Bucs, Dolphins Request Interviews With Eric Bieniemy
The Buccaneers and Dolphins have requested interviews with Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, according to Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Bieniemy, 49, was among those recommended by the Fritz Pollard Alliance for head coaching consideration this year and should be a hot candidate given the success of the Chiefs’ explosive offense in 2018.
The Jets also requested an interview with Bieniemy on Monday, a job that could hold more appeal than the Bucs or Dolphins. Aside from the Jets playing in the country’s biggest market, they have a young and promising quarterback in Sam Darnold. The draft could bring new QBs to Tampa Bay and Miami, but Darnold could be closer to NFL success than any prospect in the 2019 class.
Bieniemy’s first NFL coaching gig came between 2016-2010 with the Vikings as a running backs coach. He dipped back into the college ranks as Colorado’s offensive coordinator, but returned to the pro level in 2013 as the Chiefs’ running backs coach. When Matt Nagy left for Chicago, Andy Reid promoted him to the OC post.
Bucs Request Interview With George Edwards
The Buccaneers have requested an interview with Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards for their head coaching job, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Serving under Mike Zimmer, Edwards has had a significant role in game planning and has been in the mix for head coaching jobs in the past. 
[RELATED: Bucs Interested In Mike McCarthy?]
Last year, Edwards reportedly did well in his interview with the Bears, though that job ultimately went to offensive specialist Matt Nagy. Given his experience with six different NFL clubs since 1998, Edwards may be due for a step up the ladder. Before joining Zimmer and the Vikings, Zimmer held two DC jobs with the Redskins and Bills and was a linebackers coach for the Cowboys, Browns, and Dolphins.
The Bucs moved on from Dirk Koetter before the end of 2018, ending a run that started with lots of promise and ended with very little in the way of results. Koetter went 9-7 his first year but the Bucs finished 5-11 in each of the last two seasons.
The Buccaneers have also been connected to former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, though he figures to have multiple suitors this offseason.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 12/31/18
New Year’s Eve marks the first day eliminated teams can sign players to reserve/futures contracts. Here is the first wave of those decisions:
Arizona Cardinals
- OL Justin Evans
- OL Will House
- QB Chad Kanoff
- CB Jonathan Moxey
- CB Deatrick Nichols
- LB Pete Robertson
- OL Coleman Shelton
- RB Brandon Wilds
Atlanta Falcons
- QB Kurt Benkert
- WR Christian Blake
- CB Taveze Calhoun
- LB Jermaine Grace
- TE Jaeden Graham
- TE Alex Gray
- WR Devin Gray
- OL Sean Harlow
- DL Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
Carolina Panthers
- T Isaiah Battle
- DB Quin Blanding
- RB Reggie Bonnafon
- LB Brandon Chubb
- DT Woodrow Hamilton
- WR Andre Levrone
- DB Cole Luke
- DB Kai Nacua
- DT Elijah Qualls
- G Ian Silberman
- G Landon Turner
- WR DeAndrew White
- LB Antwione Williams
Detroit Lions
- WR Deontez Alexander
- LB Garret Dooley
- S David Jones
- OL Jarron Jones
- DE Jonathan Wynn
Green Bay Packers
- TE Evan Baylis
- DL Eric Cotton
- T Gerhard de Beer
- G Anthony Coyle
- FB Malcolm Johnson
- S Tray Matthews
- WR Teo Redding
- LB Brady Sheldon
- DL Deon Simon
- S Jason Thompson
Minnesota Vikings
- WR Jeff Badet
- LB Reshard Cliett
- DL Curtis Cothran
- DB Jalen Myrick
- RB Roc Thomas
New York Giants
Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR Trey Griffey
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- T Cole Boozer
- WR K.J. Brent
- DE Demone Harris
- G Ruben Holcomb
- DE Farrington Huguenin
- DE Patrick O’Connor
- RB Dare Ogunbowale
- LB Emmanuel Smith
Tennessee Titans
- RB Dalyn Dawkins
- OL Jamil Douglas
- CB Mike Jordan
- WR Roger Lewis
- OLB Gimel President
- OL David Quessenberry
- WR Kalif Raymond
- WR Devin Ross
- S Damon Webb
Washington Redskins
- C Casey Dunn
- WR Carlos Henderson
- T Roubbens Joseph
- WR ArDarius Stewart
- RB Elijah Wellman
- DT JoJo Wicker
Bucs Coaching Notes: Arians, Bieniemy
- While former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has repeatedly said the only job he would come out of retirement for would be the Browns’, he might be having a change of heart. The legendary offensive coach told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link), that he knows Buccaneers GM Jason Licht, and “would listen” if the Bucs came calling. Tampa is almost certainly looking for an offensive coach to revitalize Jameis Winston‘s career, and Arians would be a very intriguing option.
- While former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has repeatedly said the only job he would come out of retirement for would be the Browns’, he might be having a change of heart. The legendary offensive coach told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link), that he knows Buccaneers GM Jason Licht, and “would listen” if the Bucs came calling. Tampa is almost certainly looking for an offensive coach to revitalize Jameis Winston‘s career, and Arians would be a very intriguing option.
- The Jets have made their first two interview requests as they look to replace Todd Bowles. The team is looking to talk to Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link), and also wants an interview with Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken, according to Rapoport (Twitter link). Rapsheet also tweets the team requested an interview with Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, but Campbell denied the request. Finally, Rapoport notes in a fourth tweet that the Jets are one of two new teams interested in former Lions coach Jim Caldwell, along with the Browns. All of these requests are in line with the thinking that the Jets are interested in bringing in an offensive coach to work with Sam Darnold.
- The Jets aren’t the only team interested in Bieniemy, as Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports tweets that the Buccaneers and Dolphins have reached out as well. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network added in a tweet that the Cardinals have also requested an interview, bringing the number of teams interested in Bieniemy to four. Given the success that members of the Andy Reid coaching tree has had in recent years, it’s not surprising he’s a sought after name.
Buccaneers Fire Dirk Koetter
And so it begins. The first postseason firing has been made official as the Buccaneers are relieving Dirk Koetter of his duties, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link).
The move had been widely expected, but there were some 11th hour reports that Koetter could possibly survive. It was reported earlier today that the team would be retaining Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback next year, but Koetter won’t get another year.
Bucs chairman Joel Glazer released a statement on behalf of the team (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network), saying “we sincerely appreciate the hard work and commitment shown by Dirk over the past several years. Working with Dirk has been a pleasure and we wish him and his family all the best in the future.” Rapoport notes in the same tweet that GM Jason Licht will conduct the coaching search, meaning his job is safe. Licht had been rumored to be on the hot seat as well, but has apparently been spared.
Koetter was a hot head coaching candidate a few years ago after he was widely credited with doing a great job coordinating the Falcons’ offense, but things never worked out in Tampa Bay. He went 9-7 his first year but that slipped to 5-11 last year, and he was very nearly fired at the end of last season. After the Bucs were unable to get Jon Gruden they stuck with Koetter for another year, and it’s been clear for a while now they were going to go in a different direction. They’ve been connected to Mike McCarthy recently, and we should know more about Tampa’s intentions soon.
Buccaneers To Bring Back Jameis Winston
Although the Buccaneers can entirely absolve themselves of Jameis Winston‘s $20.9MM cap hit for 2019 (barring injury), they are going to give the former No. 1 overall pick another shot, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reports that Tampa Bay intends to bring Winston back next season.
As Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets, there was never any indication that the Bucs were going to move on from Winston, but today’s report is the first time we have heard something definitive on the matter. And it’s not as though Winston’s status with the club was a certainty. He was suspended for the first three games of this season due to a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy, which stemmed from an allegation that he groped a female Uber driver in 2016 (Winston and the driver reached a settlement last month). Plus, while he is a clearly talented and capable signal-caller, he is prone to inconsistent play.
But as Greg Auman of The Athletic observes, the Buccaneers would have to spend at least $20MM to land a QB as good as Winston, and even if they parted with Winston and tried to land a future franchise signal-caller in the draft, that would mean resetting the franchise’s clock in a big way (Twitter link). Auman does, however, think it would be reasonable for Tampa Bay to draft a QB prospect in the middle rounds of the 2019 draft to serve as a backup and potential challenger to Winston (Twitter link).
The fact that the Bucs are playing Winston in today’s meaningless finale — and are therefore exposing him to injury, which would trigger the $20.9MM guarantee — suggests that the club is indeed comfortable with Winston moving forward. But the team is also expected to fire head coach Dirk Koetter, and the new head coach may feel differently about Winston and may prefer to go in a different direction. It is unclear whether that will be a factor in the team’s hiring process.
Assuming he does return, Winston will try to break something of a dubious record in Tampa Bay. If he lands a second contract with the Bucs, he will be the first quarterback that the team has drafted in its 44-year history to do so.
Ryan Fitzpatrick Leaning Toward Coming Back For 15th Season
The Buccaneers are likely to have a new coaching staff in place soon, and none of their three quarterbacks are locked into 2019 roster spots. The oldest of those players, however, is not quite ready to retire.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is leaning toward coming back for a 15th NFL season, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports (subscription required).
This week, Fitzpatrick will be the Bucs’ No. 3 quarterback, behind Jameis Winston and Ryan Griffin, Auman adds. Although the Bucs’ highest point of the season came when Fitzmagic had them at 2-0, he was twice benched for Winston. The fourth-year Bucs starter has a guaranteed-for-injury $20MM salary for 2019, but it’s far from certain he will be back.
Fitzpatrick signed two one-year deals with the Bucs over the past two years, the most recent for $3.3MM. He will certainly attract interest from teams looking for a backup quarterback. Fitz has posted four 400-yard games this season, doing so in just seven starts, and still has a 9.6 yards-per-attempt figure to go along with a 66.7 percent completion rate.
Free agency is set to include younger passers like Teddy Bridgewater, Tyrod Taylor and (probably) Nick Foles. They may receive more attention as bridge-starter-type options. Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill are also rumored to be available, complicating next year’s market. But Fitzpatrick could receive a look as well from teams looking for mentors/stopgaps for their to-be-determined rookie signal-callers. The Bucs shouldn’t be ruled out on this front, either, particularly if they do choose to move on from Winston.
DeSean Jackson Wants To Leave Bucs
Wide receiver DeSean Jackson has expressed a preference to move on from the Buccaneers after this season, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. This is consistent with what we’ve heard over the last couple of months even though the team has denied the existence of a rift. 
Jackson made waves in October when he requested a pre-deadline trade. Since then, he’s publicly walked back his stance, but things haven’t changed much.
Anderson hears that issues started to “fester” after an argument between the veteran and head coach Dirk Koetter when he sat out of practice due to a thumb injury. He ultimately played in that game, but other maladies, including his recent Achilles issue, have eaten up chunks of his season.
Jackson clicked with Ryan Fitzpatrick, but he has been less successful on the other end of Jameis Winston‘s throws. In any event, Jackson thinks he’ll do better if he’s playing elsewhere.
The Bucs have Jackson signed through next year at a cap number of $10MM, but there is no guaranteed cash remaining on his deal. With a league-leading 18.9 yards per reception, Jackson will certainly have suitors after him in March.
McCarthy Linked To Bucs Job?
It’ll be a pivotal offseason for the Buccaneers, as they have to decide on what to do with their coaching staff, their front office, and their quarterback. Right now it seems likely that Jameis Winston is back in 2019, but that’s not a guarantee. McCarthy will seemingly have his pick of a couple of jobs, and will likely want to go somewhere with a quarterback in place. If he does go to the Bucs, that could be an indication the team plans on sticking with Winston.
We heard yesterday that Mike McCarthy was interested in the Cardinals’ head coaching job, assuming Steve Wilks is fired as is expected, but McCarthy might actually have his sights set on a different destination. While there is still a chance Dirk Koetter retains his job in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers’ gig is the one McCarthy “has been connected most to”, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. While Breer writes that Koetter is likely to be gone, he says that Tampa GM Jason Licht’s job status is “murkier.”
It’ll be a pivotal offseason for the Buccaneers, as they have to decide on what to do with their coaching staff, their front office, and their quarterback. Right now it seems likely that Jameis Winston is back in 2019, but that’s not a guarantee. McCarthy will seemingly have his pick of a couple of jobs, and will likely want to go somewhere with a quarterback in place. If he does go to the Bucs, that could be an indication the team plans on sticking with Winston.
DeSean Jackson Suffers Foot Injury
Cowboys defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford was carted off the field today following a scary collision with Buccaneers offensive lineman Ryan Jensen. Fortunately, it sounds like the veteran will be alright. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com writes that a scan and MRI of Crawford’s neck came back as negative, and the lineman has been released from the hospital.
- DeSean Jackson played today despite being list as questionable with a thumb injury, but the Buccaneers wideout was knocked out of the second half of his team’s game against the Cowboys with a foot injury. As Williams points out, the veteran lost his shoe on his only reception of the game, and he subsequently limped to the sideline before “collapsing in pain.” It sounds like Jackson doesn’t have much of a future in Tampa Bay, and today may have marked his final game with the organization. If the receiver doesn’t play next week, he’ll have finished the season with 41 receptions for 774 yards and four touchdowns.