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It seems like the flow of news on the Saints’ bounty program finally has slowed and we’re entering a slow time of year, so let’s have some fun.

I’ve asked our friends at SportsNation to assemble the accompanying poll to let you vote for whichever NFC South backup quarterback you think is the best.

Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton and Josh Freeman have been pretty healthy. Despite the drama, you have to assume Brees’ contract situation will be resolved before the start of training camp. So I don’t see any NFC South team having to turn to its backup anytime soon, but what if something unexpected happens? Which team would be in the best shape if it had to play its backup quarterback?

I’m not sure there’s a clear-cut choice here. Tampa Bay added Dan Orlovsky as a free agent and he comes with a little momentum after leading the Indianapolis Colts to two victories late last season and he's definitely an upgrade over previous backup Josh Johnson, but Orlovsky didn’t throw a single pass in 2009 or 2010. The rest of the division’s backups are the same as they were last year.

New Orleans backup Chase Daniel has attempted eight passes in three seasons with the Saints. I’ve seen him in practice and preseason games and think he could probably do a decent job of moving a very talented New Orleans offense. But there’s really no regular-season evidence to support that.

Carolina’s Derek Anderson didn’t attempt a pass last season. But he has a fair amount of experience. He has 43 career starts and did throw for almost 3,800 yards with Cleveland in 2007. Anderson’s offensive coordinator that year was Rob Chudzinski, who now runs Carolina’s offense. Anderson has plenty of familiarity with the system, so I don’t think the Panthers would be in dire straits if they had to play him.

Atlanta’s Chris Redman hasn’t had to play much at all since Ryan arrived in 2008. Even before that, Redman pretty much was a career backup. But I’m going to cast my vote for Redman.

I’m taking the cautious approach. I’m picking him mostly because he’s 34 and first came into the league in 2000, although he sat out the 2004, ’05 and ’06 seasons. Redman has sat through hundreds of quarterback meetings and taken thousands of practice snaps.

Throw him into a game with Atlanta’s skill-position talent around him and I think Redman is the NFC South backup quarterback with the best chance of succeeding. But you’re free to disagree. Go ahead and cast your vote.

Can the defense be as good as the offense?

Quarterback Cam Newton and coordinator Rob Chudzinski arrived last year and instantly gave the Panthers the most exciting offense in franchise history. It could have been a special season. It wasn’t, though, and that’s because the defense was dismal.

That had to be hard to take for coach Ron Rivera, a former defensive coordinator. The offense remains pretty much intact, and it has added fullback/running back Mike Tolbert, so there should be plenty of points again next season. But the Panthers have to stop other teams from scoring so much if they really are going to contend in the NFC South.

They took a big step by drafting middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, who should start right away. But this offseason wasn’t as much about rebuilding the defense as it was getting key components healthy. Defensive tackle Ron Edwards, whom the Panthers signed last year to fix their run defense once and for all, is expected back at full strength after missing all of last season with an injury.

Linebackers Thomas Davis and Jon Beason also are coming back from injuries that kept them out most of last season. Beason should step right back in as the leader of this defense. Davis is a question mark because he’s coming back from his third torn ACL. Anything Davis can give this defense will be a plus.

But adding Kuechly and getting Beason and Edwards back means the Panthers should be able to put a respectable defense on the field on a consistent basis.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Although there is no lockout this year, the three younger starting quarterbacks in the NFC South are facing some unique offseason hurdles.

Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith said Monday at the owners meetings he wishes quarterback Matt Ryan already was working with new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. Prior to the lockout, offseason programs used to start in mid-March. But the collective-bargaining agreement signed last summer changed the rules for offseason programs.

Ryan and the Falcons can’t start their offseason program until April 16. It’s the same for the Carolina Panthers and second-year quarterback Cam Newton. At least Newton will be playing in the same offense he was in last season with coordinator Rob Chudzinski. But Newton had no offseason program last season and will face a shorter one than teams had in the past.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Josh Freeman catches a bit of a break because league rules allow teams with new coaches to start their offseason programs two weeks earlier than other teams. The Bucs have a new coach in Greg Schiano and Freeman will have to quickly digest a new offense with coordinator Mike Sullivan.

Although the New Orleans Saints face an uncertain future with coach Sean Payton scheduled to begin a suspension April 1, they should have an advantage in this area. They’ve got a veteran quarterback in Drew Brees, assuming he signs his franchise tender or agrees to a new contract before the offseason program starts. Payton built one of the league’s most prolific offenses and Brees has mastered it. No matter who is acting as head coach of the Saints, the offensive system isn't likely to change at all and the shortened offseason shouldn’t present as much of a challenge as it does for Ryan, Freeman and Newton.

On the surface, Carolina’s signing of free-agent running back Mike Tolbert doesn’t seem like that big a deal.

The Panthers already have two good running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. It’s easy to look at this one and say, the Panthers simply are upgrading their No. 3 running back spot with Tolbert replacing Mike Goodson.

But I don’t think this is what that move is all about. Tolbert was brought in to be the No. 2 back behind either Williams or Stewart.

John Fox isn’t coaching the Panthers anymore, so the days of them collecting three or four backs and playing them extensively are over. Heck, there weren’t even enough carries to go around for Stewart and Williams last year, when coach Ron Rivera arrived and brought along offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski. Rivera and Chudzinski both previously worked in San Diego, where Tolbert spent the past four seasons.

He had the best year of his career in 2010, the last year Chudzinski and Rivera were with the Chargers. Tolbert’s the kind of back that can give you about 150 carries and catch 40 or 50 passes out of the backfield. He also can play special teams and is considered a good locker-room guy.

Williams and Stewart both were first-round picks by the Panthers and are highly regarded by the team. But it’s pretty obvious the Panthers just sent a message that either one could be available and other teams are going to start calling to inquire about trades.

It might be difficult to get a trade partner for Williams. The Panthers signed him to a huge contract last summer, which could scare off some suitors. But I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Panthers dealing Williams. Fox likes Williams a lot and could want a new toy for Peyton Manning in Denver. Some other team might be willing to take a shot on Williams.

But I think Stewart will be easier to trade (and Fox likes him too). He’s headed into the final year of his rookie contract and a team wouldn’t be taking on a huge deal. I’m thinking that between now and the draft, the Panthers will have added at least one draft pick and will be without either Stewart or Williams.

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.

A quick reminder that the weekly NFC South chat will be held Friday at 1 p.m. ET.

We can talk about Tampa Bay’s coaching search -- is it getting closer to ending or are the Buccaneers waiting to talk to New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell or some other coaches still involved in the postseason? Or could they be looking at other mature coaches? I have heard Don Shula was seen in Florida recently.

We can chat about who got the better defensive coordinator -- the Falcons with Mike Nolan or the Saints with Steve Spagnuolo.

Atlanta fans can say what a bad hire offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter was, because that’s what Atlanta fans seem to be doing, and I’ll defend him.

And Carolina fans can vent their frustration about the possibility of losing offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski and I’ll try to comfort them, but can’t make any guarantees. And just about anything else related to the four NFC South teams is fair game as well.

If you can join us, here’s the link.

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.’’

Now that we know Jeff Fisher is headed for the St. Louis Rams, I’m going to go ahead and kick the NFC South chat off early.

We’re scheduled to roll at 4 p.m. ET, but I’m going to head to the chat room now.

I don’t think Fisher ever was a candidate to land in Tampa Bay, but we can talk about the many coaches who are in the mix for that one. We also can talk about Saturday’s playoff game between the Saints and 49ers, Atlanta’s search for two new coordinators and what Carolina might do if offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski lands a job as a head coach.

Here’s the link to get you to the chat. I’ll see you there.

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.