Jacksonville Jaguars have confirmed interest in Buccaneers assistant

Bruce Arians, Byron Leftwich, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Bruce Arians, Byron Leftwich, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly have expressed interest in interviewing three candidates for their vacant head coach position. One of which is a Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ assistant.

The NFL calendar is perpetual. There is never a dull moment. The head coaching carousel is always a noteworthy news source when it comes to keeping all 32 teams relevant year-round and in the public eye. Yes, that even includes the Jaguars.

Reports indicate that they already have expressed interest in bringing in three candidates to fill the dark hole left by Urban Meyer. The names on their list include Super Bowl champion Doug Pederson, Jim Caldwell who took the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl and guided the Detroit Lions, the LIONS  to three winning seasons in four years (the other being a 7-9 season), and two playoff appearances.

The third and final name on the Jags’ list is current Buccaneer’s offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

On the surface, all three seem like fantastic candidates, with the two being former head coaches looking like the more ideal options considering what they’ve already accomplished as head honchos in the NFL.

However, there’s a little more to this story. Leftwich was the seventh overall pick by these same Jaguars in the 2003 NFL Draft, and was their starting quarterback from 2003-2006, achieving moderate success. He’s honestly one of the better starting quarterbacks in that franchise’s history, but however much that says is up to you.

Since retiring after spending the rest of his career as a solid backup quarterback, Leftwich has emerged as one of the better offensive coordinators in the league. Sure, his playcalling has frustrated some, especially his willingness to commit to the “foreign” strategy of establishing the run, but at the end of the day the Buccaneers have put up other-worldly passing numbers during his tenure, with or without Tom Brady. That could only benefit a young quarterback like Trevor Lawrence.

At the end of the day, the Jaguars have three solid options here. If Byron Leftwich stays or goes, the Buccaneers will be just fine, especially with number 12 at quarterback. Still, should the Jaguars choose to bring in a familiar face as their next head coach, it would be a shame to see Leftwich go as the team has achieved great success with him in Tampa Bay, regardless of the public’s opinion on him.