Byron Leftwich A Head Coach Candidate “Based On Dozens Of Conversations”
November 17th, 2021
However the Buccaneers’ season plays out, they may lose a key assistant coach.
And Joe suspects the top candidate would be offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, primarily because league owners have four years of Todd Bowles’ sad history with the New York Jets to review. And Bowles is neither young (58) nor charismatic.
Plugged-in NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero has been doing his homework on head coach candidates and has compiled a breakdown at NFL.com of young coaches that will draw interest for the 2022 hiring season. Joe was interested because Pelissero said his findings are based on “dozens of recent conversations with NFL executives, coaches and others close to the search process.
On his list is the Bucs’ playcaller.
Buccaneers OC Byron Leftwich, 41: One of the surprises of the last hiring cycle was Leftwich not getting a single interview request, even as he called plays for Tom Brady and a Bucs offense that made a Super Bowl run. That figures to change this time around. The 10-year NFL quarterback was once a backup in Pittsburgh under then-offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who hired Leftwich as QB coach in Arizona in 2017 and brought him along to Tampa two years later. An uninspiring stint as the interim OC for a doomed Cardinals team three years ago under Arians’ successor there, Steve Wilks, is further in the rearview now. And Leftwich continues to show he can manage a room with veterans such as Brady, who’s more than two years older than his OC and has made his love for Leftwich clear.
It sure doesn’t hurt Leftwich that a couple of former quarterbacks and playcallers his age, Matt LaFleur (Packers) and Kliff Kingsbury (Cardinals) have had strong success as head coaches. NFL owners love to follow trends and Leftwich seems to fall in a popular box.
Also, any NFL owner can sell himself that Leftwich has been mentored well by Bucco Bruce Arians, given a lot of freedom, and successfully has managed his relationship with a big-name veteran quarterback (Tom Brady) and an unpredictable young QB (Jameis Winston).
The broader question for Bucs fans is what Arians would do if Leftwich left the team. Taking over playcalling is not what Arians desires, and Joe is highly skeptical of how quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen would perform in that role.
November 17th, 2021 at 3:14 pm
Like 5 guys will be back next season (coaches & players)
November 17th, 2021 at 3:21 pm
Bye
November 17th, 2021 at 3:31 pm
@”..However the Buccaneers’ season plays out, they may lose a key assistant coach…”
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Im sorry J, let me laugh first ‘hahahahah’, then:
.. no one in the league will promote him as HC; correction maybe Bucs.
He is not HC material, he is not OC material. He was just a failure QB, lucky to be under 70 years old coach (you said Tooodd 58 is old), then super lucky to keep his ‘OC’ title with the GOAT as QB.
That’s it.
Reminder: Just two years ago they(BA&BL) miserably failed JW, while promising that he is our franchise QB.
Bucs promote him, or any other from this coaching staff we have, and they going to have PLANTY of season tickets left.
November 17th, 2021 at 3:34 pm
One down!
November 17th, 2021 at 3:35 pm
My abuela would be a successful OC with Brady as a QB and the weapons this offense has.
November 17th, 2021 at 3:40 pm
BL is lucky BA likes him .. I canNOT see any nfl team offering him ANY job.. Once BA leaves —he should consider high school opportunities……
November 17th, 2021 at 3:46 pm
Arthur Smith got the HC position with Atlanta so weirder things have happened.
November 17th, 2021 at 3:47 pm
@”..My abuela would be a successful ..”
———————-
I checked what means abuela, means Grandmother.
My Granny often was saying “Better luck then brain”, hmmm
In this case less then average OC, and a proven failure/fire HC/DC, were lucky enough the get a ring on their finger.
Very lucky, like GOAT lucky. 😎
November 17th, 2021 at 3:58 pm
Don’t see it sorry.
November 17th, 2021 at 4:12 pm
I think he earned it….as long as he stays in our division
November 17th, 2021 at 4:24 pm
It wouldn’t be Clyde calling plays. If Lefty gets a promotion it would probably be Goodwin who would be next in line.
November 17th, 2021 at 4:30 pm
Uh huh…Right up there with Eric Bieniemy
November 17th, 2021 at 4:35 pm
I wouldn’t mind if both our OC and our DC get head coaching gigs next season…
November 17th, 2021 at 4:49 pm
Whatever will we do?
🤣🤣🤣
November 17th, 2021 at 4:59 pm
I dont know what the Bucs will have to do to keep Byron but I hope he is the eventual replacement for Bruce. We are much better off keeping this offensive system in tact.
November 17th, 2021 at 4:59 pm
Yep, we all know how that went 20 years ago.
November 17th, 2021 at 5:00 pm
What really could of helped his resume is improving JW and Rosen but they didn’t. Somehow either stalled or gotten worse. The Word that Brady change the playbook is not a good thing to BL. Then again, it’s a way we can get a Alpha OC not a Beta. Who really has improved that wasn’t good already in BL tenure?
November 17th, 2021 at 5:02 pm
Adios! don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you..
November 17th, 2021 at 5:03 pm
Tom Brady can make a mediocre play caller look good….problem is, only lousy teams have openings
November 17th, 2021 at 5:18 pm
I don’t think him leaving would hurt the Bucs. 95% of the time: Run on first and pass on 2nd and 3rd downs
November 17th, 2021 at 5:46 pm
Lamarcus. The word that Brady chaged the playbook is nonsense from fans. This piece about Bryon is what actual front offices are saying.
Hate to burst your bubble but its dowright silly to think Brady changed the playbook during one bye week. I understand that narritive is needed to keep hating Byron and take away any credit he had in our SuperBowl run but its fan fiction.
The reality is the plays we ran on our run last year were plays we practiced all year. Get ready because we will probably open up the playbook more for this years run.
November 17th, 2021 at 6:25 pm
Brady made Bill O’ Goods/Brien, Charlie Weis & Gosh McDaniels a pile of money over the years simply by association. Lefty better cash in while he can before the Kyle Trask Era begins.
November 17th, 2021 at 6:39 pm
Q: Byron why do you think you’re the best HC candidate for our football team ??
A: Hmmmm I don’t know to be honest with you.
November 17th, 2021 at 6:50 pm
I say let him go. He’s not ready but hey as I said, Let him go.
November 17th, 2021 at 6:51 pm
I say let him go. He’s not ready but hey as I said, Let him go.
November 17th, 2021 at 7:15 pm
After our last two pathetic games, not a single one of our coaches deserves to coach pee wee league.
November 17th, 2021 at 7:29 pm
Not impressed with the predictability of the offense. The screen game is impotent and the dump offs to Fournette are not getting them anywhere.
Listening to Joe’s Podcast I have to agree with Lee about getting the ball to his playmakers. There has been no adjustments to the roles of Godwin and Evans during Brown’s absence. I know Evans can catch the ball on the sidelines but there is little passing plays taking advantage of his strength.
November 17th, 2021 at 7:29 pm
This year is it guys. Lots of retirements are coming. Lots of coaches will be moving on while their stock is high. And we’ll have to try to reload with a bad cap for a couple years.
November 17th, 2021 at 8:22 pm
It ain’t happening…. Yawn….. can we talk about something else
November 18th, 2021 at 2:26 am
Leftwich is replaceable get someone who doesn’t dial a run play every single 1st down and get someone who uses play action because it works!
November 18th, 2021 at 2:49 pm
Next offensive coordinator will probably be a woman