Rams’ Thomas Brown interviews with Bucs again Wednesday
Dan Pitcher has decided coaching Joe Burrow is better than calling plays for Kyle Trask and will remain with the Bengals as their quarterbacks coach.
Pitcher interviewed for a second time with the Bucs for their offensive coordinator position last week but has informed the team he will remain in Cincinnati, the Tampa Bay Times confirmed Sunday.
The Bucs’ focus has turned to Rams assistant head coach/tight ends coach Thomas Brown, who will have his second interview with the team on Wednesday.
Brown becomes a strong candidate to replace Byron Leftwich, who was fired Jan. 19. The Bucs conducted a virtual interview with Brown on Friday. He also is expected to have a second interview for the Panthers’ offensive coordinator job on Thursday.
Brown has worked under Rams head coach Sean McVay for the past three seasons and was part of the staff that beat the Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl 56.
The Bucs have interviewed eight candidates: Pitcher, Brown, Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Broncos passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak, Jaguars passing game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, Vikings receivers coach Keenan McCardell, Giants quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney and Saints passing game coordinator Ronald Curry.
Seahawks quarterbacks coach Dave Canales also is expected to interview with the Bucs.
Pitcher had good reason to remain with the Bengals. Their offensive coordinator, Brian Callahan, is a strong candidate for a head coaching job in 2024. He interviewed with both the Cardinals and the Colts for their head coaching positions.Should Callahan be hired as a head coach, Pitcher would be in line to become the Bengals’ offensive coordinator.
Brown, a former running back at Georgia, coached running backs when he joined the Rams in 2020 and they finished 10th in the NFL in rushing, averaging 126.1 yards per game. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles wants to improve the run game, which was the worst in the league a year ago, averaging 76.9 yards per game.
Brown was promoted to assistant head coach/running backs coach in 2021 before assuming his current role last season.
The Bucs had hoped to have hired Leftwich’s replacement by now. But several factors have added to the delay. Chief among them is that some assistants are waiting to see who Indianapolis and Arizona hire as head coaches.
As for the Bucs, they are $55 million over the $224.8 million salary cap, have 24 free agents and only Trask under contract at quarterback.
As a result, the Bucs are expected to have interest in signing a veteran free agent such as the Rams’ Baker Mayfield or the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo. But both players will have options and the Bucs’ salary cap situation could be a factor.
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