Dave Canales Gets Second Interview For Panthers’ Head Coach Gig
January 22nd, 2024
Could the Bucs be fishing for a new offensive coordinator later this week?
Current playcaller Dave Canales interviewed for the Panthers’ head coaching vacancy last week and has been called back for a second interview, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Today, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles was asked about the possibility of losing Canales and Bowles noted that he has qualified in-house candidates to replace Canales and that there would be a formal search as well, if that scenario played out.
Remember, Bowles interviewed about a dozen offensive coordinator candidates last season before deciding Canales was the best man for the job.
Joe hopes Canales sticks around Tampa. Too many good things happened in December and January for Bucs fans to hope Canales skips town for a much fatter paycheck.
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:17 pm
Don’t take that job Canales. Something is not right with the new Panthers owner. Stay with the Bus for another yr or 2 until the right job opens. But then again, the money might be one hellava lure.
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:18 pm
Let him go…. there are some damn good offensive coordinators with real good experience out there.
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:24 pm
Think he needs another year at OC. Shouldn’t jump into a head coaching gig after one season. Way too much pressure. If he goes he goes. Plenty of good OCs looking for a change.
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:24 pm
Man please don’t leave us especially for a division rival lol.
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:24 pm
if you do go, please destroy the panthers.
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:25 pm
If he goes he goes.
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:26 pm
He called a terrible game. Too many plays had Baker going to the line with 9 seconds to snap the ball. Has a lot to learn.
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:27 pm
He’s gotten better as the season went on , but he hasn’t even figured out how to call plays through the ups and downs, ebbs and flows of a ball game. No way he’s ready for a HC gig!
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:28 pm
Hopefully the Panthers hire him so we can hire eric bieniemy, two time winning super bowl OC, and give him full control over our offense. With two genius defensive and offensive coordinators on our coaching staff we will make it to the super bowl again
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:34 pm
Mike Johnson u r right, it’s something wrong in Carolina If I was in Canales shoes, it’s no way I would leave Tampa for Carolina. That team’s a mess. The Bucs are close to the top in the NFC with a lot of good players on both sides of the ball. Maybe some help at RB OT CB but well established including ownership
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:42 pm
I like Canales, he is in the beginning of his career, but I will not be worried if he goes…..I would really be surprised if somebody hires him, doesn´t make much sense to me….But with the Panthers and his owner you never know…..
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:42 pm
Pretty sure Bowles has someone on staff that can mirror Canales offense, most teams do if Canales leaves. Starting to look like not a lot of coaches are jumping at that Carolina job 😊 I am just saying
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:46 pm
Jumping into a hc position so early in his development would be a horrible career move. Dude needs another 2-3 years as an offensive coordinator before he can run a team effectively.
I hope he has good business people around him to help him out.
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:48 pm
Second interview, sounds like Dave is gone. Wow one season and done. So much for Bucs having continuity with Bowles and staff going into next season. The Glazers should break the record on OC pay and give Canales a raise!!! The players for second consecutive season are going to have to learn a new offense under a new offensive coordinator and etc. Did see the the improvement Cade Otton, Trey Palmer, and Rashad White and etc made. Now these young players are going to have learn another offense. Good job Bowles, good job Licht. This continuity conversation for next season is now blown out of the water. Sucks for Baker, how many different offensive coordinators has he had??? What about Saints former OC for 14 years Pete Carmichael as a replacement?? He worked under Sean Peyton for along time.
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:51 pm
Here’s the thing if he doesn’t go this year and we do well next year he’s definitely gone. I don’t think he’s ready to be in charge but another year and we’re 100% looking for a new OC. Bowels saying he has someone on staff that could take his place. That might be the same person that Canales would take with him and make his OC.
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:54 pm
Interesting thought, Mike Evans wants to get paid. I don’t believe Licht can afford to pay Baker, Wirfs, Winfield, Lavonte and Evans too. Lavonte played elite this season. He can go to the market and get one more big contract.
Evans is statistically coming a season in which he had one of his best. Also coming off a season in which he probably had the most drops of career. But Evans is a legend and All Pro and etc. What if he followed Dave Canales to Carolina??? Hope he stays in Tampa. Doubtful though. He could go to a big market and get more national attention to further help his HOF candidacy and get more endorsements and etc…
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:56 pm
If Dave goes, chances baker stays drop just a bit….
January 22nd, 2024 at 12:58 pm
That’s a kiss of death move. See it too many times, people get moved up the ladder at blazing speed, before they master the job they are performing. A HC has so much on them. Just because you are a good QB coach, a very vanilla OC fails to qualify as a HC.
If he foolish enough to take it, two years he will be let go and spend the next 5 years healing his resume. Just ask Raheem in LA.
January 22nd, 2024 at 1:01 pm
How about a new D/C or even a new H/C?
January 22nd, 2024 at 1:06 pm
I honestly don’t think he has figured out the OC job yet. Has trouble adapting to what the defense is doing and calls plays that are pretty easy to defend against. If he goes, I am ok with it as I think that the Bucs can do better at OC. No big loss.
January 22nd, 2024 at 1:06 pm
Bobby – Wirfs is already under contract and accounted for so this is a none issue. We have 48 million in cap & just by cutting Gage the number goes to 59.8 million. This is before any restructures but for arguments sake we can restructure Dean & Vea giving us a cap number of 77 million. Long story short no one is leaving the bucs unless we decdide we dont want to pay them what theya re asking.
Cap is not a issue this year.
January 22nd, 2024 at 1:15 pm
He’s too smart to go down that rabbit hole and get Teppered. The only that meddling dummy will hire is desperate. Carolina career killer
January 22nd, 2024 at 1:16 pm
Dude is in no way ready to be a HC, so let him go and continue the death spiral the kitties are in.
January 22nd, 2024 at 1:16 pm
told ya
canales to nc
chucky in no
belicheck in atl
tampa is in for a world of hurt ladies.
and yall keep toilet bowl???? all these coaches can beat toilet bowles with gameplanning. they know it. tb gets it wrong and does not change it. BB will put a 50 burger on us to make it sting.
thanks todd!
January 22nd, 2024 at 1:17 pm
if canales gets an offer, he better damn well take it. any rational person knows this division is going to be harder as is our schedule. canales is gone if he gets an offer!
January 22nd, 2024 at 1:18 pm
We can cut Carlton loose, he’s paid top dollar but only plays 8 games a year or there about. Shaq was a non-factor as well. We have a ton of talent on this team, a few tweaks we win the division again.
If we can get Baker to play in platform cleats and pick up a few inches, he can start getting to his second and third reads, then the Lombardi is within our grasp.
January 22nd, 2024 at 1:41 pm
Baker owes Canales big time for his success. It’s really no shock that he turned around two once discarded players’ careers. Put some respect on Canales’ name. He also put Evans in a great position to succeed and he had one of his best seasons. Mike was wide open all season.
January 22nd, 2024 at 1:45 pm
Who would want that job? Yikes.
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, hey hey hey, GOOD BYE!!!
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:02 pm
I have noticed something interesting this season that I thought was funny. When it comes to plays created on slow downs, they’re more likely to fail. However, during up-tempo drives the offense hums. I mention this because it seems like Canales probably has less impact during those up-tempo drives. Which brings the question, how well did he do as a coordinator? Baker Mayfield seems to be better at creating drives than Canales, but maybe that’s just my perspective.
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:15 pm
I’m so scared lol
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:27 pm
Nobody could blame him if he leaves. Really a bright and personable guy but there will be plenty of opportunities down the road for him. Would be nice if Bucs can keep things together for another year and improve the O and D lines. Canales has said that he is thankful for the opportunity that Coach Bowles provided. If he is really thankful, stick with the team for another year.
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:28 pm
Raheem 2.0 if he goes HC this early.
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:29 pm
Even he can not fix Brycie.
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:40 pm
If you look at the Bucs offense this year I don’t think when it did well, it was because of Canales. You have a core of vets that played under Arians and it was the vertical game that produced the best version of the Bucs offense.
The Lions ran a much more disciplined offense and took what the Bucs defense gave them. The Bucs were a trash running team and their short passing game was very defendable. Really it was Mayfield making big plays downfield to Evans and Otton, and White making people miss in the screen game. Not because of good game plans for the offense.
That isn’t a great resume for Canales. His personality and his upbeat optimism is good for player unity but does the Buc offense is very vanilla. Certainly there are other OC’s that may come here if Mayfield and Evans resign
They didn’t do enough to develop, Trey Palmer who is a speedster and all of those wasted throws to Tompkins, c’mon, the wind can knock him off a route, he shouldn’t even be on the field other than to make fair catches.
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:43 pm
Tepper seems like an owner that would hire Dave just to spite the Buccaneers.
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:46 pm
This league is such a joke. Everybody is so desperate to find the next Belichick that they hire and fire HCs willy-nilly and replace them with the next one-year wonder. Remember how Leftwich was supposed to be this next great coach, only to find out that once the sample size increased to be more representative of his true abilities, his stock went way down?
There are so many factors involved outside of the HC that determines your success in this league–find a GOOD HC, not necessarily a brilliant one because there is NO SUCH THING–and let that guy grow. We need more Mike Tomlins, more loyalty from both coaches and owners to their fans and franchises.
Loyalty and commitment works in real life, it will work in sports.
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:48 pm
Canales goes to Carolina and Baker follows him?
January 22nd, 2024 at 2:58 pm
I think He’s smart enough not to take that job
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:01 pm
Spent a lot of the year pulling my hair out with Canales play calling and during some of his pressers. No way he’s ready for a head coaching gig and calling plays as OC. If Canales was smart, he’d stay. There’s a reason Pete didn’t promote him to OC in Seattle. Unemployment lines are littered with 1 year wonders promoted before their ready.
I hate to see us go to an entirely new offense 3 years in a row and would reluctantly suck it up hoping Canales has learned from his mistakes.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:18 pm
Tepper want Canales for one reason
He wants Canales to save his selecting Bryce as the first pick. He can’t bait Canales with an OC job because he’s already has one soooo offer him the HC
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:29 pm
If the Bucs do lose Canales, the in-house option is better to keep some continuity.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:31 pm
Canales is going to leverage the interviews into a fat pay raise with Team Glazer. No way they let a new offensive mind get away to a division rival. Let Canales get another year under his belt, and if Bowles gets sloppy…
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:31 pm
This reminds me of when Bowles interviewed for the Jaguars job when he was DC here. He turned it down cause he knew it was a mess. I don’t think Canales is that good of an OC or ready to be head coach. However it would be better for him to stay so the offense doesn’t have to start over learning a new offense which will take another year to learn.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:53 pm
If he goes, he needs to take the OL Coach with him.
If he doesn’t go, he needs to throw the OL Coach out on his keester.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:54 pm
Couple of things to unpack here.
1. The Bucs need to try to retain him (lets not change the offensive system AGAIN)
2. The Panthers likely are doing more recon than anything.
– What blocking schemes do you like
– How do you work out blitz pickup ect….
Its a way to spy behind the scenes without breaking any rules.
January 22nd, 2024 at 3:58 pm
The guy is trending up for sure. He needs to work on his blocking schemes though.. I’m sure he will but would hate to lose him. I wish they try what we did with Lovie and Koetter again
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:04 pm
Ok lol Canales marry the first girl who asked you out on a date never mind the red flags
Worst job in football worst roster worst owner with no high draft picks for a couple more years. Really did you think you won’t have an opportunity in a year or two especially if you get back the playoffs? The owner is the gm. I would like to think no nfl exec is dumb enough to think anyone in the draft was going to be better than stroud
January 22nd, 2024 at 4:14 pm
Honestly I felt the offense under preform in my eyes..still.all the weapons that made us great year prior with Brady.
I think we can do much better for a o coordinator but im gona step further.
We lost to the lions due to defense and a slow start offense I Blane slow starts on the head coach and the head coach fame plans defense so I still believe Todd not the guy to take us to the chip.
Let him go and get Bill to sign here.
Then see if Wilson will come be our qb.
Imagine him in this offense.
We get I hope Jensen back at center.
Draft a beast rt..
Find a great rb to push white to be a 3rd down back.
It be nice to land a vertical threat te paired with Orton.
Gage jr I just don’t think he will be of any help..I further develop palmer have chris n mike get him to elite level with his speed..have Chris teach him hands n routes.. mike teach him wte he wants..
Palmer should move Godwin back to slot.
I liked Moore enough to have him back ..
Draft another beast looking speedster tall ideally..
You should have a great offense..
LG should be a competition thing..
Lt wire. LG competition c hopefully a healthy Jensen rg toothless wonder much stronger after few doses of steroids and gym all off-season rt Draft pick that woes like wire did hopefully..cause hainsey stennie and the others are at this point back ups in my eyes.
We need muscle to play next to wire so we can run to the left…
Wire, muscle Jensen she create a nice push to the left.
The right got work to do and development needed.
Idk if we will find a vertical te or a rt but it be nice if we did.
Jason has some big decisions to make but I trust him.
We have our kickers so we won’t waste picks there.
I think we let d white walk hes not worth anything Britt stole the job.
David still got 2 to 3 years of good football left..
Shaq is greatly over paid and isn’t effective at getting to the qb.
Vea needs to work out all off season become much more healthy to play a lot more.
I see a lot of players I would wave goodbye to..
Winfield is worth 15mil a year..
Davis is not worth his check..
Godwin needs to rework his money for mike..
Baker can walk in my eyes if we wanna tag him im ok with that but he’s not the answer in my humble opinion
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:10 pm
Good luck to Canales if he gets the head coaching position. Sadly, the owner seems inclined to fire people easily and he did throw that drink at a fan. Canales may work well with Young though.
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:10 pm
Canales will be a better head coach than an Offensive Coordinator. His positivity , his willingness to delegate and his relentless drive will endear him to the Carolina fans. The Panthers already have a great defense and a young QB with great potential. I beleive he will hire an experienced OC and keep the current DC. The new GM whoever that may be must have a really good draft for Canales to see immediate success as a the HC. But he is a great choice for the Panthers.
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:18 pm
Please go, What a joke
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:28 pm
Wedo not wanna lose this guy.
Get busy Jason!
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:43 pm
Biggest fear, Toilet says he already has candidates on staff !!!
Which mediocre already present Buc coach is Toilet thinking would be replacement ?Someone Toilet has worked with for years.
I will credit Canales for helping BM optimize his skill set. I bet another year of the pairing is better than having BM and all the crew having to learn an entirely new offense !
They were just starting to get the run between the tackles down pat !!! We mastered having the most attempts for the least yards !
But really, Canales seemed to be scheming receivers open more later in the season. I am sure the group would work the scheme better in year 2 if there is a second year.
January 22nd, 2024 at 5:47 pm
I’m more worried for Canales than the Bucs. I only hope he doesn’t risk a promising career by jumping at the first opportunity.
Tepper is a total tool! Who would want to work for that guy? That could set Canales career back just as Rah’s premature elevation to HC for what was then a truly crappy franchise with owners focused on their billion dollar business venture in England did him. How long will Rah have to wait to get another shot?
Going to the FUBAR Panthers is not a wise decision.
January 22nd, 2024 at 6:25 pm
Isn’t Canales considered a “minority” candidate?
Meaning the Bucs receive TWO compensatory 3rd round picks if/when Canalas takes a head coaching job?
January 22nd, 2024 at 6:31 pm
Don’t go Dave.
January 22nd, 2024 at 6:49 pm
He hasn’t been THAT great for us.
Personally, I’m hoping the Glazers do the unexpected and land Harbaugh to a long term deal. If they want to win…that’s what they’d do.
January 22nd, 2024 at 6:51 pm
They probably want to ask him how could the Lions keep blitzing from the secondary and he coulden’t figure how to stop it. If we had eliminate those sacks we probably would have won the game.
January 22nd, 2024 at 6:52 pm
stpetebucfan Says
“I’m more worried for Canales than the Bucs. I only hope he doesn’t risk a promising career by jumping at the first opportunity.”
It would be a big mistake on his part…he’s not quite ready.
I doubt Bowles will do better next year than this year, but Canales needs more time as an OC before he gets a promotion. Becoming a head coach now might set himself up for failure.
January 22nd, 2024 at 7:29 pm
He is NOT going to get that job. He has minimal experience, he should not of even been our OC–he is limited. He is ok for us but head coach takes more experience and they are desperate in Carolina with a bad offense.
January 22nd, 2024 at 7:43 pm
Bonzai
Not to dash your hopes…But Harbaugh has been widely speculated as going to the Chargers. He’s comfortable on the West Coast and Herbert is a decent QB.
The first round playoff win virtually insures another year for Todd.
January 22nd, 2024 at 10:20 pm
Wouldn’t bet against it. Not a nickel. Canales brings a lot of non-X’s and O’s qualities that the corporate types who own football teams covet. Not shocked at all David Tepper wanted to interview Canales again. Someday, Canales will make a terrific front man for an NFL franchise.
January 23rd, 2024 at 1:31 pm
Baker was literally the worst QB in football the previous two years, Geno Smith was a total joke, and both in this system look like real NFL starters.
If you’re the Panthers, if that’s all you get out of Canales, is salvaging Young, then you are likely pretty happy with that deal. Plus Canales would likely be the cheapest headcoach in football, and that Panthers owner is loaded, so he’d eat the contract, even if Canales was there for only a year.
In any case the Panthers won’t get a top NFL guy if Young looks like a bust, so that could be the thinking as well – bring in someone like Canales for a year purely in an all-out effort to make Young look good, then if he does, the big dogs of coaching will actually talk to you.
It actually makes a lot of sense.
I wasn’t big on the Canales pick, but I liked his offense from what I saw the preseason, and I thought he did an incredible job. If he got more consistent play out of Baker, this would have been a top 12 scoring offense instead of being at 20. Also this is a guy who just got demoted prior to last year in Seattle, had been stuck on their coaching depth chart forever, was probably making like $120k/year there, and now he has a chance to make millions, even if he is the lowest paid HC in the NFL, that would be quite the ride.
Also, as noted, the Bucs need to claim he’s ever color under the rainbow if it gets them an extra pick. What a stupid racist policy, but if it’s there, take full advantage of it.