Colts Moves Could Deny Bucs
February 13th, 2023
Eagles QB coach Brian Johnson.
Joe knows this is a popular choice for a lot of Bucs fans. But the dominoes are not falling the right way.
Hours before kickoff of the Super Bowl, news spread from various sources that the Colts were telling other coaching candidates they planned to hire Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their new head coach. What does that have to do with the Bucs?
Well, if Steinchen is tight with Eagles quarterback coach Brian Johnson, wouldn’t he want Johnson to tag along to Indianapolis and be his offensive coordinator? Adam Schefter of BSPN doesn’t believe this is idle thought.
(No, not that Brian Johnson of Sarasota.)
However, could aggressive Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman or Eagles coach Nick Sirianni quickly move to promote Johnson to offensive coordinator?
Let’s face it, the only way the Bucs are attractive to Johnson is a reunion of Johnson and Kyle Trask. Johnson was Trask’s coordinator at Florida when Trask had his sensational breakout senior season.
The Bucs’ offensive coordinator gig is just not an attractive job right now. Johnson could be (in theory) offensive coordinator for the NFC champs without moving, a team with a loaded roster and a young, established quarterback. Or he could go to Indianapolis where it seems the Colts are poised to draft either C.J. Stroud or Will Levis. Even if a first-round draft pick busts out for the Colts, this means job security at worst for Johnson.
If Stroud or Levis shine with Johnson, he’s going to be a head coach in two or three years.
For that matter, Johnson could go to Baltimore where the Crows have a built-in Pro Bowl quarterback.
What do the Bucs have to offer Johnson besides Trask and possibly a giant load of cash? A losing team in cap hell (albeit with a division crown) that is shedding salaries and talent, possibly working for a lame-duck coach.
That’s only attractive for retread offensive coordinators (the Brian Schottenheimers or Greg Romans of the world) and/or dudes desperate for a job (pick a random, veteran tight ends or running backs coach).
February 13th, 2023 at 12:15 am
Sounds like the Bucs are 4th choice at best after Indy, Philly and the Ravensfor Coach Johnson. I guess the only advantage for an OC to come to Tampa is inheriting the HC job from Bowels if his offense is productive but the Bucs still go 6-11; kind of like happened with Koetter and Lovie.
February 13th, 2023 at 12:21 am
Bucs are not attractive to anyone of quality!
February 13th, 2023 at 12:33 am
Well that last paragraph pretty much says it all.
February 13th, 2023 at 12:46 am
I don’t want to see Todd Bowels ruin another young blossoming OC coaches career. It may be for the best if Brian Johnson becomes an OC somewhere else
February 13th, 2023 at 12:49 am
Yeah, Johnson won’t even bother considering Tampa with more promising opportunities in front of him.
If I were betting right now, I’d say we’re going to hire Thomas Brown from the Rams, who is getting a second interview. He also has a 2nd interview lined up in Carolina. As Frank Reich is just starting there, that’s a more stable situation… but Frank Reich is also an offensive coach, meaning Brown might have less autonomy. In Tampa, he’d be the lead voice. This would be a big step up for the guy, coming into an organization with a defensive head coach. He hasn’t coached QBs and he hasn’t called plays. Maybe he’s a brilliant guy. But they’ll need to hire an experienced QB coach and passing game coordinator to help out. As much as they like Thaddeus Lewis, he’s still green to be a QB coach with an OC who will be learning the ropes as well.
February 13th, 2023 at 1:35 am
It’s damn sad that the Bucs are only 2 years removed from being Champions with most the core players intact from that championship team and nobody wants a Job here.
February 13th, 2023 at 2:02 am
The core players from the championship team have regressed or underperformed, and are in need of individual and collective resetting. If that is even possible with jaded players. The lone attraction to the job, a certain GOAT QB, is gone. There is nothing attractive about walking into a no-win situation, when there are better opportunities elsewhere. Bowles will eventually find his yes man, and that will be it at OC, until Bowles is gone. One Buc could fix all this by removing the impediment, Todd, but they won’t.
As for the Eagles. Why pine and poach that coaching staff? Nothing about their offensive system is something to replicate. I am glad they lost. I am especially glad that the weaknesses of their offense were exposed, although it took the Chiefs too long to get it done.
February 13th, 2023 at 2:03 am
Insight into Thomas Brown:
youtu.be/bfLdCGpTYD4
February 13th, 2023 at 2:05 am
Turned into pumpkins when the Dakotas of lesser Dallas talent whooped up on our Bucs that sad ass Monday night. They taking this time to find an OC given our stable. Be skeptical.
Tough times ahead
See Josh McClown
February 13th, 2023 at 2:05 am
More:
youtu.be/olNV1oxw9-s
I could see this guy as OC.
February 13th, 2023 at 2:06 am
More:
youtu.be/olNV1oxw9-s
I could see this guy as OC if he wants it.
February 13th, 2023 at 2:22 am
I’m not so sure he’d even want the job if he knows Trask is the QB. He has to know from his time in the NFL that rainbow softballs don’t work. While Trask has shown improvement, in the limited snaps he’s played, preseason and regular season, when he gets under pressure, it’s back to cupcake passes. In fairness to Trask, it’s very possible he could improve with more playing time, but generally softball passers don’t overcome that. But, again, to be fair to Trask, he doesn’t have a weak arm, he’s shown on some passes he can fling it, but it’s clearly not natural to him, so perhaps playing time does cure that. If he can just speed up his velocity, then I suppose he’d have a chance as he’s got good size, and is moderately mobile for a pocket passer.
February 13th, 2023 at 3:31 am
Working for Bowles is Cannon Fodder.
February 13th, 2023 at 4:17 am
ProudBucsFan … ‘It’s damn sad that the Bucs are only 2 years removed from being Champions with most the core players intact from that championship team and nobody wants a Job here.’
We’re all frustrated with how last season turned out & with our existing situation, but unless we look at where we are realistically, we won’t have a chance of cleaning it up. Yes we did win a Super Bowl in 2020, but a bunch of the key players from THAT championship team aren’t under contract right now. Brady is gone, and so are Marpet, Brown, Suh, JPP, Whitehead plus a number of others. LVD, Dean, SMB, Edwards, Gholston, RNR plus a number of others are free agents. And in-between we’ve had a significant number of major injuries (to players like Godwin & Jensen among others) that’ve clearly impacted team performance. And oh ya, our coaching staff has changed & will change some more to be sure.
Add it all up, and we’re no-place close to being the same team that we were. Not even remotely close. That 2020 championship cost us dearly in terms of future impact (ie, our salary CAP mess?), but danged it was worth it. Not fair to cry foul when you have to pay up.
In terms of qualified candidates willing to take the Bucs’ OC job, we need to stop collectively whining & recognize that there are only 32 of those particular jobs IN THE WORLD. The Glazers pay coaches very well, Florida is a appealing place to work, we have an awesome training facility, and the Bucs’ offense has a strong core of players to work with. And any OC worth having knows that having a strong defense run by a highly qualified DC will be his best friend and increase his odds of having a successful offense (little things like keeping the points down & creating turnovers help). We have a track record of doing exactly that over the past several years.
How about we put the constant negativity on hold for awhile and let this thing play out. You might be surprised at the outcome. Or not. Time will tell.
February 13th, 2023 at 4:34 am
Sasquatch … Thanks for sharing those links on Thomas Brown. Didn’t realize that he was also Rams’ assistant HC. That surely helped him develop a broader perspective, something he’d need as an OC. I like his attitude & energy, it’s just a question of how well he’d be able to direct that into being a full-time OC (can he design plays that create opportunities AND communicate what’s needed to make that work to the full offense?). No way to definitively know, until a guy gets the job & has to perform.
BTW, I loved what he said in that 1st video about motivation. That it has to come primarily from inside (everyone’s motivated until they get punched in the mouth?).
Now if I could just figure out how you got to share links when none of the rest of us are allowed to. I find those to provide good insight, but also the fastest way to end up in the cooler.
February 13th, 2023 at 7:07 am
Whatever happens, the Bucs need to jettison Bowles as soon as possible. Last night’s SuperBowl shows how far away the Bucs are from having a strong coaching staff and organizations that know how to build solid offensive and defensive lines.
Coach Reid adjusted to the Eagles pass rush by moving running backs all over the place for mismatches and walk in touchdowns as the Eagles defensive backs got confused in the red zone. KC’s offensive line which was pushed around in the first half became dominant in the second half.
If there anyone on the Bucs who has attitude like Travis Kelsey? In post game he was so right on speaking up on behalf of his teamates. I loved how Strahan, Bradshaw, Johnson and Howie Long all picked the Eagles. Kelsey called out the experts and talked about his teamates and how they all love playing with Holmes. The Fox crew looks pretty stupid this morning. They underestimated the Baby Goat’s ability to take over a game despite clearly playing in pain.
Pat Maholmes will go down in history as a tough player who despite being about 60%, ran for that first down while grimacing in pain. He took one for the team!
February 13th, 2023 at 7:31 am
No one wants a 1 year job because they know like the rest of us Bowles is done after this year.
February 13th, 2023 at 7:40 am
My question is, is the Colts OC job any better than the Bucs OC job? Many are saying the Bucs job is not attractive. So if Johnson is staying in Philly or going to the Colt who is lightly to be the Bucs OC as at least 2 of their other candidates are staying put with their current teams
February 13th, 2023 at 9:01 am
It’s hard to believe no one at the top levels of the Bucs’ org is choosing to admit the reality that this club will either be stuck in neutral or start rolling backwards down the steep hill it climbed if it keeps Todd Bowles as HC. I would rather hire some schmuck from the Home Depot across the street from RayJay to coach than keep that lukewarm half-smirked underachiever guiding this team. The veterans look like they’re clocking in for another 9 to 5 everytime they hit the turf. Any blue collar person knows that feeling and what it looks like. 💯♨️🐟
February 13th, 2023 at 9:05 am
When will we attract a winning head coach and establish a winning culture? When the top brass takes this seriously and leads with that example. Until then, people will avoid One Buc like the MRSA. No one with a grain of winning experience will come and watch their career swirl in this clogged toilet bowl(es)
February 13th, 2023 at 9:09 am
I think that our offensive coordinator position is a very attractive one. If he does a great job with the offense, but the team fails to make the playoffs, and the coach gets fired, he would be in a good position to be elevated to head coach.
February 13th, 2023 at 10:17 am
Right on Rudy….the genesis of the problem is the HUGE MISTAKE management/owners are making by retaining Bowles…..this is definitely not an attractive OC position. Loyal Buc fans need to hear from Lyght or the Glazers…AKA..twiddle dee and twiddle dumb, to explain the reasoning behind this decision. It’s not too late to correct this enormous blunder….we will revert to the former days of the ” same old bucs” and play like a team that’s coached by Todd Bowles….sickening!! Grow some balls management and make the right decision!!!!
February 13th, 2023 at 10:42 am
Just fix the cap and get rid of Bowles next year. Let him oversee the cratering.
February 13th, 2023 at 10:46 am
Keeping Bowles & Leftwich was one of the worst decisions the Bucs have made in my lifetime.
Maybe drafting Bo Jackson was worse, along with hiring Radio Morris the Youngry or signing that fat tree-humper DL.
Definitely top-5 mistake.
February 13th, 2023 at 11:00 am
Dang it. Johnson is the one I wanted.
February 13th, 2023 at 11:48 am
Those of you still calling for Bowles to be fired are wasting your breath and your time. He’s not going anywhere. We can still hope for things to head in a positive direction… and who knows, maybe this OC hire ends up being a rockstar.
February 13th, 2023 at 12:08 pm
I haven’t heard anyone mention Dan Mullen.
Football didn’t undo him, the money of nil etc did it
He produced. Prescott, and tge other 1 overall, plus Tebow, and was Johnsons boss at uf
He can do the job
February 13th, 2023 at 1:02 pm
The Bucs have an angle for Johnson that Indy and philly won’t offer- a better than good chance of becoming a HC, sooner rather than later. If he is OC in Indy, he won’t be getting a shot at HC there. Neither will he as OC in Philly. Those are locked. But an OC position at OBP has a good chance of him becoming HC when Bowles implodes, which is what I think he will do again in ’23.
I still think the Bucs are in the running if they dangle the golden carrot.
February 13th, 2023 at 1:07 pm
Why would Brian Johnson leave the Eagles (Hurts, Brown, Smith, Goedert and that OLine) to coach either of those garbage offenses?
He’ll be in the OC in Philadephia for a year or two and then become a head coach somewhere else.
February 13th, 2023 at 2:10 pm
Why not Dan Mullen? He coached Alex Smith, Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott, and Kyle Trask. Mullen has a great offensive mind and can create an offense around different style quarterbacks. He failed at Florida because he did not recruit well. Works for ESPN/ABC as an analyst.