Carolina Panthers Conducting Second Interview With Buccaneers OC For Head Coach Position
There are only four teams in the NFL that are still in the hunt for a Super Bowl. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't one of them after joining the growing number of franchises on the sidelines after being knocked out of the playoffs by the Detroit Lions.
The focus now turns to retaining a plethora of coaches and players who are coveted around the league. After one season with the franchise, offensive coordinator Dave Canales is earning plenty of interest elsewhere, including potential head coaching opportunities.
The Carolina Panthers already conducted a virtual interview with Canales last week. The Panthers will now bring him in for a second interview for the opportunity to be their next head coach, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The team is also expected to meet with Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator and former head coach Raheem Morris for a second time.
This is beginning to get interesting as the Buccaneers enter the offseason with the future of their offensive coordinator, quarterback Baker Mayfield, and star wide receiver Mike Evans up in the air. The hope is that the trio will all return to the franchise but there's a possibility that they are with a different team next year.
Canales, in particular, could swiftly move up the ladder after his work with Geno Smith in Seattle and Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay over the last two years. He helped coach both quarterbacks to career years with their respective teams.
Smith completed 399/572 passes (69.8%) for 4,282 yards with 30 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in 2022. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career while also earning Comeback Player of the Year Honors.
Mayfield completed 364/566 passes (64.3%) for 4,044 yards with 28 touchdowns to ten interceptions while adding 163 yards and another score during the 2023 regular season. He followed that up with back-to-back 300+ yard passing performances, including the first game in franchise history with over 300 passing yards and three touchdowns.
On the season, the Buccaneers ranked No. 19 in scoring offense (21.1 ppg), No. 22 in total yards (319.3), No. 16 in passing yards (228.8), No. 31 (90.4) in rushing yards per game, and No. 9 in third-down conversion percentage (41.6%). Those numbers were boosted in the playoffs as Tampa Bay averaged 417 total yards of offense, 313 passing yards, 104 rushing yards, and 27.5 points per game.
The Panthers have previously virtually interviewed coaches such as Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, among others, for virtual interviews.
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