Buccaneers set to interview Vikings DC George Edwards

Tampa Bay added their first defensive-minded head coach to their list of interviews. George Edwards could be the man to turn Tampa’s defense around.

UPDATE: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the interview will take place on Friday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added another name to their list of head coaching interviews. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Tampa requested to interview Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards.

Edwards spent the last five seasons under Mike Zimmer as the Vikings’ defensive play caller. Throughout the past three seasons, Minnesota boasted a top ten defense in yards and points.

His unit performed best in 2017 when they were the best defense in the NFL. It resulted in an NFC Championship appearance.

Edwards interviewed for head coaching positions last season, but he didn’t get a job offer. Perhaps another strong campaign would entice team’s enough to give him a shot as head coach.

Edwards has been around the league for 20 years now. He broke into the NFL as a linebackers coach for the Dallas Cowboys. He had stints as a coordinator with Buffalo and Washington before finding his groove in Minnesota.

In Tampa Bay, Edwards can lead a massive turnaround for the defense. Last season, Tampa Bay was one of the worst defensive units in the league.

After the Bucs tried their hand with an offensive-minded coach in Dirk Koetter, general manager Jason Licht may want to go in another direction and focus on the defensive side of the ball.

Edwards is the second candidate that will reportedly interview with Tampa Bay. Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, is another name set to talk with the organization.

Now that the Bucs have interviewed a top offensive and defensive coordinator, they could get a better feel about which direction they may want to head in with the upcoming hire.

Other names at linked to the Buccaneers include Bruce Arians, Jack Del Rio and Jim Caldwell.