BruceArians moved from the sideline to the front office this past offseason, with the 70-year-old now serving as the Buccaneers’ senior advisor to general manager JasonLicht. While Arians sounds appreciative of his current gig, he recently made it clear that he’d jump at the opportunity to return to coaching.
“Would I love to be coaching? Yeah,”Arians told Rick Stroud of TampaBay.com. “It’s what you do. It kills me to go upstairs. I’m on the sideline in pregame and it kills me to have to go upstairs and just sit there. It kills me. It’s hard. It’s what I do. I’ve done it my whole life. I’m smart enough to know it’s over.
“It’s not the same. That daily interaction with the players and the coaches, the relationship I’m in. I sat and talked to Mike (Evans) and Vita (Vea) for an hour. The new guys are told, ‘That’s the old coach. You don’t want him cussing you out.’ I just (cussed out) a couple of them for the hell of it.”
Arians’ tenure in Tampa Bay spanned three years, including a 31-18 record and the franchise’s second Super Bowl title. He seemed prepared for a fourth season at the helm but plans changed with the uncertainty surrounding Tom Brady‘s future. Working under the impression that his franchise QB was going to hang up his cleats, Arians weighed the possibility of an unproven QB room against his desire to see defensive coordinator Todd Bowles succeed him.
By ultimately stepping aside, Arians allowed the organization to retain both Bowles and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, with the now-former head coach continually asserting that he wanted to set up the Buccaneers organization with a solid succession plan. Still, despite Arians willingly giving up his gig, it sounds like he would have stuck around had he had more clarity on Tampa Bay’s outlook for the 2022-23 season.
December 29th, 2022 at 10:03pm CST by Sam Robinson
Wednesday’s unusual development — Derek Carrleaving the Raiders following the news of his benching — makes it fairly clear the sides are expecting to part ways soon. This opens the door for the first full-fledged search for a new Raiders starter since they selected Carr in Round 2 in 2014, and it moves a proven quarterback to the trade block.
The Raiders backed away from trading Carr in the past, and the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo saga this year shows how presuming a separation can be premature. But it certainly looks like the Raiders plan to move Carr. There will be interested teams, but the acquiring franchise would need to pick up a $40.4MM guarantee and prove appealing enough Carr would waive his no-trade clause. Where will the 31-year-old passer end up?
A few teams will be searching for a quarterback after acquiring one last year, but some parties will be those that sat out the 2022 carousel. The Jets figure to be a Carr suitor. They have seen their 2021 investment — No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson — bomb during his two-season run as a primary starter. The defense the Jets rebuilt this offseason no longer gives Wilson a lengthy NFL onramp, and the BYU product may not be ready even with the benefit of a long runway. With Wilson perhaps on the way out midway through his rookie deal, the Jets adding Carr’s through-2025 contract would make sense.
We broached this subject upon Wilson’s initial benching last month, and it would put the Jets — who employ ex-49ers OC Mike LaFleur as their play-caller — to an interesting decision. Going after Carr in February would cut off a LaFleur-Garoppolo reunion in March. While Garoppolo’s checkered health history may now place him behind Carr in teams’ hierarchies, the former has extensive familiarity with LaFleur.
Carr, 31, becoming available also complicates the Giants’ path. They have seen a solid season from Daniel Jones, with the Dave Gettleman-era investment working with a bottom-tier receiving corps to lead the team to the playoff precipice. With a more proven option available, would the Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll duo preemptively nix Jones negotiations by trading for Carr? If Jones leads the Giants to the playoffs, the prospect of seeing him with better receivers in 2023 — though, at a much higher price — would seemingly be interesting, and he is six years younger than Carr.
Tom Brady–Raiders rumors may be relentless over the next several weeks, provided the legendary passer does not actually retire this time around. The current expectation, barring retirement, is for Brady to leave the Buccaneers to finish his career. This would open a spot for a veteran quarterback to pair with a Super Bowl nucleus, albeit one that has, particularly on offense, underwhelmed to an alarming degree this season. The Bucs were in the quarterback market during Brady’s first retirement, but timing also may rule them out of the Carr sweepstakes. A Carr move in February — a month before Brady’s free agency — would lead arguably the greatest quarterback ever out of town. That would be quite the strange ending to this memorable Bucs chapter.
If Carson Wentz‘s comeback does not produce a Commanders playoff berth, he could well be on the move for a third straight offseason. Washington can cut bait free of charge. This franchise has searched for QB continuity ever since the Kirk Cousins franchise tag years, having entered six straight seasons with a new starter. Carr, who has missed two regular-season games due to injury in his career, would provide that.
He would also cost more than Wentz, who remains attached to a $32MM-per-year Eagles extension he inked in 2019. Wentz is tied to just $20MM and $21MM base salaries over the next two years. Carr’s deal includes future bases of $32.9MM (guaranteed in a trade), $41.9MM ($7.5MM of which would be guaranteed) and $41.2MM. The Commanders employ Jack Del Rio, who coached Carr for three seasons, as defensive coordinator.
The Saints traded their 2023 first-round pick to the Eagles and ditched their original 2022 QB plan early this season. Benching Jameis Winston for Andy Dalton has not moved the needle in terms of wins, though Pro Football Focus surprisingly rates Dalton as a top-five QB this season. Dalton’s deal expires at season’s end. New Orleans, per usual, resides 32nd in terms of projected 2023 cap space. The Saints sit $53.9MM over the projected 2023 salary ceiling, per OverTheCap. While Mickey Loomis has gotten out of worse predicaments, adding Carr’s contract would be a new challenge for the seasoned GM. The Saints employ Carr’s first NFL HC (Dennis Allen), though he was only with Oakland for a few Carr games before being fired.
Carolina has attempted bigger swings at QB over the past two offseasons, offering a first-round pick and change for Matthew Stafford and offering three and change for Deshaun Watson. The Panthers are preparing to chase a QB again. Is re-signing Sam Darnold a viable option, or will David Tepper try and make a notable upgrade. Carr might not qualify as a huge splash, but he would likely provide an upgrade for a team that has intriguing pieces at several positions.
Neither of the teams that made the Matt Ryan trade have surefire answers for 2023, though Carr might not be a true fit for either the Colts or Falcons. Indianapolis is barreling toward securing its first top-five pick since the Peyton Manning injury year produced Andrew Luck. After trying veterans repeatedly, Indianapolis could have a chance to land an impact prospect. Desmond Ridder being an unchallenged starter would be a risk for the Falcons next year, but they still are on the rebuilding track. That said, Arthur Smith is going into Year 3. Carr pairing with Kyle Pitts and Drake London would be interesting.
Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this developing situation in the comments section.
Jensen went down during a July 28 practice and was feared to be out for the season. That may still end up being the case, but the Bucs will see how the recently re-signed snapper looks in practice. It would certainly boost Tampa Bay’s scuffling offense to have its top interior O-lineman back, as not much has gone right for the team on that side of the ball this year.
While Jensen suffered the knee injury exactly five months ago, Stroud adds he did not undergo surgery. The ninth-year center’s timetable has been up for debate since. The Bucs carried Jensen through to their active roster after cutdown day and placed him on IR soon after. That would allow for a Jensen return from IR; he has been eligible to be activated since October. No activation will take place this week, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com tweets. Considering how long Jensen has been out, a ramp-up period — even if the Bucs are not yet a lock to make the playoffs — is logical.
Jensen, 31, was snapping the ball to Tom Brady before the Bucs’ Week 15 game against the Bengals, Stroud adds. Shortly after Brady’s decision to end his brief retirement, the Bucs began reassembling their team by signing Jensen to a three-year, $39MM deal. The other two starters on Tampa Bay’s interior O-line — Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa — were not part of the equation, with Marpet retiring and Cappa signing with Cincinnati. The team has experienced steady losses up front as well, leading to a wildly disappointing season on offense.
Removing the Jensen-Marpet-Cappa trio from the mix has undoubtedly affected Brady’s performance, and it has made a major impact on Tampa Bay’s run game. The Bucs rank last in rushing in terms of total yards and yards per carry (3.4). The Bucs rank 28th in scoring, and Brady’s numbers have nosedived since he led the league in touchdown passes and passing yards in 2021. This has opened the door to the Bucs sitting at 7-8, still needing to do more to claim victory in perhaps the worst division in NFL history. The Bucs can clinch the NFC South title with a win in Week 17, but the team would not exactly generate much confidence going into the playoffs.
Jensen, who made his first Pro Bowl last season, would help supply some. Coming into this season, the former Ravens draftee had not missed a game since 2016. The former Division II product would have three weeks from Wednesday to be activated, giving the Bucs some time to gauge his readiness.
Cardinals star safety Budda Bakersuffered a fractured shoulder last Sunday in the team’s overtime loss to the Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Despite the fact that Baker didn’t exit the game, he is expected to sit out the final two games of the regular season. Considering the fact that Arizona has already been eliminated from postseason contention, there’s no reason to risk further injury to the heart and soul of the team’s defense.
For the last two games of the season, Arizona will likely start the next man on the depth chart, veteran safety Chris Banjo. Baker was voted to the Pro Bowl this year, meaning a replacement will have to be made for him in that game, as well. 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga should get the start in place of Baker, but the alternate to replace his spot has yet to be named. Vikings safety Harrison Smith and Lions safety Kerby Joseph were both top vote getters in fan voting, though.
Here are a few other injury rumors from around the NFC:
Another player set to miss the remainder of the regular season, Vikings defensive lineman James Lynch is dealing with a shoulder injury, according to Rapoport. The young defender has graded out impressively as the league’s 41st-best interior defender, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), despite not holding a starting position. Minnesota is pulling him back from play now in order to rehab him in hopes that he will be able to make a return in the playoffs. Dalvin Tomlinson and Harrison Phillips will continue to start on the defensive line, but Lynch’s absence should open the door for Khyiris Tonga and Esezi Otomewo to earn more snaps in rotation.
The Buccaneers have not had both of their starting tackles active in a game together since Week 12. While Tampa Bay finally got right tackle Tristan Wirfs back from injury last weekend, left tackle Donovan Smith was unable play with a foot injury. Wirfs, who had missed three straight games with an ankle injury, reportedly aggravated the injury when a player fell on him from behind, according to Buccaneers senior writer/editor Scott Smith. Head coach Todd Bowles told media that he hopes Smith can return this week and, while he was unclear on Wirfs availability for next week, Bowles called the situation “not ideal.”
Allen suffered a biceps injury in the Steelers win over Las Vegas, requiring surgery, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic. With two games remaining and Pittsburgh in danger of elimination from postseason contention, Allen’s 2022 season has likely come to an end.
December 27th, 2022 at 12:57pm CST by Adam La Rose
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, much is still to be decided both in terms of playoff positioning and the order of the upcoming draft. Five teams are still eligible to land the top pick.
The Texans remain in pole position to hold the No. 1 spot, but their win over the Titans (coupled with the Bears’ losing streak extending to eight games) leaves Chicago just a half-game away. The fact that the Bears would likely select a defensive player rather than a quarterback with the top pick adds considerable intrigue to the potential implications of them ending up with that slot.
With the Browns continuing to struggle even with Deshaun Watson back from suspension, there is a distinct possibility that four first-rounders which changed hands (including Cleveland’s top 2023 pick, part of the package they sent to Houston for Watson) land in the top 10. Another premium selection would obviously soften the blow of losing out on the No. 1 spot from the Texans’ perspective, should that take place.
The final Wild Card spot in each conference is still being contested by several teams, resulting in a logjam of 7-8 squads in the middle of the order. Several head-to-head matchups will be played out between those clubs, which could lead to plenty of change in their positioning over the next two weeks. The race for both the AFC and NFC South titles will also have a significant impact on the final order, given the average (at best) record each division’s winner will have at the end of the regular season.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks entering Week 17:
Houston Texans: 2-12-1
Chicago Bears: 3-12
Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
Arizona Cardinals: 4-11
Indianapolis Colts: 4-10-1
Atlanta Falcons: 5-10
Detroit Lions (via Rams)
Carolina Panthers: 6-9
Las Vegas Raiders: 6-9
Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
Houston Texans (via Browns)
Seattle Seahawks: 7-8
Tennessee Titans: 7-8
New England Patriots: 7-8
New York Jets: 7-8
Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-8
Green Bay Packers: 7-8
Detroit Lions: 7-8
Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-8
Washington Commanders: 7-7-1
New York Giants: 8-6-1
Los Angeles Chargers: 9-6
Baltimore Ravens: 10-5
Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)
Dallas Cowboys: 11-4
Cincinnati Bengals: 11-4
Kansas City Chiefs: 12-3
Minnesota Vikings: 12-3
Buffalo Bills: 12-3
Philadelphia Eagles: 13-2
Next year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Paytontampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice
December 26th, 2022 at 10:32am CST by Adam La Rose
Tampa Bay earned a come-from-behind, overtime win last night to maintain their lead atop the NFC South. The Buccaneers lost another member of their offensive line for the remainder of the season in the process, however.
Swing tackle Josh Wellssuffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee and is out for the year, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). He was carted off the field after just 16 snaps yesterday, and was quickly ruled out by the team. That invited speculation that a major injury had occurred, and today’s news confirms that Tampa’s o-line has been dealt another blow.
Wells, 31, was set to make his fourth consecutive start in place of an injured starter at tackle on Sunday, having filled in for Tristan Wirfsthe previous three weeks. The latter returned for Week 16, but blindside protector Donovan Smithwas unable to play, requiring Wells to shift to the left tackle spot. Wells had already logged the most snaps in a season of his four-year tenure with the Buccaneers (310) prior to suffering the injury.
The former UDFA has made 56 total appearances in Tampa Bay since signing there in 2019. His experience filling in when needed and familiarity with the organization led to a fourth consecutive one-year deal this offseason. The injuries to Wirfs, and then Smith, highlighted his importance despite logging an overall snap share of only 41% on the year. Wells’ PFF grade for 2022 (67.8) was the second-highest of his career, behind only the rating from his rookie campaign in Jacksonville.
This news adds further to the tumult Tampa Bay has endured with respect to their offensive line this season. Both starting guard spots needed replacing with the retirement of Ali Marpetand the free agent departure of Alex Cappa. That was followed by center Ryan Jensengoing down with what is expected to be a season-ending injury of his own. The unit’s availability issues – which included Wells being placed on IR in September – have contributed to Tampa’s inconsistency on offense, which has seen the team rank last in rushing production.
If Smith (whom head coach Todd Bowles recently considered benching for performance reasons) is unable to suit up in Week 17, Tampa will likely turn to undrafted rookie Brandon Walton to fill in for him. The latter played 65 snaps in relief of Wells after he went down, and could have a significant role to play in the closing weeks of the season.
Injuries continue to hamper the Rams in the final stretch of the season. News earlier this week confirmed that calf strains to center Brian Allen and wide receiver Ben Skowronek “are severe enough to sideline them for the rest of the season,” according to team staff writer Stu Jackson. That leaves Los Angeles down two more starters as the Super Bowl hangover continues.
Allen has had a disappointing season, health-wise. After missing five weeks while dealing with a knee injury early on in the year, then two more with a thumb issue, the calf strain has finally put an end to Allen’s tumultuous 2022 season. Starting guard Coleman Shelton, who has plenty of past experience at center, moved inside when Allen left last week’s game and will continue to start at center for the remainder of the season. To replace Shelton at right guard, the team will choose between backup linemen Bobby Evans, Oday Aboushi, and Zach Thomas.
Not that there was much damage left to do to the battle-worn Rams, but Skowronek is yet another damaging loss to the team. With starting receivers Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson already on injured reserve, Skowronek was Los Angeles’s leading wideout still on the active roster. With the former Notre Dame tight end joining Kupp and Robinson as out for the remainder of the year, quarterback Baker Mayfield will be passing to Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Brandon Powell, Austin Trammell, and Lance McCutcheon.
Allen and Skowronek add their names to the litany of Rams’ starters who have gone down for the year. Here are a few other injury rumors from around the NFC, focusing on a couple teams in the South:
Saints starting guard Andrus Peat left Saturday’s win over the Browns with an ankle injury and did not return. Peat is no stranger to injuries, having struggled with them throughout his NFL career. His absence, though, puts New Orleans in a tough spot as it succeeded in remaining in the NFC South race with Saturday’s victory. Already down starting right guard Cesar Ruiz, who is out for the year with a Lisfranc injury, the Saints are having to put together a patchwork offensive line. Peat’s usual backup, Calvin Throckmorton, started the game in place of Ruiz. With backup guard Lewis Kidd inactive, New Orleans had to turn to Josh Andrews, a practice squad center who had been a gameday elevation. The severity of the injury has yet to be determined, but an extended absence from Peat would make it even more difficult for the Saints to clinch a playoff spot down the stretch.
The Buccaneersruled out three starters for today’s matchup with the Cardinals, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. Starting tackle Donovan Smith, defensive tackle Vita Vea, and cornerback Jamel Dean have all been ruled out, as has outside linebacker Carl Nassib. With the bad news comes the good news that Tampa Bay’s other starting tackle Tristan Wirfs is expected to play today. Backup tackle Josh Wells, who was also questionable coming into this week, will likely start in place of Smith. Vea’s role should be filled by Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Dean will likely be replaced by a combination of Sean Murphy-Bunting, Dee Delaney, and Zyon McCollum.
Following the Saturday slate of games, we still have four more games this week. Here are the minor moves leading up to the three Sunday games on Christmas Day:
Murphy has missed the last five games for the Cardinals while dealing with a back issue, so while it’s not necessarily a further setback for Arizona, the transaction indicates that Murphy will miss the rest of the season before going into free agency. With Murphy absent, the Cardinals have started veteran Antonio Hamilton across from Marco Wilson.
“Would I love to be coaching? Yeah,” Arians told Rick Stroud of TampaBay.com. “It’s what you do. It kills me to go upstairs. I’m on the sideline in pregame and it kills me to have to go upstairs and just sit there. It kills me. It’s hard. It’s what I do. I’ve done it my whole life. I’m smart enough to know it’s over.
