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Time for a look at some Friday headlines from around the NFC South.

D. Orlando Ledbetter writes that there has been a lot of focus on the tight ends during Super Bowl practices. That may have a lot to do with the success of tight ends like San Francisco’s Vernon Davis and New England’s Rob Gronkowski and the play of almost all the NFC South tight ends during the regular season. It’s possible we could see some NFC South teams draft tight ends this year because the position has become more important than ever. The Saints could look for depth behind Jimmy Graham. Same for the Panthers, who could one someone to team with Greg Olsen if Jeremy Shockey isn’t re-signed. Although Tony Gonzalez hasn’t showed many signs that he’s slowing down, the Falcons may want to find an heir apparent. Tampa Bay’s Kellen Winslow has a history of knee problems and the Buccaneers could look for insurance.

Although he’s about to play in his first Pro Bowl, Graham said the wounds from the playoff loss to San Francisco remain very fresh.

Rick Stroud throws out a couple of names as possible assistants for new Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano. The Bucs have reportedly requested permission to interview Arizona receivers coach John McNulty, who spent some time as offensive coordinator and receivers coach at Rutgers under Schiano. McNulty also had a stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars and is the most famous person ever to come out of Abington Heights High School in Clarks Summit, Pa. Former NFL and college head coach Butch Davis also is mentioned as a possible candidate to be an assistant.

There’s a report that Brad Childress could be headed to Cleveland as the offensive coordinator. Childress interviewed for the head coaching job in Tampa Bay. There were also some rumblings that Childress could have ended up as the Bucs’ offensive coordinator if Mike Sherman got the job. Although it sounds like Childress probably will join the Browns, I still wouldn’t rule out completely the possibility of the Bucs making a late run at Childress as their coordinator. Schiano probably wants someone with NFL experience as offensive coordinator because his own background is on defense.

Although he has no problem with the hiring of Schiano, who once worked as defensive coordinator at the University of Miami, Winslow said he would have preferred Carolina’s Rob Chudzinski, who was a finalist for the job. That’s because Chudzinski was Winslow’s tight ends coach at the University of Miami. Chudzinski will apparently remain as Carolina’s offensive coordinator. But, if the Carolina offense has another big season, Chudzinski’s going to be a hot candidate for a job as a head coach next year.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly reportedly backed out just as it appeared he was about to become the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kelly reportedly had been in the final stages of negotiating a deal with Tampa Bay. But general manager Mark Dominik said Monday morning that Kelly informed the Bucs he’ll be staying at Oregon.

So where does that leave Tampa Bay’s coaching search?

Well, Kelly may have been the first choice, but the cupboard is far from empty. Of the candidates known to have interviewed, only Joe Philbin, now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, is officially out of the picture.

Former NFL head coaches Mike Sherman, Marty Schottenheimer and Brad Childress already have interviewed. So have NFL assistants Tom Clements, Mike Zimmer, Jerry Gray and Rob Chudzinski.

The Bucs could turn to one of them. The Bucs also could seek to talk to other NFL assistants. Or they may have another surprise candidate like Kelly. It hadn’t been reported that Kelly was even on Tampa Bay’s radar until Sunday night, when he appeared close to a deal. It turned out the Bucs quietly had interviewed Kelly last week.

In their search for a new head coach, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have sent strong signals they want to fix their offense.

As they attempt to put the finishing touches on a deal that would put Oregon coach Chip Kelly in that role, the Bucs might be coming out ahead of where they would be if they hired Mike Sherman, Tom Clements, Rob Chudzinski or Brad Childress. While all of those might come from strong offensive backgrounds, Kelly could have the best offensive background.

Kelly runs the spread offense at Oregon with lots of success. As offensive coordinator in 2007 and ’08 and head coach since 2009, Kelly has run one of the nation’s most prolific offenses.

The Bucs have made it obvious that they plan to build their offense around quarterback Josh Freeman, who had a disappointing 2011 season. Freeman showed great promise in 2010 when he threw for 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Kelly also had great success as offensive coordinator at the University of New Hampshire. His offensive background could make him a better offensive fit than any of the other offensive candidates the Bucs looked at. There is no doubt the Bucs also need to improve on defense. But Kelly's background means he could put the offense ahead of any other candidate and that's of particular importance to the Bucs.

Scratch Joe Philbin off the list of candidates to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He reportedly is headed to the Miami Dolphins.

I don’t think that’s left the Bucs suddenly hopeless. As I mentioned Thursday, I had Philbin at No. 7 on my rankings of the eight candidates known to have interviewed for the Tampa Bay job. Yes, the Bucs interviewed Philbin and may have liked him, but I don’t think he was all that high on their list.

As we’ve mentioned many times, the other known candidates are Mike Sherman, Mike Zimmer, Tom Clements, Marty Schottenheimer, Jerry Gray, Brad Childress and Rob Chudzinski. In fact, I don’t think a sudden exit by any of those candidates would shatter Tampa Bay’s plans.

I believe the Bucs think several of the candidates could be good fits for their job and are just trying to figure out who they think is the right guy. I also think it’s entirely possible Tampa Bay’s list could grow after this weekend’s championship games.

There’s a school of thought out there that the Bucs could be waiting to interview New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bucs also want to interview another candidate or two that’s been tied up with the postseason.

The only way this development hurts Tampa Bay is that Philbin will start hiring his staff for the Dolphins. That will narrow the pool of assistants available to the Bucs whenever they do hire a head coach.

All indications are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t ready to end their search for a head coach. Monday will mark the three-week anniversary of Raheem Morris’ firing.

Since then, the Bucs seemingly have been talking to anyone (almost everyone), but don’t appear close to making a hire. They could be waiting to talk to more coaches that are still involved in the postseason. Or they soon could be narrowing their lengthy list and bringing a few candidates back for second interviews.

What we do know is that by the end of this week the Bucs will have interviewed at least eight candidates. We don’t know exactly how those candidates stack up in the team’s eyes.

But I’m going to give you my rankings of the candidates that are known to have interviewed or are expected to interview by the end of the week. I'm factoring in some insight on what it appears the Bucs are looking for in an ideal candidate. I’ve also talked to coaches and front-office types who have worked with some of the candidates as well as media members who have covered them.

So let’s take a look at my list:

1. Mike Sherman. Even before Morris was fired, Sherman’s name was tied to this job. Part of it was due to the fact Sherman uses the same agent as general manager Mark Dominik, who undoubtedly is going to have a big say in this hire. The Bucs want a cohesive relationship between their front office and the coaching staff and all indications are Sherman and Dominik would work well together.

But there are more reasons why Sherman remains No. 1 on my list. The first is that he’s almost exactly the opposite of Morris in just about every way and that appears to be what the Bucs want. Sherman is 57 with lots of experience. Although his most recent job was a lackluster tenure at Texas A&M, he has been an NFL head coach before. A lot of people tend to forget Sherman’s time in Green Bay was pretty productive.

He produced a winning record in five of his six seasons. He comes from an offensive background and I think that scores points with the Bucs. Tampa Bay needs quarterback Josh Freeman, who it wants to be the foundation of the franchise, back on track after a disappointing 2011 season.

Also, there’s the fact that Sherman is a strong disciplinarian, another thing Morris was not.

2. Mike Zimmer. Like Sherman, Zimmer is mature and would clean up the lack of discipline and accountability that plagued the Bucs under Morris. Zimmer hasn’t been a head coach, but he’s got a long résumé as a defensive coordinator -- he's currently working in Cincinnati with stints in Atlanta and Dallas before that. Zimmer is universally respected in league circles and the only potential knock against him for this job might be that he doesn’t come with an offensive background.

But Zimmer could end up with this job if he can convince the Bucs he can bring in a strong offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

3. Tom Clements. He’s 58 and has never been an NFL head coach and only did a two-year stint as a coordinator in Buffalo, but he still has pretty strong credentials. He’s been the quarterbacks coach of the Green Bay Packers for six seasons and you could say that coaching Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers is a lot like being the Maytag repairman. But those who know him well say Clements is a big part of the reason the Packers made such a strong transition from Favre to Rodgers.

Prior to joining Green Bay, Clements was quarterbacks coach in Pittsburgh, Kansas City and New Orleans. He also played quarterback at Notre Dame (back when the Notre Dame quarterback pedigree meant a lot) and was a Hall of Fame player in the Canadian Football League.

Clements, who also is an attorney, is known for his no-nonsense approach.

4. Marty Schottenheimer. If you based it only on experience, which obviously is a big factor, Schottenheimer would be the hands-down choice. He spent 26 years as an NFL head coach, with stints with the Browns, Chiefs, Redskins and Chargers. Schottenheimer’s career record is 327-200, which almost makes it easy to overlook his 5-13 postseason record. Freeman potentially could be better than any quarterback Schottenheimer ever worked with (and that includes Drew Brees only as he was in San Diego, not after he got to New Orleans).

But Schottenheimer is the one candidate who age could work against. He’s 68 and hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2006. He’s been a successful builder before, but can he do it again at this age?

5. Rob Chudzinski. At 43, he’s the youngest of the known candidates. He had a two-year stint as offensive coordinator in Cleveland and helped Derek Anderson (yes, that Derek Anderson) get to a Pro Bowl. But Chudzinsk’s a hot name right now almost entirely because of his work in his first season in Carolina.

Without an offseason program, he installed an entirely new offense and rookie quarterback Cam Newton had a record-setting season. If Chudzinski did that for Newton, the Bucs have to be imagining what he could do with Freeman. But Chudzinski also would have to convince the Bucs he could bring them a proven defensive coordinator.

6. Jerry Gray. He currently is the defensive coordinator in Tennessee and had a pretty successful run as coordinator in Buffalo when Gregg Williams was the head coach. Williams also has a strong background as a secondary coach.

Gray also had a good NFL career as a defensive back and finished his playing career with the Bucs in 1993. The fact that he’s a former player helps his candidacy because he can relate to players. But the fact that he is 49, means that unlike Morris, he would not be a contemporary to the players.

7. Joe Philbin. The offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, Philbin already has had a second interview for the job as Miami’s head coach. Philbin has led a very good Green Bay offense since becoming coordinator in 2007. But head coach Mike McCarthy has handled play-calling duties. Although Philbin had 19 years of experience in the college ranks, the Packers are the only NFL team he has worked for. His rise has been pretty rapid. Philbin joined the Packers (then coached by Sherman) in 2003 as an assistant offensive line coach and became tight ends coach the next year. He later became offensive line coach for one season before becoming coordinator.

8. Brad Childress. Yes, Childress had some success as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He had a winning record in two of his five seasons, but his tenure was marked by inconsistency and turbulence, including the fiasco in which Randy Moss returned to the Vikings. Some who have covered Childress say stability isn’t necessarily his biggest strength. In Minnesota, he seemed prone to go with the quick fix, bringing in Favre and begging him to stay for a second season. That’s the kind of approach that could remind the Bucs, who are going to remain committed to building through the draft, a little too much of the Jon Gruden era, in which there never seemed to be a long-term plan.

Before joining the Vikings, Childress was offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. But head coach Andy Reid called the plays. I do think there’s a chance Childress could be hired by Tampa Bay, but as the offensive coordinator for one of the other candidates.

I’m just looking at the latest on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ coaching search and starting to wonder if the Bucs are trying to set some sort of record.

The latest is the Bucs will interview Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and quarterbacks Tom Clements at some point soon. The Bucs are interviewing Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzkinski on Tuesday.

The Bucs previously interviewed former NFL head coaches Mike Sherman, Marty Schottenheimer and Brad Childress as well as Tennessee defensive coordinator Jerry Gray.

Check my math here, but assuming the Bucs do interview Clements and Philbin, that will bring the number of interviews to eight. And that also is assuming the media as reported every coach who has interviewed. We chase these things like crazy, but sometimes an interview or two can slip through the cracks. The Bucs also could decide to interview more candidates that are still involved in the playoffs. There’s been some speculation about New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell possibly being a candidate.

But, for now, the number will stand at eight, probably later this week. I seriously think that might be some kind of record. ESPN Stats & Information does a wonderful job, but does not keep numbers on how many candidates have interviewed for any given job throughout history.

I’ve been through a few coaching searches in my day. Generally speaking, most teams interview three or four candidates and I think five is the highest number I’ve ever seen.

But I’m not seeing any huge drawback with Tampa Bay’s methodical approach. Indications are, the Bucs could narrow their list and bring back a few candidates for second interviews. That makes it sound like we might not see a hire for at least another week.

Assistant coaches are being hired all over the league and the Bucs may be missing out on some good candidates. But there still are lots of other assistants available. The East-West Shrine Game is this week and the Senior Bowl is next week.

Ideally, you’d like to have your full coaching staff in place for those two events, so the coaches can get a good look at the college prospects. But any assistant that’s available will be at the Senior Bowl and will be watching players on their own.

Besides, the coaching staffs aren’t the ones who do the bulk of the work at the college all-star games. The scouting staff does that.

Yeah, there comes a point when coaches need to start evaluating the current roster and getting ready for free agency. But, as long as Tampa Bay has its staff in place by the end of the month, there’s plenty of time for that.

I know a lot of Tampa Bay fans are looking at the candidates and saying there’s no one with a “wow factor." That’s true, but was there anybody with a “wow factor’’ out there to begin with? Maybe Jeff Fisher, who ended up in St. Louis. But Fisher is a good, but not tremendous coach and his stock was elevated in a year when Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy and a few other big names refused to join the league-wide candidate pool.

The Bucs aren’t going for the “wow factor" and there’s nothing wrong with that. The deliberate approach might be the right thing. Maybe the Bucs will get a coach who is the right fit. Then, two years down the road or so, maybe fans will say “wow’’ at what that guy has done.

Time for a Tuesday morning look at the top headlines from around the NFC South.

— A lot of Carolina fans are asking why the Panthers simply don’t block offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski from interviewing for the head coach job in Tampa Bay. Joe Person reports the Panthers aren’t allowed to stop Chudzinski from taking a step up. The team also could offer Chudzinski more money to stay, the way Wade Phillips did in Houston. But Chudzinski’s a young guy who wants to explore opportunities as a head coach. If he ends up staying, he probably will get a nice raise. By the way, Chudzinski is interviewing with the Bucs today. Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was supposed to interview Monday. But Zimmer encountered some travel issues and he also will interview with the Bucs today.

— Former Minnesota head coach Brad Childress said he has yet to hear back from the Bucs after interviewing for their job. Childress said the team told him the search would take some time. He also said he wouldn’t be opposed to coming to Tampa Bay as an offensive coordinator, if another candidate is hired.

The Bucs also are expected to interview Green Bay quarterbacks coach Tom Clements later this week. There also have been reports the Bucs have asked for permission to interview Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin.

— John DeShazier points out the Saints would have ended up hosting the NFC Championship Game if they had won in San Francisco. They would have hosted the New York Giants, who upset Green Bay. The Saints beat the Giants at home in the regular season. I’m sure everyone who works for the Saints — and all of their fans — are wondering what could have been if the Saints played the NFC Championship Game in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. By the way, coach Sean Payton is scheduled to meet with the New Orleans media later Tuesday to review the season.

— Atlanta fans continue to be shocked at the hiring of Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator. One of their main gripes is the Falcons didn’t even go through the process of interviewing other candidates. We don’t know for sure that’s true. The media doesn’t always get every interview. Besides, coach Mike Smith knew for a good month that former coordinator Mike Mularkey probably would end up as the head coach in Jacksonville. Smith had plenty of time to think about a replacement and he has history with Koetter.

I know there’s a lot of frustration out there among Tampa Bay fans because the Buccaneers have yet to hire a head coach.

They fired Raheem Morris two weeks ago. Since then, we know they reportedly have interviewed Mike Sherman, Marty Schottenheimer, Brad Childress and Jerry Gray. They’re interviewing Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer on Monday and Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski will interview Tuesday.

That means, that once Chudzinski finishes, the Bucs will have interviewed at least six candidates.

But that doesn’t mean a final decision is coming Tuesday. The Bucs could choose to interview more candidates. They also could narrow the list and bring two or three candidates back for second interviews.

I know it’s tough for fans to be patient, but this shouldn’t come as any big surprise. On the day Raheem Morris was fired, Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer made it very clear the search for a replacement would be “exhaustive’’ and “thorough.’’

While it might be painful to wait, this approach might not be a bad thing. Although Zimmer is a candidate for the Miami job, none of the other candidates appear to be up for any other jobs as head coaches.

That means the Bucs don’t have to rush into anything. It also might be a sign the Bucs have learned from past mistakes. Everything about this search indicates they want to go in the opposite direction of Morris, who was the league’s youngest coach when he was hired in 2009. The fact that the search is taking a lot of time is another example of the Bucs doing things differently than they had in the past.

In 2009, the Bucs didn’t even do a coaching search. They fired Jon Gruden and turned right around and asked Morris if he wanted the job. When Morris accepted, the search was over.

Given how Morris’ tenure played out, the Bucs might be wise in being “exhaustive’’ and “thorough.’’

As we mentioned earlier, Tampa Bay’s list of candidates for head coach goes beyond the guys they already have interviewed.

They now reportedly have asked for and received permission to speak with Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski. That comes shortly after a report that they’ve received permission to speak with Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

The candidates Tampa Bay is known to already have interviewed are Mike Sherman, Brad Childress, Marty Schottenheimer and Jerry Gray.

Chudzinski represents a bit of a departure from the rest of Tampa Bay’s known list. Chudzinski is just 43. He had a two-year stint as a coordinator in Cleveland and joined the Panthers this year, but most of his experience was as a tight ends coach. Sherman, Childress and Schottenheimer are former NFL head coaches and all are over 50 years old. Gray is 49 and hasn’t been a head coach, but has plenty of experience as a coordinator.

But it’s logical the Bucs would want to talk to Chudzinski, who interviewed for the Jacksonville job. Chudzinski joined Carolina soon after coach Ron Rivera was hired last year and quickly installed an offense similar to San Diego’s.

With rookie quarterback Cam Newton, the offense quickly became one of the most prolific in the league. Chudzinski previously was tight ends coach in San Diego. He also spent time as an assistant in Cleveland. Before that, Chudzinski was best known as the tight ends coach at the University of Miami, where he worked with Tampa Bay’s Kellen Winslow and Carolina’s Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey.

Chudzinski's success with Newton suggests that he could be able to get Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman back on track after a rough 2011 season. That's going to be a priority for whoever ends up with the Bucs.

We’ve got another name in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' search for a head coach. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Buccaneers have received permission from the Cincinnati Bengals to speak to defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Since the firing of Raheem Morris, there’s been speculation that Zimmer might be on Tampa Bay’s list. He’s expected to interview soon and, as I wrote earlier, there could be other candidates.

The Bucs already have interviewed former head coaches Mike Sherman, Brad Childress and Marty Schottenheimer and Tennessee defensive coordinator Jerry Gray. They seem to be intent on getting a coach with a lot of experience.

Zimmer fits that profile. He’s been an NFL assistant since 1994 and had stops in Dallas and Atlanta before joining the Bengals in 2008. Zimmer, 55, previously coached on the collegiate level at Missouri, Weber State and Washington State.

As we told you Thursday night, Houston Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has pulled out of Tampa Bay Buccaneers' search for a head coach.

But that doesn’t mean Tampa Bay’s choice will come straight from a list of Mike Sherman, Marty Schottenheimer, Brad Childress and Jerry Gray. Those four have interviewed for the job and any of them could end up as the next coach. But a league source said Tampa Bay’s list of candidates goes deeper than that.

The source wouldn’t specify if other candidates have interviewed or if the team is waiting to talk to candidates that are still involved in postseason play. It’s possible the Bucs could want to talk to some coaches still involved in the playoffs.

Let’s take a look at some coaches still in the postseason that could be candidates:

Tom Clements, Green Bay Packers, quarterbacks coach. His name has been tied to a lot of jobs in recent weeks. Clements hasn’t been an NFL head coach, but he’s looked very good as Aaron Rodgers' position coach. He’s very experienced and respected around the league.

Winston Moss, Packers, assistant head coach/inside linebackers coach. His name is getting tied to the Raiders’ opening. But Moss also could make some sense for Tampa Bay. He played linebacker for the Buccaneers.

Darren Perry, Packers, secondary-safeties coach. Another hot name on Green Bay’s staff. He is considered a rising star. Even if he doesn’t get a job as a head coach this year, he could be in line for a job as a coordinator.

Gregg Williams, New Orleans Saints, defensive coordinator. He’s been a head coach before. He’s a strict disciplinarian, which appears to be a quality the Bucs look very favorably upon these days. If the Bucs are going to compete in the NFC South in the immediate future, they have to go through the Saints. Williams knows New Orleans’ offense as well as anyone because he has to practice against it every day.

Pete Carmichael, Saints, offensive coordinator. This is probably a long shot because Carmichael has been in the shadow of head coach Sean Payton. But Carmichael started calling the plays when Payton broke his leg and has done a nice job. Carmichael has a very low-key personality and the Bucs might be looking for someone more dynamic.

Perry Fewell, New York Giants, defensive coordinator. He has experience as an interim head coach. He has been a candidate for other jobs in the past and some teams that have met with him say Fewell interviews extremely well.

Mike McCoy, Denver Broncos, offensive coordinator. More than head coach John Fox, McCoy is the one who has adjusted Denver’s offense to suit quarterback Tim Tebow. McCoy is viewed as a rising young star and has an outgoing personality. He also shares the same agent as Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik.

Cam Cameron, Ravens, offensive coordinator. His previous stint as a head coach in Miami did not go well, but Cameron probably learned some things from that experience. He’s had lots of success as a coordinator and could get another look as a head coach.

ESPN’s John Clayton and Adam Schefter report that Houston defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has pulled out as a candidate to be Tampa Bay’s next head coach.

Phillips had been scheduled to interview with the Bucs on Friday, but decided he will remain with the Texans for at least another season.

The Bucs reportedly have already interviewed Marty Schottenheimer, Mike Sherman, Brad Childress and Jerry Gray. But a league source said that’s not the complete list of candidates and indicated some others might already have interviews or could be interviewed in the future.

The Bucs have said they will be thorough in their search and they have no timetable for having a coach in place.

I’ve been on the road quite a bit and haven’t really gotten a feel for what Tampa Bay fans think of the Buccaneers’ coaching search.

But I was e-mailing back and forth with “The Fabulous Sports Babe’’ of ESPN Tampa Bay Radio (1040 AM) this morning and she said her callers aren’t excited about who the Bucs are talking to.

That’s understandable. Mike Sherman, Jerry Gray, Brad Childress, Wade Phillips and Marty Schottenheimer aren’t exactly Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy or Bill Parcells. Sherman, Childress, Phillips and Schottenheimer have been moderately successful in previous stops as head coaches, but none of them have won a Super Bowl. Gray, Tennessee’s defensive coordinator, never has been a head coach.

But it doesn’t look like Cowher or Parcells want to coach and Jeff Fisher, the hottest coaching candidate this year, isn’t coming to the Bucs.

They’re not going to get someone who is going to excite the vast majority of the fan base, but that is not entirely a bad thing. What is clear is the Bucs are looking for someone with extensive experience.

Gray’s a longtime assistant and the other four have plenty of experience. That’s what this young team needs right now. The Bucs apparently are going after the opposite of what they just had. They fired Raheem Morris, who didn’t have a ton of experience and wasn’t mature enough in his first stint as a head coach.

Going forward, the Bucs need maturity and experience. They also need structure and discipline. Sherman, Gray, Childress, Phillips and Schottenheimer may not wow fans.

But all of them are experienced and mature. Even more than “the wow factor,’’ experience, maturity and a steady hand at the top is what the Bucs need most.

Sherman, Gray, Childress, Phillips and Schottenheimer all fit the profile of coaches that could bring order to a franchise that had none in the 2011 season. In the long run, that profile could be better than bringing in a coach who can wow the fans.

NEWARK, N.J. -- I’m about to fly back home to Tampa to do some quick laundry and start getting ready for a trip to San Francisco to cover the playoff game between the Saints and 49ers on Saturday.

We’ll have lots of preview stuff between now and then and I’ll be checking in once I get back to NFC South Blog headquarters later Monday afternoon.

We’ll also be keeping an eye on Tampa Bay’s coaching search. The Buccaneers are interviewing former Minnesota coach Brad Childress on Monday and also are expected to interview Houston defensive coordinator Wade Phillips at some point. Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer also may be interviewing. The Bucs have said they'll be thorough with their process, so my guess is they'll go through several more interviews before making any decision.

While I’m traveling, please keep checking the headlines section on our main NFL page for any updates on Tampa Bay’s coaching search or any other breaking NFC South news.

With Monday’s news that the Minnesota Vikings have fired coach Brad Childress, the question becomes is John Fox next?

Carolina is 1-9 and Fox doesn’t have a contract beyond this season. It’s common knowledge that Fox won’t be back with the Panthers next season. But will he make it through the rest of this season?

That’s going to be up to owner Jerry Richardson and history suggests he’ll let this thing drag on. In 2001, Richardson stuck with George Seifert even as the Panthers were losing their final 15 games.

Although they’re certainly not playing well, the Panthers are at least playing hard. That’s a sign that Fox still has some respect in the locker room. Without a labor agreement for next season, Richardson’s not going to do anything drastic. This season is lost and going with an interim head coach isn’t going to accomplish anything.

The only way I see that changing is if Fox forces the issue and takes some strong shots at ownership or the front office. Otherwise, Fox will get to finish his contract and the search for his replacement will begin as soon as the season ends.

Speaking of Fox, it looks like he’s become something of a sympathetic figure in Carolina. Although he has the league’s worst record, Fox is not at the bottom of the latest SportsNation NFL Head Coach Approval Ratings. At the moment, Fox has a 19 percent approval rating, which puts him ahead of Childress, Marvin Lewis, Mike Singletary and Gary Kubiak.

The rest of the NFC South coaches are way up the ladder. Atlanta’s Mike Smith is fourth in the league at 86 percent and Tampa Bay’s Raheem Morris is one spot behind him at 84 percent. New Orleans' Sean Payton is seventh at 81 percent.