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TAMPA, Fla. -- Before he was even asked a question about his first pick as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Greg Schiano was painting a portrait that probably still is invisible to most Tampa Bay fans.

Schiano had just stunned his fan base -- and probably the rest of the world -- by taking Alabama safety Mark Barron at No. 7. A safety at No. 7? This guy had better be the second coming of Ronnie Lott and Ed Reed put together or, at very least, John Lynch Jr. You don’t take a safety at No. 7, and say you gladly would have taken him at No. 5, unless you think he’s special. Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik definitely thought Barron was special.

“I think he fits into what we do defensively perfectly,’’ Schiano said. “You couldn’t draw it up any better.’’

That probably doesn’t excite you, especially if you wanted the Bucs to stay put at No. 5 and draft LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. And I know there was a contingent of Tampa Bay fans who thought Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly would be a perfect fit after the Bucs traded out of No. 5 and Claiborne went to Dallas at No. 6.

Either of those would have fit the profile of what we’ve come to expect from the Buccaneers, stretching back to Tony Dungy, running through the Jon Gruden era (with Monte Kiffin as the bridge) and right through the ugly final days of Raheem Morris.

But here’s the thing: Those days are over. This is Schiano’s team now.

Unless you’re a die-hard Rutgers fan, you don’t have any clue what a Schiano team looks like. Even if all your Knights are scarlet, you might see some changes as Schiano adjusts to the NFL. He’s not about to publicly share his X's and O's, but he certainly has implied this team is going to look a lot different in a lot of ways. Believe it or not, that might start at safety because Barron is going to be tied to Schiano forever, for better or worse.

“I think our safeties have to be more dynamic than in most schemes,’’ Schiano said.

At 6-foot-1 and 213 pounds, Barron is big enough to play in the box and make an impact on a run defense that needs improvement. With 12 career interceptions, Barron also has shown the ability to make plays in coverage.

“He needs to be able to do a lot of things, and he is capable of them,’’ Schiano said.

He’s going to have to cover wide receivers man to man, Schiano said. That’s a change from the days of Kiffin’s Cover 2, when safeties picked up wide receivers only after they got past the cornerbacks and Lynch often played the role of a linebacker. That may not be enough in an NFC South in which Drew Brees has thrown for 5,000 yards in a season and Cam Newton and Matt Ryan can put up big numbers. In case you haven’t noticed, that’s not just an NFC South trend. All around the league, teams are throwing the heck out of the ball.

“Safety has become an extremely important position now,’’ Dominik said.

More important than cornerback? Where the Bucs have Eric Wright, an aging Ronde Barber and a question mark in Aqib Talib?

Obviously, the Bucs think so. Dominik said the Bucs would have chosen Barron at No. 5 if they had stayed put. That means they would have chosen him over Claiborne, who was widely considered the best cornerback in this draft.

That’s a pretty strong statement from a team that has chosen only two defensive backs in the first round in its history and both of those were cornerbacks. There’s even a bit more pure football logic about this pick.

The Bucs had a big need at safety after releasing Tanard Jackson. They were left with Cody Grimm, a possible move to safety by Barber and not much else. Barron fills that need.

But I don’t think this pick was completely about X's and O's and pure football ability.

I think the selection of Barron was another sign that Schiano is going to do things much differently than in the past. Something obviously cooled the Bucs on Claiborne. Maybe it was that he reportedly had a low Wonderlic score or maybe it was something else.

Schiano said he and Dominik saw sparks the first time they watched film of Barron. By the time they interviewed him at the combine, there was a flame. As they talked about Barron, Schiano and Dominik both mentioned that he was a two-time captain for a team that won two national championships during his stint.

“He fits who we are and what we are,’’ Schiano said.

I get the impression Schiano cares a lot about what guys bring as players, but I’m getting an even stronger sense he cares about what they bring as people and how that can translate into winning. That’s sort of a new concept around here, at least since the Dungy days.

“He fits who we are and what we are,’’ Schiano said.

In other words, the Bucs think Barron can step right in and be a leader on a team that desperately lacked leadership and personality in the Morris days.

“Our coaches are excited to get their hands on him and mold him into a Buccaneer Man,’’ Dominik said.

We’ve heard the phrase “Buccaneer Man’’ a lot since Schiano took over. The problem is we have no idea what the new Buccaneer Man is supposed to be. But now we’re starting to get a bit of a portrait.

With Barron, there’s a face and maybe an outline of a body and a personality. Looks a little like a good athlete, a natural leader and a guy who was asking if there was a way to get his hands on a playbook Thursday night, even though he’s scheduled to fly to Tampa first thing Friday morning.

Maybe the Barron pick doesn’t look so bad -- or blank -- after all.

A couple of quick programming notes.

The Carolina Panthers have announced they have traded running back Mike Goodson to Oakland for offensive tackle Bruce Campbell. Nothing big here. This is simply one backup getting traded for another backup. Campbell appeared in only four games for the Raiders last season.

I’ll be joining Tom Krasniqi on ESPN Tampa Bay (1040 AM) at approximately 4 p.m. ET. If you’re in the Tampa Bay area, tune in. If you’re not, you can listen live on the station’s website.

ESPN.com has launched The Draft Machine. This a tool where fans can create and share mock drafts or compare their drafts to those done by SportsNation and Todd McShay.

Also, this year’s debut of Gruden’s QB Camp will air Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The first player featured will be Andrew Luck. Obviously, he’s not going to end up in the NFC South, but you still might want to tune in because Jon Gruden is a former Tampa Bay coach and he’s pretty entertaining.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Here’s the final price tag on Tampa Bay’s free-agent shopping spree: $141,055,554.

That’s the total value of the contracts the Buccaneers gave receiver Vincent Jackson, cornerback Eric Wright and guard Carl Nicks, and $67 million of that is guaranteed.

It’s tempting to say it’s a new day in Tampa Bay, but that slogan was used once (back when the Glazer family bought the team in the mid-1990s) and it doesn’t accurately portray what’s happened in the past 24 hours.

Yeah, the Bucs have spent way more than they did in salary to the entire team last season, but they really aren’t steering clear of the plan they’ve talked about since general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris came to power in 2009. Morris is gone now and has been replaced by Greg Schiano, but the Bucs are still insisting they have been -- and will continue to be -- a team that builds primarily through the college draft.

This was not a sudden surge off course.

“It was the perfect time,’’ Schiano said. "It was the perfect storm. Everybody is new.’’

What the Bucs needed was a quick shot of energy into their building plan. That tends to happen when you go 4-12 and have sold out only two home games in the past two seasons. But that’s really not the main reason the Bucs are spending money this year after not spending a lot last year.

“We’ve stayed the course,’’ Dominik said. “When we talk about this football team and how it’s built, part of the reason we’re here today was we’ve built a nucleus of young players and we’re in a position now for those young players now to grow with some veterans from other organizations that can really help this team continue to grow as an entire unit.

“It’s not every day that Vincent Jackson, Eric Wright and Carl Nicks are going to hit the free-agent market. It’s a unique year. That’s kind of the way we projected back in 2010. A lot of people talked about why weren’t we more active in free agency last year. The way that the timing was, the CBA, the uncertainty and the lockout ... this felt like the time to add the players to this football team that could grow with us not only during the season, but in the offseason, and become a team together.’’

It might be hard to picture after watching the Bucs lose 10 straight games to end last season, but Dominik is serious (and perhaps right) when he talks about Tampa Bay’s young nucleus. Get defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price healthy and back on the field. Give defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers their first full NFL offseason, and get quarterback Josh Freeman back on the track he was on in 2010.

Then, throw in Nicks, Jackson and Wright, and it’s not that difficult to picture a bright future for the Buccaneers. We’re not talking about the kind of 30-something free agents who were common in the days of former coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen. We’re talking about three free agents still in their primes, with Jackson the oldest at 29. All three were wanted back by their former teams, which faced some salary-cap challenges. The Bucs, who entered free agency with almost $43 million in cap space, didn’t have the same constraints, and they capitalized.

They got the best receiver in free agency, perhaps the best guard in the NFL and a very solid cornerback.

“I’m a big believer in quality,’’ Dominik said.

But the shopping trip isn’t going to continue. Dominik said the Bucs will continue to monitor free agency and implied there could be some minor moves here and there, but the team’s focus now moves onto the NFL draft at the end of April.

The Bucs have the No. 5 overall pick and are likely to get a quality player there.

Take that guy and all the other young talent on the roster. Throw in Jackson, Wright and Nicks, and maybe the Bucs have figured out the formula for something they’ve been lacking for nearly a decade -- sustained success by a team that’s grown up together.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t waste much time celebrating their acquisition of prized wide receiver Vincent Jackson on Tuesday night.

They didn’t have time because they had to get to the airport to pick up New Orleans guard Carl Nicks. The Bucs are expected to go hard after Nicks, who did receive an offer from the Saints that he termed "respectable." But the fact that Nicks was willing to fly to Tampa late Tuesday night for a Wednesday visit at One Buccaneer Place is a pretty strong indication that Tampa Bay has given signs it may be willing to make Nicks the league’s highest-paid guard.

The Bucs still have plenty of cap room and the fact that Jackson jumped to Tampa Bay so quickly could be a sign that it’s about to become a destination spot for free agents. The fact that Florida doesn’t have a state income tax is also a selling point, but giving free agents the impression that new coach Greg Schiano is on the verge of turning the franchise around makes the Bucs even more attractive.

Landing Nicks after Jackson would be a huge coup for the Buccaneers. Jackson was viewed by almost everyone as the top receiver in free agency. Nicks is viewed by many as the premier guard in the league.

Jackson is 29 and Nicks is 26, so it’s pretty obvious the Bucs are targeting free agents that are still in their prime. That wasn’t always the path taken back when the Bucs last were a strong player in free agency. Former coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen often signed players in their 30s and the results were mixed.

That’s one reason the franchise adopted a policy of building through the draft under current general manager Mark Dominik. That philosophy is still in place. But, after sitting still in free agency last year and going 4-12, the Bucs realized they need to supplement what they build through the draft with some free agents.

» AFC Free-Agency Primer: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Free agency begins Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET

Atlanta Falcons

Key free agents: CB Brent Grimes (franchise tag), LB Curtis Lofton, DE John Abraham, WR Harry Douglas and C Todd McClure.

Where they stand: The Falcons put the franchise tag on Grimes but would like to sign him to a long-term contract. That would improve a salary-cap situation that’s already decent. Keeping Lofton and Douglas, who have been developed by the current coaching staff, is also likely to be a priority. Although Abraham led the team with 9.5 sacks last season, his age and salary expectations work against the possibility of his return. Unless Abraham’s price tag drops significantly, the Falcons seem likely to let him walk. McClure could opt to retire. But if he wants to play, it’s likely the Falcons would welcome him back.

What to expect: After a quick and embarrassing exit from the postseason, owner Arthur Blank made it very clear that simply making the playoffs isn’t good enough. Blank expects to contend for a Super Bowl title. The Falcons went all in last year when they traded up to draft receiver Julio Jones and paid big money to free-agent defensive end Ray Edwards. Look for them to take a similar approach this year. The Falcons are usually good for at least one major move an offseason, and this year we could see two or three. Don’t be surprised if the Falcons go hard after Houston linebacker Mario Williams because they need a pass-rusher to replace Abraham. Without a first-round pick, the Falcons also probably will use free agency to fill a big need at left tackle. There aren’t a lot of options, but tackle Marcus McNeill could be a target if he is released, as expected, by the Chargers. The Falcons could even make a play for New Orleans guard Carl Nicks. His presence would make life easier for any left tackle, and pulling him away from the Saints also would weaken a division rival.

Carolina Panthers

Key free agents: TE Jeremy Shockey, LB Dan Connor, G Geoff Hangartner, LB/DL Antwan Applewhite and QB Derek Anderson.

Where they stand: The Panthers seem to be uncertain whether Shockey plans to retire or keep playing. If he wants to play, they’d gladly take him back because he’s a nice complement to Greg Olsen. They also are likely to make a strong attempt to keep Hangartner, who did a nice job after Carolina had several guards injured last preseason. It’s similar with Applewhite, who was signed during the season and made nice contributions. But the Panthers seem prepared to let Connor test free agency because they can’t promise him playing time with Jon Beason returning from injury as the starting middle linebacker. Anderson could return, but the Panthers likely will at least explore the possibility of looking for an upgrade as Cam Newton’s backup.

What to expect: Don’t expect a lot. The Panthers had their big splurge coming out of the lockout last summer, and they’re paying the tab for that now. They will have to release players and restructure contracts just to get below the cap before free agency starts. Linebacker Thomas Davis, who is coming off his third torn ACL, is a prime candidate for release or restructure. Although the team clearly wants to improve its defense, don’t look for any major moves in free agency. The team simply doesn’t have the cap room to make any big deals. The team might sign a midlevel free agent or two, but major upgrades will have to come through the draft.

New Orleans Saints

Key free agents: QB Drew Brees (franchise tag), G Carl Nicks, WR Marques Colston, CB Tracy Porter and WR Robert Meachem.

Where they stand: The past three years have been the most peaceful and prosperous in franchise history. But the peaceful part already has ended this offseason. In addition to getting into trouble with the NFL for a bounty program, the Saints are dealing with contract issues that are beyond challenging. They used the franchise tag on Brees and that’s going to cost them around $15 million. Even if they do reach a long-term agreement with Brees, his cap figure for this year could climb above $15 million. Either way, the Saints are going to have major cap issues. They’ve already restructured the contract of defensive end Will Smith and may do the same with linebacker Jonathan Vilma or perhaps even release him and some veterans. The Saints are going to have so much cap space tied up in Brees that they’ll have a hard time keeping their other free agents. Nicks would seem to be the priority with Colston close behind. But keeping even one of them would be a victory for the Saints.

What to expect: General manager Mickey Loomis always has been aggressive and daring, and he might have to be even more creative than usual because of the cap situation. The Saints simply aren’t the type of team to sit still. They had flaws exposed in a playoff loss to San Francisco, and they’re asking new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to fix their defense. The problem there is a lot of the current personnel doesn’t fit all that well in Spagnuolo’s scheme. Loomis needs to find a way to get at least one more pass-rusher up front and needs to add an athletic linebacker or two. He also may have to fill more needs if the Saints lose as many free agents as most expect. This team lacks a first-round pick in the draft, so Loomis will have to make some big moves when it comes to releasing players or restructuring contracts just to give the Saints a shot at being a little bit active in free agency.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Key free agents: K Connor Barth (franchise tag), CB Ronde Barber, RB Earnest Graham, LB Geno Hayes, S Sean Jones, DE Michael Bennett (restricted) and RB LeGarrette Blount (exclusive rights).

Where they stand: The Bucs begin coach Greg Schiano’s tenure in a unique situation. They’ve got a ton of cap room and need improvement in lots of areas. But they’ll deal with what they have between now and the start of free agency. A decision on Barber probably will come very soon. Schiano has indicated he’d like the veteran back, but Barber could choose to retire, which also would create a major need at cornerback. That position also could be an issue later in March when starting cornerback Aqib Talib is scheduled for trial on an assault charge. Talib could go to prison or face a suspension from the NFL, but his fate will be unknown at the start of free agency. Hayes didn’t have a great season last year, but he has upside, and the new staff might want to keep him. The Bucs are likely to let Graham walk because of his age. A return by Jones is possible at a reasonable salary, but the Bucs still need to look to upgrade at safety.

What to expect: The exact amount will depend on how many of their free agents are brought back, but the Bucs are likely to have somewhere around $50 million in cap space at the start of free agency and that will put them near the top of the league. After barely dipping into free agency last year, the Bucs were able to carry over extra cap room, and general manager Mark Dominik has publicly said the team plans to be more active in free agency. But fans need to keep that in perspective. The Bucs aren’t going to suddenly return to the days when Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen regularly shelled out money for big-name players in their 30s. The Bucs started a youth movement three years ago, and there are some parts in place. Now, it’s time for them to supplement those parts. They’ll be active in free agency, but they’ll be focusing on players still in their 20s. They’ll also be focusing on improving the supporting cast of quarterback Josh Freeman, who they believe can become great. Look for them to add a speed receiver, perhaps someone like Mario Manningham (Giants) or Eddie Royal (Broncos). The Bucs also want to improve at running back, where Blount is a one-dimensional power runner. They could look for a pass-catching specialist or opt to look for a complete back who could even replace Blount as the starter. On defense, the Bucs probably will try to upgrade at linebacker. If Barber and/or Talib aren’t back, the Bucs will have to make a move or two at cornerback and probably wouldn’t hesitate to pay big money to someone such as Cortland Finnegan (Titans).

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Chris Weinke sat behind his desk Tuesday afternoon, expressing lots of awe but only a slight shock about the rookie season of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

Weinke’s got a unique perspective on this one from several levels. Before Newton, Weinke was the only rookie quarterback in franchise history to start a season opener until Newton did it in 2011. Weinke started for the Panthers in 2001, a complicated season in which he was surrounded by a bad team with George Seifert on his way to a 1-15 record in his final year as an NFL coach.

Weinke also has a unique connection with Newton. As director of football operations at IMG Academies, Weinke spent seven weeks working with Newton last spring and summer as the NFL was in a lockout and players weren’t able to work out with their coaches.

“Was I like everybody else, a little surprised at what he was able to accomplish?’’ Weinke said. “Yeah, history shows rookie quarterbacks struggle. I know that as well as anybody.’’

Newton went out and threw for more than 400 yards in each of his first two games, became the first rookie in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards in a season and set an NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (14) on his way to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year.

That didn’t come as a total shock to Weinke, who was one of several independent coaches to work with Newton last offseason. Weinke’s not the kind of guy that’s going to claim he was the reason for Newton’s success. He gives the credit to Newton, but there’s no doubt Weinke played some role in what transpired in Carolina.

Weinke said his satisfaction came from watching Newton prove so many critics wrong.

“If you go back in history a little bit, coming out of college, there were a lot of question marks and the media really built those things up,’’ Weinke said. “Then he gets on television with (ESPN’s) Jon Gruden and people think, 'Hey, there’s no way this guy’s going to be able to absorb an NFL offense and be successful.'’’

Weinke said that was never a concern once he got to spend time with Newton. Most of their work together came after Newton was drafted No. 1 overall and had a chance to grab a Carolina playbook during a brief stoppage of the lockout.

“What I found from Day 1 with that guy is he’s unbelievable in the classroom,’’ Weinke said. “I tell this story all the time. The first day I got him in the classroom and we started installing their offense. I go over personnel groups, formations, concepts and protections. Then, we went out on the field and we did some fundamental work and went over some of the concepts and did all the footwork. We came back in after and I put 30 questions up on the board and quizzed him. Thirty for 30. From Day 1, I knew this kid was going to be special.’’

Weinke said he only expects Newton’s success to continue going forward.

“To me, I knew he was going to have more success than people probably thought he would,’’ Weinke said. “But to accomplish what he accomplished? No, I can’t quite say I expected that. I can tell you this about him. He wants to be great. He does not just want to be good. He’s not going to rest on his laurels. At the end of the day, he’s always going to try to find a way to get better.’’

I’m not sure this was the “wow’’ factor a lot of Tampa Bay fans were hoping for, but I think there are some “wows’’ going through the region Sunday night.

Multiple reports say the Buccaneers are in the process of finalizing a deal with University of Oregon coach Chip Kelly to become their next coach.

After nearly three weeks of repeated reports about the Bucs talking to former NFL head coaches and current coordinators, this one comes out of the blue -- sort of. The Bucs are noted for operating with stealth. Not too many people saw it coming when the team made a trade with Oakland to get coach Jon Gruden in 2002.

Although Kelly apparently interviewed with the Bucs last week, it was not reported. Maybe that’s why the Bucs didn’t appear to be in a big hurry to make a hire, even as other NFL teams were making moves for some of the guys they’ve interviewed.

There’s no doubt hiring Kelly would represent outside-the-box thinking on the part of the Buccaneers. But that move does make some sense.

Kelly has had huge success at Oregon, where he’s coached the past three seasons. He’s won three straight conference championships and appeared in three BCS games. His highlight came this past season when the Ducks won the Rose Bowl for the first time in 95 years.

Although Kelly doesn’t come with a rich NFL history, he does fit Tampa Bay’s profile in other ways. At 48, he’s much more mature than Raheem Morris, the former Bucs coach. Kelly also has a reputation as a disciplinarian, another departure from Morris' profile. He’s suspended two key players in recent years. He was also Oregon’s coach when running back LeGarrette Blount, now with the Bucs, was involved in an infamous postgame fight.

Again, the Glazer family, who own the team, often operate very quietly. But there’s at least the possibility Kelly may be coming to them with a very weighty recommendation.

Former Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy recently said he thought Kelly would make a very good NFL coach. Dungy’s son, Eric, is a wide receiver at Oregon. Although Dungy has made it clear he does not want to return to coaching, the Glazers might have consulted with him about potential candidates that would bring stability similar to what the Bucs had in Dungy’s time with the team.

Assuming this deal gets done, I'm sure Kelly would be an upgrade over Morris. Is he a better coach than the eight other candidates known to have interviewed with the Buccaneers? Time will tell on that. None of those guys really excited me. But Kelly, with the possibilities he brings, at least intrigues me. That alone could make him a good fit for this job.

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.

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

Jeff Schultz writes that the Falcons got it right when they hired Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator. I agree totally. Steve Spagnuolo was the other big-name coordinator candidate out there and he’ll end up doing a fine job somewhere else (maybe even New Orleans). But I think Nolan is a better fit for the Falcons.

Spagnuolo reportedly will interview with New Orleans today. Just like I think Nolan is the better fit for the Falcons, I think Spagnuolo would be an excellent fit in New Orleans. The Falcons and Saints are two very different organizations. I think Nolan’s personality will allow him to fit in perfectly with the Falcons. Spagnuolo has a different style that could fit nicely with the Saints.

The Carolina Panthers don’t know who they’ll play in the 2012 opener yet, but they know it will be on the road. Team owner Jerry Richardson said the team will open on the road because the Democratic National Convention will be taking place and some of the events will be held at Bank of America Stadium.

Roy Cummings writes that Tampa Bay’s lengthy search for a new head coach isn’t out of the ordinary. He’s right and he points to how it took the Bucs a good bit of time to hire Tony Dungy and trade for Jon Gruden in the past. I can think of a few others that dragged out but seemed to work out fine. Carolina’s hiring of John Fox in 2002 went late into January. Same for last year when the Panthers went through a methodical process before hiring Ron Rivera.

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.’’

A little over a week after being fired as head coach by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Raheem Morris has another job in the NFL.

Morris reportedly will join the Washington Redskins as defensive backs coach, under Washington general manager Bruce Allen, who previously held the same role with Tampa Bay. Allen and former coach Jon Gruden were fired after the 2008 season. Gruden instantly was replaced by Morris, who had been the defensive backs coach on his staff, and Allen was replaced by Mark Dominik.

Stepping back to coaching a secondary might be the best thing for Morris at that time. He excelled in that role previously and can begin rebuilding his reputation.

At 35, Morris still has a lot of coaching years in front of him. A year or two as a defensive backs coach might put him back into a spot where he can get another job as a head coach or as a defensive coordinator.

ATLANTA -- Raheem Morris has his schedule all set for Monday.

“There will be a 10 o’clock meeting,’’ the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers said. “There’ll be another 11 o’clock one. We’ll have a 12 o’clock press conference and I’ll see you there. I’ll go to the Outback Bowl in the afternoon. I’ll come back and do a radio show and be ready to deal and be ready for this offseason and be ready to attack it.’’

Sounds good, but other than the Outback Bowl, everything else on the itinerary could get disrupted. By 10 a.m. Monday, Morris might not even be the coach of the Buccaneers. His fate is in the hands of the Glazer family, which owns the Bucs. The Glazers have a reputation for moving slowly and deliberately, which means Morris still might be employed Tuesday or Wednesday. (UPDATE: Morris was canned Monday morning.)

But it’s hard to imagine him lasting much longer than that.

That’s what happens when you go out and basically lose like the Bucs did on Sunday — 45-24 to the Atlanta Falcons — 10 times in a row. When you start a season 4-2 and are in first place in the NFC South and then you go to London and never win (or really even come close) again, there are bound to be questions about your employment.

“If I was in the business of worrying about my future, I wouldn’t be coaching,’’ Morris said. “I’m going to go to work tomorrow, until they tell (me) to stop. This is not the time to talk about that type of stuff. That’s for mental midgets. For us, we’ve got to go out and play football and do what we’ve got to do.’’

The Glazers just might tell Morris to stop. It’s not what they want to do. The Glazers thought they were anointing the next great coach when they replaced Jon Gruden with Morris. The Glazers like Morris, who is a genuinely nice guy.

But what the Glazers want to do and what they need to do look like two different things.

How can they possibly bring Morris back?

In his third season, the third year of a youth movement, the Bucs took a major step back. The collapse was epic — and we’re talking about a franchise that was epically bad for most of its first three decades of existence. A season after going 10-6 with the league’s youngest roster, the Bucs finished 4-12, which was good for last place in the NFC South.

And it just kept getting worse. Over the past five games, the Bucs allowed an average of 40.6 points a game. They weren’t even in any of those games for long. That was especially true Sunday in Atlanta, where the Falcons jumped out to a 42-0 second-quarter lead and pulled quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner to rest them for the playoffs.

“I admire the moxie, guys coming out there in the second half,’’ Morris said.

Yep, the Bucs held an offense led by backup quarterback Chris Redman to a field goal in the second half and they did score 17 (meaningless) points in the third and fourth quarters. If New Orleans coach Sean Payton, who follows his own guide on running up the score, was coaching the Falcons on Sunday, Atlanta might have scored 100.

“To watch Elbert Mack go out there and give that kind of effort, that to me was outstanding,’’ Morris said.

Elbert Mack? Where did that come from? He’s a backup cornerback who was forced to play against Roddy White and Julio Jones after veteran starter Ronde Barber went out with an injury. But what about the other 52 guys? And what about the past 10 games?

If Morris sounds like a man who is desperately grabbing for anything positive, that’s only because that’s exactly what he is and his options are slim.

There was nothing positive at all about this season. The Bucs ended up allowing a franchise-record 494 points; the last time Tampa Bay lost 10 consecutive games in a season was 1977. That was the second year of an expansion franchise.

Virtually every player that was on the roster in 2010 regressed in 2011, with the possible exception of Mack.

Quarterback Josh Freeman threw three interceptions Sunday to finish the season with 22; he threw only six last season. Freeman’s the biggest example, but there are plenty of others. Running back LeGarrette Blount, receiver Mike Williams and linebacker Quincy Black were among the other notable underachievers.

When you’ve got a fan base that’s only sold out your stadium twice in the past two years, how can you not do something dramatic? You really have no choice but to fire Morris if you want to show your fans you care at all about the product.

The Glazers have been accused of many things, particularly of being frugal. They’ve had one of the league’s lowest payrolls in recent years, so there may be some truth to that. But the Glazers really do care about winning.

Aside from the fictional owner of the Cleveland Indians in the movie “Major League’’ and former Bucs owner Hugh Culverhouse, has there ever been an owner in any pro sport that didn’t want to win? The Glazers also don’t like to be embarrassed.

There’s no denying this season was an embarrassment, and much of that falls on Morris. His team often looked ill-prepared and he questioned his team’s effort on three occasions. If a team’s not prepared and isn’t giving strong effort, that’s not a good reflection on the coach.

Besides, there’s also the fact that 2012 is the final season of Morris’ contract. There’s no way the Bucs could extend him without losing their remaining fans. If they let Morris go into a lame-duck season, they run the risk of the team getting even more out of control.

Morris was still talking about next season after Sunday’s game.

“We’re talking about rededicating yourself, getting back to the lab and coming out ready to work,’’ Morris said. “The only thing you’ve got now is to plan the offseason.’’

Umm, maybe not. Let’s wait a day or two and see who the Glazers say will be planning this offseason.

ATLANTA -- It may be nothing more than coincidence, but Jeff Fisher reportedly was seen Saturday at the same hotel where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were staying.

Fisher’s son, Trent, plays for Auburn, which played in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Saturday night. Fisher previously coached the Tennessee Titans and is expected to be a top candidate for several jobs after the season. There is no indication if Fisher met or interviewed with anyone from the Bucs.

The Bucs still have Raheem Morris under contract through 2012, but the team has lost its last nine games and could be looking to make a move. After firing Jon Gruden following the 2008 season, the Bucs made Morris one of the league’s lowest-paid coaches.

They had to continue to pay Gruden about $5 million a year through this season. With Gruden’s pay off the books, the Bucs could be in a position to make a run at Fisher, who is likely to command a high salary.

With very little fanfare, the Atlanta Falcons' defense has emerged as the best in the NFC South.

The Falcons rank No. 9 in overall defense. They’re fourth against the run and No. 17 against the pass. It also appears as if injured cornerbacks Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (toe) are on the verge of returning to the lineup. They could be back as soon as Monday night’s game with the New Orleans Saints.

ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Jon Gruden said he thinks the Atlanta defense is one of the league’s best-kept secrets.

“If they get healthy in the secondary, I think that's a starting point for the Falcons,’’ Gruden said in a recent conference call with the national media. “But look, I'm really impressed with the tapes I've seen of the Falcon defense. They have a lot of guys that are considered unknowns in football outside of John Abraham, maybe [Curtis] Lofton, but this secondary is for real. If they get healthy, they can make plays. Mike Smith and [Brian] VanGorder do a great job together putting together weekly game plans to take away what you do best.’’

Heck, I'll even throw in a few more names Gruden didn't mention. I think second-year outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon has emerged as a big-play guy and Corey Peters and Jonathan Babineaux form a very nice tandem in the middle of the defensive line.

Just so we don’t end up having post offices in Tampa getting filled with mail from every city in Wisconsin, let’s start this off with a clarifier.

I’m not saying the New Orleans Saints will knock off the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. ESPN "Monday Night Football" analyst Jon Gruden, who also lives in Tampa -- although I’m certain he’s in another ZIP code -- isn’t saying the Saints will beat the Packers.

But Gruden said in a recent conference call with the national media that he believes the Saints could beat the Packers.

“I took the Saints earlier this year to go to the Super Bowl,’’ Gruden said “I think if they get an opportunity at full strength, I think they can outscore anybody in the league, including Green Bay. I've seen them do that.’’

I’m sure sirens are now sounding from Sheboygan to Eau Claire and everywhere else in Wisconsin. But I do have to agree with Gruden about the Saints’ ability to outscore anyone. Their offense has been good since Sean Payton and Drew Brees arrived, but it’s better than ever these days. A potential shootout between the Packers and Saints in January could be a lot of fun to watch.

But even Gruden, who comes from a purely offensive background, said a clash between those two teams could come down to more than offense.

“I really think [New Orleans defensive coordinator] Gregg Williams and this defense, if they can find their stride and start to get turnovers, they're a very hard team to play against,’’ Gruden said. “Gregg Williams with the lead, with that offense in his pocket has been able to do that during his career, and I think that's what makes the Saints a doubleedged sword.’’