and back to the NFL included a pitch from baseball manager Joe Maddon.The 66-year-old coach grew up in York Kendell Beckwith Jersey , Pennsylvania, not far from Maddon’s hometown of Hazelton. He and the Chicago Cubs skipper have grown close since Buccaneers general Jason Licht introduced them several years ago.Maddon, 64, managed the Tampa Bay Rays for nine years before moving on to the Cubs in 2015. He lives in Florida during the offseason and owns a popular South Tampa restaurant where he and Arians dined last weekend.“I had already convinced myself. But we’re old friends,” Arians said Thursday, when he formally was introduced as Tampa Bay’s fifth new coach in a decade.“It was more break bread, have fun. I didn’t need any convincing.”Arians coached the Arizona Cardinals for five years, compiling a 49-30-1 record and making the playoffs twice before retiring after the 2017 season.He cited health concerns and a desire to spend more time with family for walking away, but was unable to fill the void working in a broadcast booth the past year.“There’s something about growing up in the locker room, the bonds and relationships you build in building a football team,” Arians said. “The ups the downs, and all the things that go in between, is probably what I love most about the game. I missed the arena.”The Bucs, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2007, fired former coach Dirk Koetter on Dec. 30. Armed with a checklist of what the club wanted in a replacement, Licht interviewed Arians, as well as Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards and Dallas Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard.More Tampa Bay Buccaneers newsNFL history: Buccaneers become first team with two female coaches on staffBucs agree to terms with LB Bucannon, WR Perriman Noah Spence Jersey , punter Pinion in free agencyBuccaneers reportedly set to sign Breshad Perriman after WRvoided agreement with BrownsBuccaneers re-sign offensive tackle Donovan Smith to 3-year, $41.25 million contractJaguars CB Jalen Ramsey catches a TD on offense as AFC thumps NFC in rainy Pro Bowl in OrlandoLicht knew Arians from the GM’s days as vice president of player personnel in Arizona, but stressed he also was everything the Bucs were looking for 鈥?a coach with a commanding presence and proven track record for winning and developing players and assistant coaches, as well as someone who would bring some swagger to the team.“He wants to put a (Super Bowl) ring on everyone’s hand in this organization,” Licht said.“He has a fire and passion for this game that burns very deep inside,” Bucs owner/co-chairman Bryan Glazer said, adding Arians is a “confident, proven leader and has a clear vision and plan for getting our franchise back to playing winning football.”And Arians, who inherits Jameis Winston as his starting quarterback, doesn’t believe it’ll take long to transform the Bucs into a championship contender.“I think we have the core here to win quickly,” Arians said. “I’m not about building, I’m about reloading.”When Arians was hired in Arizona, he took over a team that finished 5-11 the year before his arrival and went 10-6 in his first season in 2013.“This one’s much easier, I believe,” he said. “When I walked into Arizona we had no quarterbacks.”However, the Cardinals quickly filled that void by trading for Carson Palmer.Arians has known Winston since the 25-year-old quarterback was a high school player attending one of the coach’s football camps in Birmingham, Alabama.Winston is 21-33 as a starter over the past four seasons and only one quarterback 鈥?Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles 鈥?has more turnovers than Winston’s 75 since he entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft.Winston is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Arians said there’s no added on pressure on former Heisman Trophy winner to prove he’s Tampa Bay’s long-term solution at quarterback.“No pressure. No pressure whatsoever. I want him to relax and play the game. Talent’s no issue. It’s just (playing) a little smarter,” said Arians, who’s hiring former Cardinals assistant Byron Leftwich as his offensive coordinator.“With Clyde Christenson as his quarterback coach and Byron Jacquizz Rodgers Jersey , he’s going to be coached as well as he’s ever been and more prepared than he’s ever been fundamentally and mentally,” Arians added. “It’s his team. I’ll tell our players in the first meeting. This isn’t my team, it’s your team. We’ll be as good as you want to be.” The small-school trend continues."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections 2016 NFL DraftInjuriesFree AgencyGame FilmWhat Sean Bunting Brings to the BucsNew,4commentsThe small-school trend continues.EDTShareTweetShareShareWhat Sean Bunting Brings to the BucsRich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports“Who?”, you might have asked when Sean Bunting’s name was called as the 39th overall pick. I’ll let Bunting tell you himself:Bunting had nine interceptions in three years at Central Michigan, along with fifteen passes defensed and four forced fumbles. That’s some pretty good ball skills. First, let’s check out his measurables: At over 6’0, he’s got the size and above average length the Bucs should be looking for in their secondary, to go along with good speed at a 4.42 40-yard dash clip, giving him the range and long speed to play down the field. His 3cone at his Pro Day also clocked in at 6.78s, good for the 79th percentile among cornerbacks. That’s really important, because as cornerbacks get taller in height they can struggle flipping their hips in coverage because they’re too stiff. Bunting is fluid and quick and his change of direction is good. He also has quick feet for his size. Despite all of that, Bunting ended up at Central Michigan of all places because he was an unranked - as in a zero-star - wide receiver prospect out of high school. His switch to the other side of the ball clearly paid off big time. And that’s the key to Bunting’s game, as he himself stated above. So what kind of cornerback are the Bucs getting? A physical, disrupting one, but a little raw. Bunting can be a bit grabby when playing from press, which will get him in trouble at the next level with referees. He’s aggressive at the line of scrimmage, and likes to hand fight. But he’s very good playing zone, and does an excellent job with his bail technique and playing with good awareness and spacing. He also has good Adarius Glanton Jersey , even aggressive, ball skills, in part because of his background as a receiver but also because of his physical traits. He high points the ball well and contests the catch point. However, he also doesn’t always give great effort in run support. Being late or not filling his gap responsibility at all, or not being physical enough in doing so could break open big runs. His footwork is inefficient, which will be exploited by good route runners in the NFL. He’s also not that strong, and his tackling leaves something to be desired. Lastly, he has a tendency to be late to ID the football in the air. Even so, his aggressiveness and length helps to disrupt the catch.Overall, Bunting is intriguing. He has the physical traits to be a great lockdown cornerback one day but as it stands right now he needs some polishing. Still, on Day 1 he’s scheme-versatile; he can play pretty much whatever the coaches might ask of him - zone, man, off man, and press. Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians said they wanted a slot cornerback in this draft, but Bunting is capable of and should challenge for a starting cornerback spot on the outside right away. If the Bucs can clean up his technique and coach him up against the run, they will have themselves quite a player.