Bruce Arians says secondary is too soft. So what’s next?

“We’re still too soft. We’re too soft.” That was Bruce Arians’ response when asked about the play of the secondary in his post-game press Sunday afternoon after a deflating loss. That’s nothing new for anyone who’s been paying attention the past decade or longer. Mike Smith took the blame for the past few years. Now he’s gone, and the same issues plaguing the Buccaneers secondary then are still here.

The Buccaneers defense was ranked 21st before the game against the New Orleans Saints with the #1 rushing defense and the 31st ranked passing defense. Allowing LA Rams QB Jared Goff 517 yards in the air. This week? Teddy Bridgewater went for 314 yards on 26 completions for 9.2 yards per throw. This cannot happen!

So what’s the next move when scheme doesn’t seem to be the issue? The draft doesn’t seem to be the answer as the Buccaneers now have 7 defensive backs on the roster under the age of 24, all highlighted as physical and aggressive. Whatever it is, Bruce Arians and Todd Bowles have 4 days to figure it out before they board their flight to London to face the hot-handed Panthers and their backup. This ship has to be righted and fast.