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As we wait for Tuesday night’s release of the NFL regular-season schedule, let’s take a quick run through some NFC South notes.

• Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano didn’t last too long into his first minicamp before clearly letting his players know things are going to be different. Schiano, who has a reputation for being very organized, didn’t like the way some of his players were lined up as they began stretching. “Football is about details -- toes on the edge, toes on the edge!’’ Schiano shouted. I don’t know if Schiano will end up being a successful NFL coach, but it already is obvious he’s about as different from predecessor Raheem Morris as a coach can be.

• Speaking of the Bucs and their toes, kicker Connor Barth was a notable no show as minicamp began. Barth is carrying the franchise tag and has yet to sign his tender. Barth clearly wants a long-term deal and I believe the Bucs want him to be their kicker for a long time. They have plenty of salary-cap room to work with, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a long-term deal comes between now and the start of training camp. If Barth ends up playing for the tender, he’ll make $2.654 million, which isn’t bad money for a kicker. The Bucs just announced that they have claimed kicker Kai Forbath off waivers from Dallas. Unless things get really ugly in the negotiations with Barth, Forbath probably won't end up staying with the Bucs for long.

• Filmmaker Sean Pamphilon, the man who released audiotapes of former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams talking to his players the night before last season’s playoff game in San Francisco, has talked to the media several times about why he did what he did. Now, Pamphilon has gone on camera to explain himself. Pamphilon also says he isn’t trying to “strong arm’’ NFL commissioner Roger Goodell into an interview in exchange for a copy of the tapes. But Pamphilon says he really, really would like to ask Goodell one question.

• The Falcons have announced their schedule for minicamps and offseason workouts.

• Friend and former co-worker Scott Fowler predicts the Panthers will get at least one and likely two nationally-televised games. I’ll go out on a limb and say before the night is over Carolina has at least two and possibly three prime-time games. Quarterback Cam Newton draws attention and the NFL and television networks like attention.

• North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples said he visited with two NFC South teams. He visited the Bucs where he got to catch up with his former college coach Butch Davis, who is working as a senior advisor. But don’t look for Coples to end up with the Bucs who have more pressing needs than defensive ends. Coples also visited the Panthers and sounded like that meeting went well. I think it’s at least possible Coples could end up with the Panthers.

• Peter King has his mock draft out. He has the Bucs taking LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne at No. 5. Absolutely no argument with that one. He has the Panthers taking Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. I agree partly. If the Panthers decide to go with a defensive tackle and Cox is available, I think he’ll be the guy. But I’m not sure the Panthers will go with a defensive tackle.

• The schedule will be announced at 7 p.m. ET. Start checking back here soon after that. I’ll be posting a quick schedule analysis for each of the four teams as quickly as possible.

Time for a run through the top headlines from around the NFC South.

• Although it had been widely reported that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell would hear appeals from New Orleans coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis on their suspensions Tuesday, Adam Schefter now reports the appeals might have to be pushed back.
• Gerry Vaillancourt writes that making Bill Parcells interim head coach of the Saints would be a mistake. I’m already on the record saying I think putting Parcells in Payton’s place is a wise move. But I’ve known Gerry since our days together in Charlotte and always respect his opinions. His main argument is that going with Parcells would be a slight to the assistants currently on Payton’s staff. Point taken, but I’m not sure offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is vocal enough to be a head coach and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has experience as a head coach, but is new to the Saints and doesn’t know their personnel yet. But I’ll throw out one other scenario I could see making sense -- make Carmichael or Spagnuolo or even offensive line coach Aaron Kromer the head coach and bring Parcells on as a “special assistant." That’s what the Buccaneers did with Butch Davis. If Parcells isn’t coaching, the clock on his Hall of Fame candidacy doesn’t have to start all over. Plus, Parcells also has experience on the personnel side and that could come in handy when Loomis’ suspension begins at the start of the season.
• Former Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino, currently the coach at the University of Arkansas, was injured in a motorcycle crash. Petrino reportedly is in stable condition.
• Former New Orleans linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar has agreed to terms with the St. Louis Rams. Dunbar was a versatile and dependable backup, who wound up starting 14 games last year. I think the Saints wanted to keep him, but their salary-cap situation made that impossible.
• As the Buccaneers opened their offseason program (they get a two-week head start because they made a coaching change), coach Greg Schiano said “Today marks the beginning of something." There’s no doubt about that because it’s the first time the players get to work with the new staff. But I also think this may be the start of something good. The Bucs have some good young talent, they added some big-name free agents and everything I’ve seen out of and heard about Schiano is that he’s a very organized coach. I’m not ready to say the Bucs are going to go out and win the Super Bowl, or even the NFC South, right away, but I think they’ll be much better than the 4-12 team they were last season.

He didn’t win a lot of games, but former Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris easily was the best quote among the four NFC South coaches.

In the media business, it’s always helpful when a guy is a good quote. New Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano probably never will be as animated or open as Morris. But, early on, I’m sensing a lot of depth out of Schiano and that can be a good thing.

Take the case of Schiano being asked at the owners meetings last week why there aren’t a lot of great tight ends in college football and why the NFL seems to turn to former basketball players (see Jimmy Graham, Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates) to play tight end. Schiano provided some pretty strong insight into why so many potential tight ends opt to play basketball in their teen years.

“It’s AAU basketball,’’ Schiano said. “Guys who are 6-2 as ninth-graders and have an opportunity to go to Las Vegas on a weekend trip, an opportunity to go to California or Florida in a basketball tournament, get a nice pair of shoes, a sweatsuit, and then they stop growing and there’s not a lot of 6-foot-3 power forwards. That’s the kind of athletes you need to play tight end. That was the hardest position to recruit in college. You had to project. Quite frankly, it’s the hardest position in this league to find. With the special guys, you can work mismatches.’’

In Tampa Bay, Schiano has Kellen Winslow as his top tight end. Winslow comes from a unique background. He’s the son of former NFL great Kellen Winslow Sr. and was schooled in football from an early age. At 6-4, Winslow has good size and his athleticism, at times, appears to match that of any of the former basketball players. There’s been some speculation the Bucs could look to trade Winslow, who will turn 29 in July, has chronic knee problems and is coming off a relatively quiet 2011 season. Some of the speculation also has pointed to the fact that new offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan is coming from the New York Giants, who didn’t throw to their tight ends a lot last season.

But I’m not so sure Winslow is on the trading block. Butch Davis, a special assistant to Schiano, recruited Winslow when he was head coach at the University of Miami. Davis also drafted Winslow when he was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Schiano and Davis have access to all the medical reports on Winslow’s knee. They may try to add some tight end depth in the draft. But I think they realize they have a tight end that has been a productive pass-catcher in the draft. Unless they’ve got their eye on some former basketball player and somehow plan to use their tight ends the same way New Orleans uses Graham, I expect they’ll stick with Winslow.

Time for a trip through some NFC South headlines.

There has been some talk about how the Saints’ woes could open the door for the rest of the NFC South. Here’s some more and it focuses on the Panthers and Buccaneers. The Panthers clearly are a team on the rise. I like what the Bucs have done so far and Greg Schiano seems like the kind of coach that could build a winner. I also think the Falcons have a loaded roster and might be motivated by the fact they underachieved. Oh, by the way, I’m not ready to count out the Saints. As long as they have Drew Brees, you know they’re going to score points.

Speaking of the Panthers, Seattle coach Pete Carroll was singing the praises of Carolina quarterback Cam Newton.

Bill Parcells said he’d be a hypocrite if he doesn’t consider coaching the Saints. He obviously has strong ties to and a friendship with Sean Payton. Here’s one other thought I had on this. If Parcells doesn’t want to return to the rigors of coaching, maybe he could step into some sort of special assistant role like Butch Davis did in Tampa Bay. Davis has said he’ll work with the coaching staff and front office. Parcells easily could do the same because he has experience in coaching and in the front office. That kind of role also could keep Parcells eligible for immediate election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Detroit coach Jim Schwartz called “the Race to 10’’ that former Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris talked so much about foolish. Schwartz said it doesn’t make sense to lock in on a specific number of regular-season victories. Schwartz said getting to the postseason is important, but what really matters is what a team does once it’s in the playoffs.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said the Buccaneers did not violate the “spirit of the rule’’ by spending so little on payroll in the uncapped 2010 season. The Cowboys and Redskins have been penalized for using too much cap space that year. Goodell said the Bucs and any other teams that had low payrolls are not facing any consequences because they didn’t gain any competitive advantage from their approach.

Now that the entire coaching staff of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is officially in place, let’s take a look at some interesting tidbits.

If you include Butch Davis, who officially is a special assistant to head coach Greg Schiano, the Buccaneers have a staff that includes five coaches who have served as a head coach at the NFL or college level.

Schiano previously was a head coach at Rutgers. Davis was a head coach for the Cleveland Browns, the University of North Carolina and the University of Miami. Defensive backs coach Ron Cooper was a head coach at Eastern Michigan, Louisville and Alabama A&M. Offensive line assistant Steve Loney was head coach at Morehead State, and quarterbacks coach Ron Turner was a head coach at San Jose State and Illinois.

Trivia question for you: What else to those five men have in common? They all were head coaches for a longer time than former Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris, who had never been a head coach before the Bucs promoted him in 2009.

Also, including Davis, the Bucs have staff members that have been defensive coordinators at the NFL or college level. Schiano was defensive coordinator at the University of Miami. Davis was defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. Defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan was the coordinator for the New York Giants in 2009. Cooper was defensive coordinator at several college stops. Linebackers coach Bob Fraser was defensive coordinator at Rutgers.

The Bucs also have five staff members that have been offensive coordinators at the college or NFL level. Senior offensive assistant Jimmy Raye has been offensive coordinator for multiple NFL teams. Tight ends coach Brian Angelichio was offensive coordinator at Ithaca. Offensive line coach Bob Bostad was co-offensive coordinator at San Jose State. Loney was offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings and at several colleges. Turner was offensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears.

There’s been a lot of talk about Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano bringing so many of his Rutgers assistants to the Buccaneers and the tone is generally skeptical.

The Bucs haven’t officially announced their full staff of assistants yet, but it has been widely reported that Schiano has hired at least six coaches that were on Rutgers’ staff with him last year. It also was reported that he has hired P.J. Fleck, who had just left Rutgers to become offensive coordinator at Northern Illinois. So we’ll say Schiano is bringing seven assistants that were with him at Rutgers last season. Schiano also has officially hired defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan, who recently had been hired for the same job at Ohio State.

That’s really not all that unusual. I just took a look back to 2010 when Pete Carroll left Southern California to take over the Seattle Seahawks. He brought eight members of his Southern California staff and hired wide receivers coach Kippy Brown away from Tennessee. So roughly half of Carroll’s first staff, and we’re including strength and conditioning coaches, came from the college ranks.

Butch Davis, who was hired as a special assistant to Schiano, talked about how it was important for Schiano to bring some coaches he had worked with before. That sort of includes Davis. Schiano was his defensive coordinator at the University of Miami.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing to bring in a bunch of coaches from the college ranks. These are guys Schiano knows he can work with and has enjoyed success with.

In some ways, that’s better than what predecessor Raheem Morris did when he got the job in 2009. He hired offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski and defensive coordinator Jim Bates from outside. He had never worked with either, although he knew Bates through Bates’ son. But Morris was going mostly on reputations, not first-hand experience.

Jagodzinski was fired before the first training camp ended and Bates was fired 10 games into the first season.

We had a question in Friday’s NFC South chat about the future of tight end Kellen Winslow with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A reader was critical of Winslow’s production in the 2011 season and asked if the Buccaneers might part ways with him. I said that wouldn’t totally surprise me.

Now, as I look at the details of Winslow’s contract, I’d be even less surprised if the Bucs released him. They don’t really need salary-cap space because they already have about $68 million, thanks in large part to unused cap space from 2011 that has been carried over.

But they could instantly free up another $4.8 million in cap space by releasing Winslow. That $4.8 million figure is what Winslow’s cap figure is slated to be in 2012 and the Bucs wouldn’t suffer any cap hit if they got rid of Winslow. That’s because the contract Winslow signed after the Bucs traded for him in 2009 was structured in a unique way.

He did not receive any signing bonus, so there is no outstanding pro-rated bonus money on a contract that runs through 2014. Instead of a signing bonus, the Bucs guaranteed about $20 million in base salary in the first three years of Winslow’s deal.

Winslow is scheduled to earn $3.3 million in base salary this season, $4.5 million in 2013 and $5.5 million in 2014. He also has some roster bonuses, workout bonuses and incentives clauses in each of the remaining years of his deals. But the Bucs are off the hook for the base salaries, incentives and bonuses if they were to cut Winslow before the start of their offseason program.

Winslow will turn 29 in July and he has a history of knee problems. He did not have a great 2011 season. He had 75 catches for 763 yards and two touchdowns. I’m sure new coach Greg Schiano and his staff will be watching Winslow’s film from last season very closely as they evaluate their current roster.

If they don’t think Winslow still can produce at a high level, it’s possible the Bucs could release him and add almost another $5 million to their load of salary-cap room. However, it should be noted Winslow might have one important voice in his corner. That's Butch Davis, who has joined the Bucs as a special assistant. Davis recruited Winslow to the University of Miami, shortly before he left to coach the Cleveland Browns. Davis also drafted Winslow in Cleveland in 2004. But Winslow and Davis weren't together for long in Cleveland. Winslow suffered a broken leg two games into his rookie season and Davis was fired 11 games into that season.

At long last, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a defensive coordinator.

The team reportedly has hired Bill Sheridan, who recently had been hired by Urban Meyer as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator. But Sheridan is jumping to the Bucs before he even coached a game with the Buckeyes.

This is a big move for Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano, who had been unsuccessful in pursuing several candidates for the position. Although Schiano has taken some criticism for having a staff dominated by his former assistants at Rutgers, the hiring of Sheridan gives him another coach with deep NFL ties.

Sheridan had been the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants in 2009. Prior to that, he was linebackers coach in New York for four seasons. He was linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2010.

The Bucs also reportedly have hired former NFL linebacker Bryan Cox as a defensive assistant. The addition of Sheridan and Cox gives Schiano’s staff a stronger NFL flavor. In addition to his Rutgers assistants, Schiano also has hired former Giants quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan as offensive coordinator. He’s added former NFL head coach Butch Davis as a special assistant and long-time NFL assistant Jimmy Raye as a senior offensive assistant.

TAMPA, Fla. -- If Butch Davis didn’t sound very precise on what his duties will entail as a special assistant to Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano, that’s only because his job isn’t clear yet.

It’s a work in progress, something Davis and Schiano will figure out as they move forward. What is clear is that Davis will not be considered a coach, and he said he won’t be doing on-field coaching or sitting in meeting rooms with players. He said he’ll be more than willing to give advice to players if they ask, but his main role will be providing advice and support for Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik.

“Greg felt like and I felt like there were a lot of things I could help him with just within the organization in a vast array of different ways, from personnel to combines to the draft, all the different kinds of things,’’ Davis said Thursday. “There are so many hats that Greg’s going to have to wear, and responsibilities, that anything he feels like he would like for me to help him do, that’s kind of the role I’m going to have. And that goes throughout the entire organization, too. It’s an opportunity to work with Mark, who I have a great deal of respect for.’’

What is clear is that the Buccaneers made a good move in getting Davis in their building. He’s a former NFL head coach (with the Cleveland Browns) and worked as a defensive line coach and defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys in the Jimmy Johnson years.

That gives him far more experience than Schiano, who has spent most of his career coaching on the college level, aside from three years as an assistant with the Chicago Bears. Given the fact that one of the knocks on former coach Raheem Morris and his staff was a lack of organization, Davis should provide some insurance that the same thing doesn’t happen with Schiano’s staff.

“We’re still putting thoughts together as to all the ways that I can help,’’ said Davis, who also served as a head coach at the University of Miami (where Schiano was on his staff) and at the University of North Carolina.

In essence, Davis expects to be an extra set of eyes and ears for Schiano and Dominik.

“There are so many things within an organization that need attention to detail, and one person can’t do it all,’’ Davis said. “Any way that I can help Greg or Mark, that’s what I want to do.’’

Davis said he plans to attend next week’s scouting combine in Indianapolis and will be in the room when the Buccaneers do their interviews with draft prospects. He’ll also play a role in assessing the team’s current personnel.

Davis said he worked in a similar role with the Kansas City Chiefs after he was fired in Cleveland and had some opportunities with other teams this year to act as an advisor or special assistant. Davis said he expects to be in the press box with assistant coaches on game days this fall.

Schiano still is in the process of filling out his coaching staff and the parameters of Davis’ job will evolve in the coming months. But Davis said one thing is certain.

“I’m committed to trying to help this team win a Super Bowl as soon as possible,’’ Davis said.

TAMPA, Fla. -- I’m out at One Buccaneer Place where Butch Davis will be meeting with the media in just a bit.

Davis was hired previously as a special assistant to coach Greg Schiano and this will be his first meeting with the media. I’m curious to hear how Davis describes his role and what he’ll be doing.

Davis and Schiano have history. Davis was the head coach at the University of Miami when Schiano was defensive coordinator there.

Davis went on to coach the Cleveland Browns and the University of North Carolina. I’ll be back to fill you in on what Davis has to say.

This was widely reported last week, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just sent out the official announcement that Butch Davis has been hired as a special assistant to head coach Greg Schiano.

The Bucs have made it clear that Davis will assistant and advise Schiano in a wide range of football matters, but will not do any coaching. Davis is still collecting his severance package from the University of North Carolina and a coaching position could have jeopardized that.

But having Davis, who previously was a head coach for the Cleveland Browns and an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys, should help Schiano as he makes the leap from the college game to the NFL.

"Butch has been a close friend and mentor of mine going back to our time together at (the University of) Miami,’’ said Schiano, who worked as the defensive coordinator for the Hurricanes when Davis was the head coach. “I am excited to have his extensive football background and knowledge on board. He has had success on every level, and I know he will be a huge asset, not only to me, but to the entire Buccaneers organization."

The Bucs also made a similar move in hiring longtime NFL assistant Jimmy Raye II as a senior offensive assistant. But, unlike Davis, Raye will be allowed to do on-field coaching with the players. Raye should be a big asset for new offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan, who previously worked as quarterbacks coach for the New York Giants.

The Bucs have yet to make any announcement on a defensive coordinator.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got their offensive coordinator with the hiring of Mike Sullivan on Friday night, but it looks like their quest for a defensive coordinator will linger on.

The Bucs reportedly wanted to interview San Francisco defensive backs coach Ed Donatell for their job as defensive coordinator, but the 49ers refused to grant permission. University of Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn previously turned down an offer to take the position with the Bucs.

This isn’t the first time the Bucs have had other teams block requests to talk to candidates as they’ve attempted to fill out their staff. Arizona denied permission to talk to John McNulty and Green Bay did the same with Ben McAdoo for the offensive coordinator spot.

Soon after Greg Schiano took over as head coach there was wide speculation that Butch Davis would be his defensive coordinator. Schiano had worked for Davis at the University of Miami and the two remain close. But the Bucs reportedly are hiring Davis as a senior assistant to Schiano and he will have no coaching duties. Davis reportedly prefers that situation because taking on coaching duties would have interfered with his severance package from the University of North Carolina.

Friday night’s hiring of Mike Sullivan as offensive coordinator is the biggest move Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano has made so far. Down the road, it could end up being his most important move ever.

Sullivan comes to the Buccaneers from the New York Giants, where he spent the past two seasons as quarterbacks coach and six seasons before that working with wide receivers. Sullivan never has been an NFL coordinator before and the Bucs talked to some experienced coordinators, like Ron Turner and John Shoop, before hiring Sullivan.

I initially thought the Bucs would bring in a coordinator who had handled that role on an NFL level before. Experience seemed to be a priority as the Bucs searched for someone to fix quarterback Josh Freeman and an offense that struggled last season.

But I’m thinking the Bucs went the right way when they chose Sullivan. He may not have coordinator’s experience, but he knows how to win. The Giants just won their second Super Bowl since Sullivan joined the team in 2004 and quarterback Eli Manning obviously has been playing at a high level.

Sullivan learned at the side of head coach Tom Coughlin and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and that can only be viewed as a positive. Sullivan also worked in Jacksonville in Coughlin's last two seasons there, so he has a pretty lengthy NFL history, even if he hasn't been a coordinator. Besides, it’s not like Shoop or Turner had enormous success in their previous stints as coordinators.

Taking a leap of faith and handing the offense to Sullivan might end up being a very good move for the Bucs. Schiano and Butch Davis, who is expected to join the team as a senior assistant and adviser, come from defensive backgrounds. But the Bucs also are putting some experience and insulation around Sullivan. They reportedly are adding longtime NFL assistant Jimmy Raye II as a senior offensive assistant.

Raye has been a coordinator before and he can help guide Sullivan. But, more importantly, the Bucs landed Sullivan, a coach who may have some fresh ideas and knows how to win.

We are in one of the quietest times of the NFL offseason. But Friday’s NFC South chat was anything but quiet.

In fact, the pace at which your questions were coming in was right up there with a typical regular-season week. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights:

Kasy ( Hattiesburg): Hey pat, could you clarify what role a senior offensive or defensive assistant is?

Pat Yasinskas: Excellent question, in light of the Butch Davis situation. Technically, it's a non-coaching position and more of an advisory position. Not sure exactly how Bucs are structuring this one, but there have been lots of examples in the past. To name just a couple, Tressell as a consultant with Colts last year. Ricky Proehl as an offensive consultant with Panthers last season.

Mike (Panama City, FL): Do you believe Drew Brees will continue having record breaking and just flat out phenomenal seasons? Or is he on the downward slope of his career. Also on that note when should New Orleans start looking for a replacement.

Pat Yasinskas: I don't see Brees slowing down immediately. He's got a good five years in him -- at least that's my guess.

Cameron (Atl): Do you think the Falcons will be significant players in free agency this year? Any ideas who they'll go after?

Pat Yasinskas: History shows they usually go after one big player a year. Obvious needs are DE and LT. As I said earlier, I'd take DE in the second round. Left tackle might be the spot they go for in free agency. There's not a lot out there, but Marcus McNeill should become available. His health might be a question. There are some other LTs that also could come available.

John (pa): Is it time for smith and ryan to go. Watching atlanta in the playoffsis like watching a marty shothiemer coach team and carson palmer at qb. there i said ryan has topped out never going to be a frachise qb just a very good one like carson palmer was in his prime.

Pat Yasinskas: Think you're a little premature on that. They've had four straight winning seasons. But you are correct that the pressure now is turned way up. They need to start winning playoff games.

Richard (Ann Arbor, MI): Will Smith came back from suspension and was instantly the Saints' best D-lineman, despite missing time, and he has to know that. That seems to complicate matters with regards to what to do with him.

Pat Yasinskas: Yep, that one is a very tough call. His cap figure is outrageous. But he's their best pass rusher up front and that becomes even more important because Spags relies mostly on front four for pressure. Could save a lot of cap room by letting Smith go. But it's not like they are loaded with other pass rushers. Best approach might be restructuring his deal and knocking that cap figure down.

Robert (Shreveport, LA): Do you think Cameron Jordan will improve next season? And if he doesn't how long do you see the Saints giving him before they go out and try and replace him?

Pat Yasinskas: I think having Spagnuolo running the defense should help him considerably. But I don't know that Jordan ever will be one of those guys that will go out and give you 12 or 15 sacks in a season.

Andrew drace (one buc place,): have you heard how the bucs are doing on ticket sales? are season tickets up or down? i was hoping for excitement with a new head coach.

Pat Yasinskas: I have not heard anything on that. I'll ask. But I didn't see any big lines outside the ticket office last few times I drove by the stadium. Their hire wasn't the kind that will generate instant excitement. Going the Schiano route means he'll have to come in and win before they really see results at the box office.

Dan (Charlotte, NC): Do you think the Panthers would really draft a OT in the first round this year instead of going defense?

Pat Yasinskas: I'd say defense is priority, obviously. But you're sitting there with a top 10 pick, which in general terms is the one place where you can get a sure-fire LT. Gross is getting older. They might not have a top-10 pick again for a long time, so I think they at least have to consider it.

Here’s the complete transcript of Friday’s NFC South chat.

Although there have been reports that Butch Davis will join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a senior advisor, that is not yet a done deal.

Stephen Holder has a good explanation about why things could be hung up. Remember, from the day Greg Schiano was hired to coach the Bucs, there was speculation he would hire Davis as his defensive coordinator.

But Schiano has interviewed others for the defensive coordinator job. But the current reports say, if Davis comes, it will be in an advisory role. As Holder points out, that might be in large part because Davis doesn’t want to do anything that would prevent him from collecting future payments as part of his severance package from the University of North Carolina.

If Davis takes a coaching job, it could reduce or eliminate payments from North Carolina. An advisory role might allow him to continue collecting those payments.

But it’s unclear if North Carolina would view an advisory role as a way of Davis circumventing his agreement with the university. It’s very possible that Davis is trying to get some clarification from North Carolina on if the university would attempt to stop paying him if he takes an advisory role.

The other thing that’s a little strange about all this is that Davis, who already has received some of his severance, can still collect up to $1.7 million through 2015. Why not just come to the Bucs as a coordinator? He could make that kind of money in a single season, and more than that in the long run, because $1.7 million is well within the ballpark of what good coordinators make.