For the most part the NFL head coaching cycle wrapped up weeks ago when the guys like Liam Coen, Pete Carroll and Aaron Glenn were introduced by their new teams. There’s still one opening left though, and it’s one that Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans can’t help but point and laugh.
Despite being the second team to fire their coach during the season, the New Orleans Saints are the last team to fill its vacancy. Officially that still hasn’t happened, but all signs point toward Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore getting the job after Super Bowl 59 on Sunday.
Moore has been linked to the job for a while, but it’s been tough sledding for the Saints in terms of fielding interest. It seemed like the team bet on Mike McCarthy taking the job but he ultimately decided to take his name out of the running, and in the meantime potential targets like Aaron Glenn and Joe Brady opted for other opportunities as well.
While Moore can’t officially do anything until after the Super Bowl, it seems he already has his eyes set on potential staff members which could mean getting a head start in diving into the rivalry with Tampa Bay.
Buccaneers might lost a coach to Kellen Moore and the Saints
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler threw out a pair of names that Moore will likely target to serve as his defensive coordinator, and neither of them are particularly great for the Bucs. Former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley was mentioned as a potential candidate alongside Buccaneers outside linebacker coach George Edwards.
This would continue a trend we’ve seen this offseason were other teams are hellbent on poaching talent away from Tampa Bay. Liam Coen was the most notable — and messy — departure but he wasn’t alone; Kacy Rodgers left to join the Detroit Lions defensive staff and John Van Dam followed Coen to Jacksonville.
If Edwards leaves that would make four coaches the Bucs have lost, not to mentioned assistant general manager Jon Spytek leaving for the top job in Las Vegas as well.
While losing talent will always sting, it’s a massive feather in the cap of both Todd Bowles and Jason Licht. The bench is deep in terms of talent the duo have developed over the years, something evident in the departures but also the promotion of Josh Grizzard as the team’s new offensive coordinator.
Edwards isn’t for sure a goner, but there’s a strong connection with Moore. They both served together in Dallas at the beginning of the decade, and it would serve as a return to the defensive coordinator role he last held for six years while with the Minnesota Vikings.
If he does leave, it will create another hole for Bowles to fill but will serve as yet another reminder of how well things are going in Tampa Bay if everyone in the league wants some of what they’re cooking.
More Tampa Bay Buccaneers news and rumors