Speaking to the local media as a group for the first time since his introductory press conference, new Bucs head coach Bruce Arians met with the local writers and news stations who traveled to Indianapolis to cover the NFL Scouting Combine. Here is a full transcript of his press conference:

(On how he feels about his team after watching the tape of them)
“I can honestly say I’ve never walked into a situation with skill players of this magnitude, quarterbacks, receivers, tight ends, and running backs that are there already. Obviously we got a little bit of work up front and then defensively, I love the speed that we have. We’re young in the secondary but I think they’re really quality guys so the nucleus is here, it’s just finding the right pieces and putting all the puzzle together.”

(On his meeting with DeSean Jackson and how do you talk him into sticking with the team)
“I don’t think you can talk anybody into it, they got to want to be here. And after that meeting, I thought it was extremely positive, I can’t speak for DeSean but for me, it was extremely positive, and we were looking for the future.”

(On if he got any type of assurances that Jackson still wants to be on the Bucs)
“Yeah, I mean that’s basically how the conversation ended. Obviously financial things, I know those things that all come at this type of the year, but as far as him having a role, me knowing what to do with him and respecting his abilities, I thought that was very positive.”

Bucs WR DeSean Jackson – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

(On if it’s problem that Jackson wants to do his own workouts in California instead of the team voluntary workouts, and if he’s dealt with players doing that before)
“Yeah, there’s been a couple of players over the past that we’ve had that with and we urge them to be there especially the first year, then you can do what you want after learning the system. But please come in, learn the system, and give us as much time as you can.”

(On if Jackson was agreeable to that)
“We really didn’t get that far into it. I think he knows he’s got to learn this offense, so he’s got to spend some time in it before we ever get to camp.”

(On his evaluation of Ronald Jones)
“I think like every time he got the ball, someone was catching him right in the backfield. I think having seen him, knowing a little bit about him in college, he’s a very talented guy, very young player and he’s got some room to grow maturity wise. I think the talent wise, his opportunities were slim and none. He’s shown flashes of the things he can do.”

(On Peyton Barber)
“I love him. When you watch him on tape you don’t see his 230 (lbs), you would think he’s a 205-pound running back because he’s got great feet. Not every back’s going to be a homerun hitter, but if he gets those 10-15 yard runs, breaking tackles, power runner, punishing runner, that’s kind of how I like to start. When we’re building something, that’s the kind I like to build around.”

(On how Todd Bowles thinks Gerald McCoy will fit into his defense)
“Gerald’s played three-technique in his life, and we have a three-technique in our defense. We’re penetrators, we’re not two-gap, when people say 3-4 they all think of two-gap. We’re not that at all, we’re penetrators, we’re attackers, so for him it’s probably going to be no change for what he’s done in his career.”

Jason Pierre-Paul and Gerald McCoy – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

(On if he sees Gerald McCoy being on this football team)
“I see him under contract and I see a heck of a player that you still have to game plan for, so I hope so.”

(On what are fans missing with Gerald when they say his overpaid, overrated, and should get rid of him)
“Interior pass rushers don’t necessarily get a lot of sacks, but they create havoc, and he can still create havoc in the middle of the pocket. That leads to outside guys outside getting sacks because he can pressure the pocket, he’s still a premiere pass rusher. I think he fits our defense, he’s a three down player, so yeah, I mean the stats don’t always say how good of a player you are, especially at that position.”

(On inheriting Jason Pierre-Paul and Carl Nassib as pass rushers)
“Like I said, some of the pieces are there. Vita Vea I think is going to be a premiere nose guard, and again he’s playing a shade, when we line up as a zero. I think he’s going to be an outstanding player, we got speed at linebacker, we just got a young secondary that has to grow up.”

(On his philosophy on who will backup Jameis Winston)
“Fitz did a great job, but you don’t want to split the locker room. I want this guy, I want it now, we got one quarterback, if you have two, you don’t have any, that’s my opinion. So, he’s our guy, hopefully number two never plays. Tom Moore had the best saying ever when he was here in Indy with Peyton (Manning), somebody asked him ‘why doesn’t the number two guy get any reps?’ and he said, ‘it would be shitty, and we don’t coach shitty.’”

(On losing Carson Palmer to injury when he was coaching in Arizona and having to use a backup)
“We lost him too and got another one ready. Were going to have guys and I think we’ll get somebody re-signed, you never know what’s behind door number two in about a month from now. There’s some guys there that have a bullet to you and haven’t fit the system, so it’s just seeing how free agency goes and getting our guys back, that one isn’t a big of a concern when if you don’t have a one. When you don’t have one, it’s like “Ugh ” I’d still be at CBS.”

(On the origin of having two practices)

Bucs DE Noah Spence – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“It really goes back to my days in college. We always had freshman practice, I know varsity, there was always guys trying to make it. I think coach (Bear) Bryant, we had four fields going with him and he had that tower, and he can see them all, it was amazing. You can’t find a diamond in the rough if he’s watching, and you draft these kids, they’re different then year’s past, I think they’re a little bit less fundamentally ready, so we have to spend that time fundamentally, but then again, can they learn? How fast can they learn? What volume can they handle? So we find out on that practice field, and that’s why I’ve always asked our owners for a big coaching staff instead of paying one guy at 450 instead of two guys at 200, so I have smaller classrooms and those are two practices, and we don’t have to stay on the field that long. In Arizona it was very hot, here it’s going to be very hot, so we can cut the number, get the minutes down and still get the reps. We’ll get 80 to 90 reps, maybe it’s only an hour practice.

(On if this is primarily for OTA’s and training camp)
“OTA’s for sure. We didn’t have the ability in Arizona, we went outside maybe twice, eight o’clock in the morning it was already 100 degrees. I want to see how much we can handle it with the rain and everything else, I want to see at least two 7-on-7’s and some blitz drills where young players are getting reps and I want to see their progress. We have what I call an accountability board, and every meeting starts with every penalty and every missed assignment, and if you’re on there too much you’re either not smart enough or you don’t give a shit, and you’re give a shit meter better be real high. If you’re going to make up statistics, they caught eight balls, six of them were behind the line of scrimmage, but you got them involved. When you have premiere guys and you script those first 15 plays, you hopefully you have them involved early, get them going, get their excitement level going, they’ll block a little bit better, they’ll do everything a little bit better because they know they’re part of it. When they see those first 15 plays right before the game, ‘oh that’s my play’ so, they’re into it.”

(On if he expects not to have as much of a roster change as he did when he took over in Arizona)
“ I wouldn’t doubt it. I think Jason’s done such a good job with this roster. There’s always change, but to the point, I think we had 50 something in the first two years, we were always churning, now those last five guys better never feel comfortable. We’ll be trying, looking for somebody to replace you. So, yeah, that part of it never stops.”

(On if a football team has to have that accountability of a fear of losing your job or moving down the depth chart)
“I think all of us in any workforce, the fear of losing your job might be number one. Then you try to do the best job that you can, but don’t get fired first. So yeah, every player should have that fear.”

(On his guess of the amount of roster turnover this team will have)
“I’ll probably know more after voluntary mini camp, and just looking at these young guys that I’m not very familiar with, other than their practice tape because I don’t have much game tape on them.”

(On what’s it like being back at the NFL Combine)
It’s fantastic, I mean, just knowing so many guys and being with CBS last year I got to see a bunch of guys. For me, this is the beginning of next year. This is getting the juices flowing real good, this is the beginning of next year’s football team.”

(On if there was a player on the Bucs that popped out at him while watching tape that he didn’t realize how good they might be)
“Well I knew Mike Evans is good but I didn’t know he was that good, you know what I mean? And I can honestly say Peyton Barber. I’ve watched this guy and I’m like “woah,” he’s so subtle with the things he does for a big man. Peyton probably on offense, I knew Lavonte David was good, but man he’s really good.”

Bucs RB Peyton Barber – Photo by: Mary Holt/PR

(On the tight ends)
“Yeah we’ve always have had a receiver and blocker, not since Heath Miller did we have the same guy in one package. Heath was a big part of our offense in Pittsburgh, in Arizona Ricky Seals-Jones was a wide receiver that we made tight end, Jermaine Gresham was our guy, he was our tough guy, he set the tempo. But these guys, they can catch, they can run, they can block, some can block better, but it’s a great group of tight ends. I asked Rick Christophel our tight ends coach ‘what else you need?’ and he said ‘I don’t need anything.’ Just a just in case guy. Let’s get some young guys that we can think can become something because we got players.”

– Transcription by Matthew Matera