Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

February 10th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LIX in the books, the 2024 campaign has come to a close. The final first-round order for April’s draft is now set as a result.

All 32 teams currently own a Day 1 selection, leaving the door open to each one adding a prospect in the first round for the first time since expansion in 2002. Any number of trades will no doubt take place between now and the draft, though, and it will be interesting to see how teams maneuver in the lead-in to the event. Of course, Tennessee in particular will be worth watching closely with a move to sell off the No. 1 pick being seen as a distinct possibility.

A weak quarterback class will leave teams like the Titans, Browns, Giants and Raiders with plenty of key offseason decisions. The free agent and trade markets do not offer many short-term alternatives which are seen as surefire additions, and teams which do not make moves in March will rely on the incoming group of rookies as part of their efforts to find a long-term solution under center. The two prospects seen as the clear-cut top options in 2025, however, are two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.

Here is a final look at the first-round order:

Tennessee Titans (3-14)
Cleveland Browns (3-14)
New York Giants (3-14)
New England Patriots (4-13)
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
New York Jets (5-12)
Carolina Panthers (5-12)
New Orleans Saints (5-12)
Chicago Bears (5-12)
San Francisco 49ers (6-11)
Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
Miami Dolphins (8-9)
Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
Denver Broncos (10-7)
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
Green Bay Packers (11-6)
Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
Houston Texans (10-7)
Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
Detroit Lions (15-2)
Washington Commanders (12-5)
Buffalo Bills (13-4)
Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)

Coaching Notes: Faulk, Del Rio, Ryan, Bucs

February 7th, 2025 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

His Cowboys and Raiders connections in the past, Deion Sanders is still at the controls at Colorado following his son’s exit for the draft. The Hall of Fame cornerback is hiring one of his Canton brethren to coach running backs. Buffaloes backs will be taking instruction from Marshall Faulk next season, the school announced. This will be Faulk’s first foray into college coaching. A superstar at San Diego State in the early 1990s, Faulk enjoyed a Hall of Fame run with the Colts and Rams, winning a Super Bowl and an MVP award in successive seasons. He had enjoyed a lengthy tenure on the media side following his career, but the 51-year-old RB legend will join Sanders’ staff. Faulk’s addition makes Colorado a three-Hall of Famer staff, as Warren Sapp remains as a quality control analyst.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

After being fired from his Commanders post late in the 2023 season, Jack Del Rio was not in the NFL this past season. The veteran DC and two-time HC will resurface in an unexpected place. He is taking over as head coach of the Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football. The league has been in existence since fall 2020, and the Paris franchise has played two seasons. Del Rio had coached in the NFL from 1997-2017 but took two seasons off before Ron Rivera hired him in Washington. The team did sport two top-seven defenses under Del Rio, but his last Commanders unit fell to 32nd at the time of his firing. Del Rio, 61, spent last season as an advisor to Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell.
Staying with well-known NFL staffers leaving the league, USC has hired Rob Ryan as linebackers coach. Ryan had been onboard as a senior defensive assistant for the Raiders since 2022. Ryan, 62, enjoyed two tours with the Raiders, having been their DC from 2004-08. The four-time NFL DC has not coached at the college level since being Oklahoma State’s DC in the late 1990s.
Out of the NFL since a two-year Texans stay ended in January 2023, Pep Hamilton will return to coaching in a prominent role. Maryland has hired the veteran assistant as its OC, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. An NFL Network contributor, Hamilton had other options, per Rapoport, but will join his son Jackson with the Terrapins. A high school QB, Jackson Hamilton signed with Maryland in December. Coaching Justin Herbert and Andrew Luck in the pros, Pep Hamilton previously coached in college under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford and Michigan.
Moving back to current NFL staffs, the Buccaneers have given title bumps to the two coaches they blocked from Jaguars interviews. Kevin Carberry added an assistant HC title to go with his O-line duties, while the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud adds assistant O-line coach Brian Picucci is now in position as O-line coach. The Bucs’ setup seemingly remains the same, but as they have long been reported not to be open to allowing Liam Coen to poach anyone under contract, his two initial targets will be taken care of.
The Giants are adding ex-NFL cornerback Jeff Burris to work as their CBs coach, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets. The former NFL starter has been a college assistant in recent years, working at both Louisiana and Louisiana Tech since 2018. He previously spent three seasons as the Dolphins’ assistant DBs coach, being a Joe Philbin hire in 2013.

Jaguars To Add Shane Waldron, John Van Dam To Coaching Staff

February 6th, 2025 at 10:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Liam Coen‘s initial Jaguars staff continues to take shape. Grant Udinski was hired as offensive coordinator yesterday, and more additions are coming on that side of the ball.

Jacksonville plans to hire Shane Waldron, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. His role will be passing game coordinator and will mark a reunion between Waldron and Coen. The two previously worked together on Sean McVay‘s Rams staff.

Waldron parlayed his time in Los Angeles into an offensive coordinator gig with the Seahawks, one he held for three seasons. The arrival of new head coach Mike Macdonald last offseason brought about sweeping changes to Seattle’s coaching staff, though, and Ryan Grubb replaced Waldron as OC. The latter was able to quickly find another coordinator opportunity by serving as the Bears’ play-caller.

Waldron did not fare well during his brief tenure in Chicago, however. The 45-year-old’s unit drew criticism from inside and outside the organization in the early stages of the season, with head coach Matt Eberflus hinting at a change during the Bears’ lengthy losing streak. Indeed, after only nine games at the helm of the offense, Waldron was fired. Things did not entirely go according to plan after Thomas Brown took over the unit, but it comes as no surprise a third straight OC gig is unavailable at this point for Waldron.

Coen’s efforts to build out his offensive staff will include at least one Buccaneers alum. John Van Dam is being added as a pass-game specialist, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Van Dam had been in Tampa Bay since 2019, handling roles such as tight ends coach and pass-game assistant along the way. His Buccaneers pact expired at the end of the campaign, leaving him free to continue working with Coen after the two did so in 2024.

The Bucs have (on more than one occasion) blocked Coen’s efforts to interview and hire other assistants as part of his process of putting together is his first Jacksonville staff. Given the nature of how Coen departed Tampa Bay to take his first career head coaching gig, that comes as little surprise. It will be interesting to see if any other former Buccaneers coaches wind up making the move to Duval County this offseason.

Buccaneers To Hire Charlie Strong

February 5th, 2025 at 11:47am CST by Sam Robinson

A college head coach throughout the 2010s, Charlie Strong had settled on the analyst level recently. He spent his second tour of duty at Alabama in that role in 2023, but the ex-Louisville, Texas and South Florida HC is heading back to the NFL.

Strong will join Todd Bowles‘ Buccaneers staff as defensive line coach, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. This will mark Strong’s second job as an NFL assistant. He was previously on Urban Meyer‘s 2021 Jaguars staff, being in place as inside linebackers coach that season. Long will replace longtime Bowles assistant Kacy Rodgers, whose contract had expired. Rodgers is now with the Lions.

In addition to Strong, the Bucs are adding to their offensive staff. Tampa Bay is hiring Kefense Hynson as its pass-game coordinator, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. Like Strong, Hynson has spent his career at the college level. Unlike Strong, this will be Hynson’s first NFL gig. He comes over after an extended run as Oregon State’s wide receivers coach.

Strong, 64, stayed one season under Meyer but is better known for his college roles. He submitted 11-2 and 12-1 college seasons, with Teddy Bridgewater at the controls at Louisville during the 2012 and ’13 campaigns, en route to a Texas offer. The successful ACC leader was unable to turn around the Texas program at that point, losing seven games in each of his three seasons running the then-Big 12 program. He fared better to start his South Florida tenure, going 10-2 in 2017, but did not impress over the final two years of that stay and was eventually fired.

Previously serving as defensive coordinator at South Carolina and Florida, Strong has been in coaching since 1983. Hynson started in 2003, becoming a college coordinator (at the Division I-FCS level) by 2007. For the past seven years, Hynson served as pass-game coordinator at Oregon State. He moved up to interim HC in 2023 and was retained under new HC Trent Bray in 2024. Hynson, 44, mentored the likes of Luke Musgrave and Isaiah Hodgins in that time.

This represents another dive into the college ranks for the Bucs, who added Liam Coen from Kentucky last year. Coen had prior NFL experience as an OC, with the Rams in 2022, and has already departed for a head coaching gig. The Bucs promoted Josh Grizzard to take his place. Hynson will work under Grizzard, while Strong will operate as a Bowles lieutenant — for a team that does not employ a traditional defensive coordinator.

Buccaneers’ Mike Greenberg Withdraws From Jaguars’ GM Pursuit

February 4th, 2025 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first name to come up as a Jaguars GM candidate, Mike Greenberg is out of that mix. Tampa Bay will retain its assistant GM, as Greenberg has informed Jacksonville he is out of the running, the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reports.

Greenberg has been with the Bucs for 15 years, becoming a crucial cog — particularly with regards to the club’s cap management — for a team that has lost two key staffers this offseason. In addition to Liam Coen‘s exit to become the Jaguars’ HC, fellow Bucs assistant GM John Spytek is now the Raiders’ GM. Despite a Jags interview request to potentially follow Coen north, Greenberg will help the Bucs ensure some staff continuity.

It was interesting that Coen wanted to keep working with Greenberg, as the two only overlapped for one season in Tampa. Greenberg also was part of Coen’s messy exit. When Coen was secretly negotiating with the Jags, after having informed the Bucs he intended to stay and sign a lucrative coordinator extension, Greenberg was among the high-ranking staffers who attempted to contact him. Greenberg wanted to reach Coen regarding an offensive staffer, but his call went unreturned. Still, Coen subsequently wanted to see about working with the longtime Tampa Bay front office mainstay.

A report out of Jacksonville late last month indicated Coen was “pushing hard” to bring Greenberg with him. Greenberg’s decision to pass centers around his loyalty to the Bucs rather than any hard feelings toward Coen, Stroud adds, as the Tampa Bay AGM was honored to be considered. He will continue working with Jason Licht, as the Bucs attempt to construct a fifth straight NFC South champion.

Promoted to assistant GM in 2023, Greenberg interviewed for the Panthers and Jets’ GM jobs over the past two years. This Jags decision being categorized as Bucs loyalty is obviously worth noting, but Greenberg’s decision to take those interviews while passing on the Jags job certainly signals some trepidation with the position. The Jags fired their previous GM (Trent Baalke) midway through their coaching search, with the ouster appearing to be the key driver for Coen to move forward and accept their HC offer. The gig came with Coen being free to pick a GM and reside atop the team’s personnel pyramid, Tony Boselli‘s arrival as executive VP notwithstanding.

A Monday report indicated the next Jags GM will not answer to Boselli, but the Hall of Fame tackle will still have a key organizational voice. Boselli will report to ownership, joining Coen in that regard. Boselli’s new presence, along with Coen’s power, would stand to reduce this GM role’s responsibility. That may well have impacted Greenberg’s decision. The Bucs have also blocked Coen from poaching O-line coach Kevin Carberry and assistant OL coach Brian Picucci. Tuesday’s Greenberg news marks another successful Bucs retention effort.

Hired years before Licht’s arrival, Greenberg has been an integral part of the Bucs’ 2020s success. Ending a 12-year playoff drought, Greenberg helped the Bucs build their Super Bowl LV roster and was one of the key drivers in crafting a strategy that helped the team bring back every core player for the 2021 season. After Tom Brady‘s retirement left the franchise with a $35MM dead money bill, Licht, Greenberg and Spytek weathered the storm and still had the team in the divisional round. This past offseason, the Bucs found room to pay Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. Licht will have Greenberg by his side for at least one more offseason.

Jaguars Request GM Interview With Buccaneers Exec Mike Greenberg

February 3rd, 2025 at 6:11pm CST by Ben Levine

New Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is driving the organization’s search for a new general manager. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Coen is eyeing a familiar face to help guide his front office. According to FOX Sports’ Peter Schrager, the Jaguars have requested an interview with Buccaneers assistant general manager Mike Greenberg.

Greenberg has spent more than a decade in Tampa Bay’s front office. He’s gradually worked his way up the ranks with the Buccaneers, culminating in him earning the role of assistant GM ahead of the 2023 campaign. Per the Buccaneers website, the executive has been credited with managing the team’s salary cap, contract negotiations, and compliance with the CBA. He was lauded for his work last offseason, when he helped navigate the organization’s difficult cap situation to re-sign notable players like Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Antoine Winfield, and Lavonte David.

Interestingly, Greenberg was believed to be one of Tampa Bay’s decision makers who attempted to reach Coen during the play-caller’s off-grid departure from the organization. While there was some natural resentment following the fiasco, it may not be enough to dissuade the executive from considering a promotion in Jacksonville. The last we heard, Coen was reportedly “pushing hard” to bring Greenberg to the Jaguars.

The Bucs have so far rejected Coen’s request to lure contracted assistants to Jacksonville. While many of Coen’s initial inquiries were focused on lateral moves, Greenberg’s GM interview would represent a promotion. This means the Buccaneers wouldn’t be able to stop the executive from joining his former coach in a new spot.

The presence of former Jaguars GM Trent Baalke reportedly dissuaded some candidates from considering the HC gig, and the organization swiftly moved on from the executive when they realized the move would net them Coen. Greenberg is the first candidate to be definitively connected to the Jaguars, although Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham and former Titans GM Jon Robinson have also been mentioned as potential options for the organization.

For the Buccaneers, Greenberg would represent another high-profile loss for the organization. In addition to Coen, the team has also lost one of their other assistant GMs in John Spytek, who agreed to join the Raiders as their new general manager. Of course, a Greenberg loss wouldn’t be completely unexpected, as the executive met with the Jets about their vacancy earlier this offseason.

NFC Coaching Notes: Cowboys, Saints, Bucs, Hall, Panthers, 49ers, Cards, Bears

February 2nd, 2025 at 9:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys are looking to the college level to fill their running backs coaching position; both candidates have histories in Dallas. The team turned to one of its former running backs — Tashard Choice — as a recent interviewee, All DLLS’ Clarence Hill notes. Choice is the Texas Longhorns’ RBs coach, having held that job for the past three seasons. A Cowboys running back from 2008-11, Choice wrapped his playing career after the 2013 season. He spent the 2016 campaign as a Cowboys intern. The team is also interviewing Oregon RBs coach Ra’Shaad Samples for the job, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris. Staples is a Dallas native who coached in the area while at SMU from 2019-21; his interview went well, per Hill. The one-year Ducks assistant is best known in NFL circles for being the Rams’ RBs coach in 2022; he left for an Arizona State assistant job before that season ended.

Here is the latest from the NFC side of the coaching carousel:

The Buccaneers are backing up the report they were ready to block Liam Coen from poaching assistants. After blocking O-line coach Kevin Carberry from meeting with the Jaguars, the Bucs are preventing assistant O-line coach Brian Picucci from doing the same, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. This one is a bit more interesting, as Picucci followed Coen from Kentucky to Tampa Bay. NFL rules allow teams to block contracted assistants from moves if they do not involve a promotion to head coach or coordinator. Coen left the Bucs after avoiding contact with high-ranking staffers, and GM Jason Licht is not believed to be too happy with the exit.
Another Bucs staffer who will remain in place: Larry Foote. The linebackers coach interviewed for the Lions’ DC job, being the team’s only outside candidate before a Kelvin Sheppard promotion, but will not leave for a job anywhere else. Foote told the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud he is staying. The former linebacker has enjoyed a long assistant tenure with the Bucs; this will be his seventh season with the team.
DeAngelo Hall‘s stint on the Panthers‘ staff is over, per the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye. The team had hired the former Pro Bowl cornerback as assistant DBs coach during Frank Reich‘s months-long HC stint. Hall, however, could land on his feet soon. The 49ers are interviewing him for their DBs coach position, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. Hall and Kyle Shanahan overlapped for four seasons in Washington during the early 2010s.
Moving back to the Cowboys, their Klayton Adams OC hire did not surprise the Cardinals. But the NFC West team was monitoring a potential relocation to New Orleans as well. The Cards expected their previous O-line coach to join Brian Schottenheimer or follow Kellen Moore to the Saints, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Moore has not taken the New Orleans job yet, but he is the favorite. Both Moore and Adams are Boise State alums, though their Idaho stays did not overlap.
Elsewhere on Arizona’s staff, the team has identified new line coaches. Justin Frye is coming aboard as O-line coach, and Winston DeLattiboudere is heading to the desert as D-line coach, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Ryan Burns report. DeLattiboudere comes over from the University of Minnesota and is rising fast; we have a Gen Z coach here, as the two-year Golden Gophers D-line coach is 27. He spent the 2022 season with the Packers as a Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellow. Frye has considerably more experience and is coming off three seasons as Ohio State’s O-line coach. The Bears interviewed Frye for their O-line job. The ex-Chip Kelly assistant is also not following his two-time boss (also at UCLA) to Las Vegas, being set to camp elsewhere in the desert.
The Bears are still working on filling out Ben Johnson‘s staff. They interviewed Florida assistant Gerald Chatman for the D-line coach position, Zenitz adds. A Bengals defensive assistant from 2019-20, Chatman spent the 2024 season at Florida.

Buccaneers Promote Josh Grizzard To OC

January 31st, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Buccaneers are set to go internal for their Liam Coen replacement. Josh Grizzard is being promoted to the role of offensive coordinator, Mike Garafolo, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

This news does not come as much of a surprise. Grizzard, Tampa Bay’s pass-game coordinator, was recently mentioned as one of the top candidates for the OC gig in the event the team elected to promote from within to replace Coen. He interviewed on Wednesday, and in short order that meeting has now produced an agreement.

Grizzard’s coaching career dates back to Yale, when he worked as an assistant at his alma mater. The 34-year-old also spent time at Duke before beginning his tenure at the pro level. He first joined the Dolphins’ staff in 2019, remaining there until 2023 and occupying several roles along the way. Grizzard joined Todd Bowles last offseason, a move which has now produced his first career coordinator opportunity at any level.

Coen had a strong first season with the Bucs, overseeing a unit which ranked top-four in both passing and rushing yards. That made him a strong head coaching target for the Jaguars in particular, although he appeared to be on track to remain in Tampa Bay for the 2025 season. A new OC deal had been agreed to, on the condition Coen stopped looking into his HC options. He ultimately took part in a secret second interview with the Jags, though, and – after the firing of general manager Trent Baalke – accepted Jacksonville’s offer to lead the team.

That left the Buccaneers in the coordinator market for the second offseason in a row. Dave Canales‘ success during his first (and only) campaign in Tampa Bay earned him the Panthers’ head coaching gig, something which added to the value of Coen being on track to remain in place for more than one year. Instead, the team will now rely on Grizzard to replicate the offense’s balanced production from 2024.

Much of Tampa Bay’s key offensive players are on the books for next season, so expectations will remain high for another NFC South title moving forward. Grizzard’s stock will continue to rise if the Bucs can have success on offense in 2025, although the team will of course wish to avoid needing to replace its OC for three straight years. In any case, it will be interesting to see how Grizzard fares while leading an offense he is already familiar with.

Bowles faced questions about how willing outside OC candidates (of which there were five in this case) would be to take on the position in the wake of the Coen departure. Bowles’ own job security has been a talking point in recent years, but he will remain in the fold for at least 2025. He will hope to enjoy as much success next year with Grizzard as he did with his previous coordinator pick.

NFC South Notes: Bucs, Brooks, Saints

January 30th, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the post-Super Bowl LV offseason showed and last year reaffirmed, the Buccaneers are high on retaining talent. Those waves of re-signings and extensions involved numerous core players staying, and last year’s effort included Mike Evans re-signing on a third contract. Evans’ deal preceded the Bucs drafting Jalen McMillan in the third round. Tasked with a bigger role after Chris Godwin‘s season-ending ankle injury, McMillan impressed down the stretch — to the point the Bucs could use a rookie-contract wideout to replace their longtime WR2. But it does not appear Tampa Bay has given up on keeping their long-running wideout tandem intact.

Multiple execs informed ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler they expect the Bucs to attempt to re-sign Godwin, who played out a three-year, $60MM deal. Tampa Bay had twice franchise-tagged Godwin, giving him an extension in 2022, but has seen him suffer two major injuries. Then again, the Bucs re-upped the talented Evans sidekick — the second-leading receiver in franchise history — months after an ACL tear. Godwin, 28, would stand to have a nice market if he hit free agency for the first time. The Bucs have until March 10 to prevent that, but the team has also done very well — as the Shaquil Barrett, Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean deals show — to re-sign players even if they do test the market.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

After Liam Coen avoided contact with Bucs brass during his secret negotiations with the Jaguars, a report indicated Tampa Bay was unlikely to do its former OC any favors regarding assistant coaches. The Bucs are not prepared to let contracted staffers follow Coen to Jacksonville, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team blocked O-line coach Kevin Carberry from interviewing for the same position with the Jags. Carberry worked with Coen in Los Angeles and came to Tampa last year, but unless a promotion to OC would be in the offing, the Bucs can block interview requests involving assistants.
Jonathon Brooks re-tore the right ACL he injured in college, and the Panthers running back is not expected to be ready to start the 2025 season. The 2024 second-round pick may not factor prominently into that campaign. Brooks underwent surgery last week, per The Athletic’s Joe Person, who adds the Panthers hope the running back would be ready to return before season’s end. A definitive timeline is not yet in place, but Carolina will not be expecting an Adrian Peterson-like recovery from a player who now has sustained two ACL tears since November 2023. It took Brooks until November 24 to debut for the Panthers. He suffered the latest tear Dec. 8. Two years of Brooks’ four-year rookie contract figure to be dominated by missed time.
Chris Olave suffered two concussions during the season; the second knocked him out for the Saints‘ eight games. The former first-round pick visited specialists, and while he did not don a game uniform again, he did return to practice. Olave said he is now symptom-free, per ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, and ready for a full offseason. That represents good news for a Saints team searching for a new head coach. One year remains on Olave’s rookie contract, though the Saints can extend it through 2025 by exercising the Ohio State alum’s fifth-year option by May.
Cam Jordan wants to play a 15th NFL season, but something might have to give in order for that to happen. The Saints used Jordan as an inside defender on 22.7% of his snaps last season, Terrell notes, and Jordan wants to come back exclusively as a D-end. The decorated sack artist’s production has declined in recent years. After totaling at least 7.5 sacks every season from 2012-22, Jordan registered four in 2024 — after a two-sack 2023. Jordan is due a $12.5MM base salary in his contract year, but as one of the many Saints prior restructures, this contract contains four void years. It would cost New Orleans $23.9MM in dead money to dump Jordan ahead of his age-36 season.

Buccaneers Interview Josh Grizzard For OC

January 29th, 2025 at 9:48am CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored as an internal candidate to replace Liam Coen, Josh Grizzard has now completed his first coordinator interview. The Bucs announced they have met with their pass-game coordinator about the job.

This marks Tampa Bay’s first internal meeting about replacing Coen, who backed out of an extension agreement to join the Jaguars as HC. Coen’s decision has left the Bucs searching for a new OC for a third straight offseason. The team fired Byron Leftwich after the 2022 slate and saw Dave Canales leave for the Panthers’ HC job last year. Now, Coen — who yo-yoed between pro and college OC posts for most of this decade — is changing jobs again.

Coen initially brought Grizzard to Tampa, adding him from Mike McDaniel‘s Miami staff. Grizzard, 34, has been in the NFL since 2017; he spent his previous seven seasons with the Dolphins, working under Adam Gase, Brian Flores and then McDaniel. Grizzard moved up from the quality control level to coach Dolphins wide receivers from 2020-21, but McDaniel dropped him back down for the 2022 and ’23 seasons. The Bucs eventually poached him for their pass-game coordinator role.

The Bucs are not expected to allow Coen to bring contracted staffers with him to Jacksonville, as that separation left them feeling burned. GM Jason Licht is rumored to be “furious” at Coen for the way he left, which featured the new Jags HC dodging calls from Bucs brass as he discretely negotiated a deal to leave. As Coen will call plays in Jacksonville, Baker Mayfield will have a sixth play-caller over the past five seasons.

Although Grizzard came to Tampa during Coen’s stopover, the Bucs could ensure some continuity for Mayfield by promoting from within. Of course, Grizzard being on the QC level as recently as 2023 could give the team pause due to experience. Three Rams staffers may be sought for a semblance of continuity as well. Via PFR’s OC/DC Search Tracker, here is where the Bucs’ process stands:

Marcus Brady, pass-game coordinator (Chargers): Interviewed 1/25
Nick Caley, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/27
Josh Grizzard, pass-game coordinator (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/29
Dave Ragone, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Interviewed 1/28
Nate Scheelhaase, offensive assistant/passing game specialist (Rams): Interviewed 1/27
Grant Udinski, assistant quarterbacks coach (Vikings): Interviewed 1/25

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