’ve consistently lost this year…GO BUCS!!!
December 27th, 2017 at 9:53 am
The Buc Realist Says:
December 27th, 2017 at 7:04 am
Why!!!!! He rans the same deep passing offense that Joe says we should abandoned!!!! Why bring him in, when he will say that the o-line needs to be fixed and that JW3 needs work to be more accurate!!!!!
its not the system its the play calling…..Winston just went 21-27….accuracy aint the problem…..its the OC putting the offense in a bad position….GO BUCS!!!
December 27th, 2017 at 10:13 am
Roy- you’re right but Georgia is freezing ….
December 27th, 2017 at 10:23 am
@BucBeliever…Did you read the article? Joe in no way implied that this will happen. Joe was responding to fan inquires and given reasons why this likely wouldn’t happen. Jeez…
December 27th, 2017 at 10:26 am
What headcase wrote this story. I’ve never heard of any head coach ever going that far backwards to uproot his family to go to a loser franchise just to be a quarterback coach. Sure go ahead and continue to make me think you should report news and keep your ridiculous opinions to yourself.
Arians hasn’t done anything in quite a while so why pay him big money too be an average coach. Absolutely not but your not talking head coach your actually projecting this guy as a quarterback coach for owners who have been firing people every two years since 08 lol you got to be kidding
December 27th, 2017 at 11:58 am
Where is Pablo? I’ve looked under every sombrero taking a siesta. Checked every bar selling tequila. Checked every border crossing and have not located Pablo anywhere. Pablo!!! If your reading this PLEASE give us a shout out. We sincerely miss your banter and dry sense of humor.
December 27th, 2017 at 12:14 pm
Work for Koetter? WHAT????????????????????????
Arians may be the second best coach in the entire NFL and Joe wouldn’t hire him as HC over Koetter? WHY???????????????????????
December 27th, 2017 at 1:15 pm
NFLNut Says:
December 27th, 2017 at 12:14 pm
Work for Koetter? WHAT????????????????????????
Arians may be the second best coach in the entire NFL and Joe wouldn’t hire him as HC over Koetter? WHY???????????????????????
@nut……don’t you know…..its because he won 9 games last year!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
December 27th, 2017 at 3:14 pm
That would be a real coach for that team. Too bad the Cardinals have his rights for one more year and would have to trade him, so this is a pipe dream.