Is the buzz around Mike Sherman as the frontrunner for the Bucs’ head coaching gig the biggest Bay area smokescreen since Byron Leftwich?

NBC Sports mogul Mike Florio, creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com, seems to think so. During an on-air chat today with the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, Steve Duemig of WDAE-AM 620, Florio said he’s sure Sherman is not the Bucs’ main man in the race.

“I’m not buying,” Florio said.

Joe hardly drove off U.S. Hwy. 19 into a ditch when he heard this. Sherman is hardly inspiring, though Joe doesn’t consider him too old — Sherman’s only 17 months older than Mike Zimmer — and he’d probably come to Tampa with a solid staff.

With the Colts joining the head coaching search today, Joe’s interested to see if Sherman is on their radar.

Yesterday, former Bucs defensive end Steve White had a chat with the co-hosts of Primetime on WHBO-AM 1040, Ronnie Lane and Tom Krasniqi, to discuss all things NFL and the Bucs’ coaching search.

Of the names that have been linked to fill the void left by jettisoned coach Raheem Morris, White is fond of Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

“The list probably isn’t the list,” White said of the current known candidates. “As teams keep falling out of the playoffs, the list will get longer and longer. The Carolina coordinator (Mark Chudzinski), I’m not that high on as a head coach but he did do a good job with cam Newton. I am definitely a [Mike] Zimmer fan. You can never tell how a coordinator [makes the transition] to a head coach, how it will turn out. But [Zimmer] has experience and a resume of a guy that will get him in here and turn it around.

“He’s a go-getter. He’s not a polite Mr. Nice Guy, which I like. He’s a get-in-your-butt kind of a guy. He would lead my pack. I really would like it if you can bring that guy in as my head coach.”

Zimmer “is well respected around the league and bringing in a staff won’t be a problem because he has been around a while. He probably has a good idea of what he wants on a staff and has a good chance to reach out and get them. He has a good personality for a head coach. He’s a good disciplinarian.

“I’m not banging the table for the guy, but of the guys we have heard of on the list so far, he would be my favorite.”

Later, White added, “retreads are not a long-term solution.”

When Bucs team co-chairman Joel Glazer spoke at the announcement that he had jettisoned Raheem Morris, he strongly suggested he would cast a wide net in his quest to fill the opening.

Now in the third week of a coaching search, NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora reports this will be the final week of first-time interviews for Team Glazer and Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik, so La Canfora Twittered.

@JasonLaCanfora: Bucs plan to end 1st round of interviews by weekend, then conduct 2nd interviews w/ finalists next week.

If La Canfora’s timetable is accurate, that means that it wouldn’t be a shock for the Bucs have a new head coach by the Super Bowl, quite likely during Super Bowl week.

UPDATE: This afternoon on the NFL Network, La Canfora stated the Bucs braintrust will meet over the weekend to “pare down” the list of candidates to a list of finalists and begin scheduling follow-up interviews.

Mike Florio, the creator, curator and overall guru of ProFootballTalk.com discusses the Bucs’ coaching search in the No. 2 item of his “Ten Things to Know” segment on NBC Sports Network’s Sports Talk. Florio explores whether the Bucs would wait until after the Super Bowl to name a coach.

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One Bucs coaching candidate talked about another one yesterday

The swarm of interest in the Packers’ coaching staff was a hot topic up in Green Bay yesterday.

Fear of the Raiders and/or Bucs plucking their top names grabbed deflected some of the pain of the Packers wilting Sunday and flushing their chance to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

Jason Wilde, of Channel3000.com up in Wisconsin, talked to Bucs head coaching candidate Tom Clements who chatted about head coaching and his boss Joe Philbin, another Bucs candidate and the Packers’ offensive coordinator.

“If you’re mentioned for jobs, it’s a compliment, but until something happens, that’s all it is,” said Clements, who said nothing about the Buccaneers during an 11-minute interview session with reporters Monday. “I’ve said it before: To leave Green Bay, it’d be a hard place to leave. Because of the situation I’m in personally with the quarterbacks and the situation we’re in with the team. We have a young team, we can be good for a number of years. It’s great to be in a winning program. If opportunities arise, you analyze it and see how that would be, and compare it to what you’re involved in and make the appropriate decision.”

Asked if he believes he’s ready to be a head coach, Clements replied: “Sure. I’ve attempted before – not in the NFL, but I’ve interviewed for head-coaching positions, and like anyone in a profession, you try to advance to the fullest extent possible.”

Clements called Philbin “a great guy. He’s a good guy to work for, always on an even keel, obviously knowledgeable, he has a lot of experience, it’s fun working with him and for him.”

Interesting to learn that Philbin apparently is one of those unemotional Tony Dungy types. Perhaps the young Bucs could use a firm, unflappable leader, or maybe an in-your-face accountability guy like Bengals defensive coordinator is the better fit?

Joe sees the upside of different personalities, but Joe always gives the benefit of the doubt to the fiery, ball-buster type.

The crazy stalker-type Bucs fans filing in and out of fancy Tampa hotel lobbies and ducking their heads into posh restaurants hoping to catch a glimpse of a Bucs head coaching candidate chuckling at a bad joke by Team Glazer need to give it a rest.

Joe Philbin, Tom Clements and the rest of the crew making their best pitch for the Bucs’ field general gig are 1,000+ miles away, so says Chris Mortensen of BSPN. (Yes, Joe forced himself to watch BSPN’s 6 o’clock NFL show last night.)

Team Glazer and rockstar general manager are sporting cowboy hats interviewing candidates this week in Dallas. Mortensen claims Team Glazer chose Dallas as a central meeting point as the ownership group players currently are spread across the country.

Initially, the interview site felt very odd to Joe, as one might think the Bucs would want to impress a candidate with a tour of One Buc Palace. Seemingly, a hot candidate might need to be wooed. But it’s reasonable to think a second interview in Tampa could be scheduled in a matter of hours, so Joe sees no harm.

Mortensen went on to say the Bucs would be interviewing “a bunch” of candidates through the week.

For just about the past year, Joe has heard Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik say building the Bucs is “all about No. 5.”

If that is truly the case, the Bucs will hire the best offensive minds available to groom Josh Freeman,whether that is the best offensive coordinator available or the best quarterback coach.

So late last night Joe was geeked to learn the Bucs have received permission to interview Packers quarterback coach Tom Clements to replace jettisoned Bucs coach Raheem Morris.

@AdamSchefter: Buccaneers received permission to interview Packers QB coach Tom Clements for their head coaching vacancy later this week.

This is fantastic news. Aaron Rodgers largely credits Clements with developing him into the elite quarterback he is today. And look with what Clements has done for Matt Flynn, who has parlayed his skills into a monster payday next season as a starter somewhere in the NFL.

Clements’ greatest feat may have been how he turned XFL reject Tommy Maddox (!) into a playoff quarterback as the quarterbacks coach with the Steelers.

A hidden asset Clements has is he was a law professor at his alma mater, Notre Dame, before he began coaching football. (No, Joe doesn’t think that will affect Clements’ opinion of Aqib Talib)

Penn State’s loss should be the Bucs’ gain.

Per Chris Mortensen of BSPN, the Bucs have asked permission from Green Bay to speak with Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin to fill the void left by jettisoned coach Raheem Morris.

@MortReport: Bucs seek permission to interview Packers OC Joe Philbin…more coming on @NFL32 6 ET ESPN2

Joe has two quick thoughts on this:

1) Philbin, yes, is the offensive coordinator, but in name only. He is more the Packers offensive line coach, much like Bill Muir was with Chucky. Like Philbin, Muir was an offensive coordinator but in name only. Muir was the offensive line coach.

Also like Muir and Chucky, Mike McCarthy calls the plays and not Philbin.

2) Joe would be a bit surprised if Philbin leaves Green Bay now. For those unaware, Philbin’s son drowned last week and was laid to rest Saturday. Clearly, the family is likely in a state of shock. How clearly or hungry Philbin will be for a new gig so soon, Joe has doubts.

Now let’s say Philbin is offered the job and accepts. Might he bring Packers quarterback coach Tom Clements with him?

Team Glazer is known to be thorough and studious in their searches for a new head coach. So it’s not surprising to Joe to see the void left by jettisoned coach Raheem Morris yet to be filled as we enter the third week of the team without a head coach.

Part of that is, per Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, Team Glazer and Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik are still conducing first-time interviews with prospective candidates.

Looks like Bucs are still in process of conducting 1st interviews for HC job as no one has seemingly been called for a 2nd interview yet

Joe doesn’t have a problem with this as there are still solid candidates out there yet to be interviewed, Packers quarterback coach Tom Clements springs to mind.

So long as this process is thorough, Joe isn’t too broken up by the lengthy time. Surely there should be a coach within the next three weeks.

Joe’s trying not to catch Martyball fever when it comes to the Bucs’ head coaching search, but Joe’s definitely rooting for Marty Schottenheimer to get one more crack at the job he loves so much, regardless of the franchise.

The guy’s become a lovable old-man underdog, who just happens to have 200+ wins under his belt.

Surely the Giants playing their asses off for 65-year-old taskmaster Tom Coughlin isn’t hurting Schottenheimer’s chances of getting another shot.

Brian Biggane, of the Palm Beach Post, talked to Schottenheimer and penned a story that’s sure to fire up anyone rooting for the 68-year old.

Schottenheimer recently met with the Glazer family, owners of the Bucs, and said he thinks the club has the talent to be successful.

“Frankly, there’s an opportunity there to teach the young guys how to do it,” he said. “There are a number of other candidates, so whether a second round of dialogue will take place I don’t know. But I will say this: I’m excited about the opportunity. …”

“If the UFL experience taught me anything, it’s that at my age I’m very comfortable stepping into the midst of 25- and 26-year-old kids, to help them grow and develop, and give them the opportunity to succeed.”

Click through above to read Marty’s comments about how energetic and driven he feels.

Without being on the inside of the interview process, Joe has no clue whether Schottenheimer is the best man for the Bucs job. But he sure seems like the safest pick, if the team wants to win games and “stabilize” the organization.

Joe would think any candidate coming to interview for the Bucs’ head coaching vacancy would be asked to produce a list of assistant coaches that he not only would want to secure, but men he knows would join him in Tampa.

So who’s on Rob Chudzinski’s list? And how would that compare to Marty Schottenheimer’s?

Talking about the Bucs’ head coaching search today on The Dan Sileo Show on WDAE-AM 620, veteran Tampa Tribune beat scribe Woody Cummings said the answers to those questions probably has the Bucs leaning toward an experienced head coach.

“I think there’s probably a belief throughout the league, certainly maybe at One Buc Place, that the veteran guys may have a better time/easier time bringing in a group of assistants that can teach these young players how to play this game at this level than a young guy like Jerry Gray or Rob Chudzinski,” Cummings said.

“I think those guys are going to be very good head coaches at one point. But I think if you’re trying to stabilize this thing, and that’s really what they’re looking to do here right now, you may be leaning towards the veteran. Because at that point what happens is you have a better chance for bringing in some veteran coordinators and guys who can help the young players learn how to play the game. That’s one thing that certainly Mike Sherman has done a pretty good job of that with coordinators in the past. And certainly Marty Schottenheimer. As you look at his coaching tree, and it’s extremely impressive, you would have to think Marty would bring in the next head coach as well as himself.”

Joe cringed when he heard Cummings say the Bucs are looking to “stabilize” the team.

Stabilizing just feels like such a long way from winning a Super Bowl. But Joe has to be real, especially after watching all the NFL playoff games over the weekend. The Bucs likely need upgrades at every single coaching position to compete again.

It was only two weeks ago that Tampa Bay Times columnist Gary Shelton cranked out some misguided Bucs bashing, and he came back for more yesterday in a hearty slam on the Bucs’ coaching search and how it supposedly shows how undesirable the franchise is.

Never mind that Wade Phillips is not in the best of health and might have been overwhelmed in his preparation for a playoff game, Phillips cancelling his interview with the Buccaneers last week, Shelton writes, was somehow a slight on the Bucs.

Isn’t there anyone who wants this job? And if so, do you want them? Remember when Groucho Marx said he would never join a club that would have him as a member? Evidently, that club is the Bucs. And Groucho is just old enough to interview.

Over the last week, we have learned a great deal about the Bucs, mainly that a lot of people don’t think working for them sounds like a great deal. That’s a little unsettling. You keep waiting for the Bucs to say no to coaches such as Phillips, and for crying out loud, he’s saying no first. Frankly, if any of the 32 NFL teams want to interview Phillips, he should show up 15 minutes early and he should bring pizza.

Shelton goes on to wonder why the best candidates aren’t interested in the Bucs job (really?), and he makes fun of Marty Schottenheimer’s age and questions Mike Zimmer and Rob Chudzinski’s impact.

Chudzinski? Zimmer? At least other teams will talk to these guys. And they should. Both had good seasons this year. But does either have the weight to impress the Bucs players? Or, for that matter, you?

You can read all of Shelton’s blast job here.

Maybe Joe’s missing something, but all that’s clear since Raheem Morris was fired is that the Bucs are interviewing all kind of candidates and wanted no part of Jeff Fisher. Joe’s just not getting Shelton on this issue.

With six head coaching vacancies around the NFL following the 2011 regular season, and three already being filled by Jeff Fisher, Mike Mularkey and Romeo Crennel, there is seemingly a large pile of interesting candidates for only three remaining positions.

So why should the Bucs be in a hurry?

Longtime NFL writer, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, beer-chugging Peter King, of Sports Illustrated, touched on this and the Bucs’ coaching search in his Monday Morning Quarterback column t0day on SI.com.

8. I think the Bucs could take 10 days to two weeks from now to hire a coach. Why, you ask? Why not? Where’s the competition for jobs right now? If you can interview 13 guys and steal some knowledge about how your team is perceived and how certain coaches would coach your team that can help you when you finally hire the one you like the best, why not do it? It’s like I said last week: There’s nothing wrong with picking the brains of smart coaches to improve the quality of the product you put on the field. Al Davis did it all the time.

Of course, scoring the best possible assistant coaches is one reason to move quickly on a head coaching decision. A team doesn’t want to be reactionary and rush into a head coach, but deciding last and late might not be a great idea, either.

It’ll be interesting, and telling, if the Bucs move quickly this week to interview Packers assistants Winston Moss, Tom Clements and/or Joe Philbin.

Joe knows that many Bucs fans watched the Giants shut down the high-powered Packers on the not-so-frozen tundra of Lambeau Field yesterday.

Of course, the best defense the Giants had was the Packers’ penchant for dropping balls.

A name that has been floated as a potential replacement for jettisoned Bucs coach Raheem Morris has been Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News is of the opinion the Bucs are waiting for a chance to interview Fewell before proceeding much further in the interview process.

This was the week that teams were allowed to interview assistants from other teams in the playoffs (assistants for teams that had a bye week were allowed to interview last week). That window is now closed until a team is eliminated, so the Bucs – or any team – could not talk to Fewell now until the Giants’ season is over.

One year ago, Fewell was one of the hottest candidates on the NFL coaching carousel, interviewing with the Panthers, Titans, Browns and Broncos.

It’s a good bet the Bucs will have a coach by the Super Bowl, which is three weeks from yesterday. Since the Packers’ season is over, Joe is hoping beyond hope Packers general manager Ted Thompson gets a call this morning from Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik to seek permission to talk to Packers quarterback coach Tom Clements.

Of the known candidates to fill the void left by the Bucs jettisoning Raheem Morris, it seems the fan favorite is Marty Schottenheimer.

Though he has a stellar if not pristine record of turning around teams and having a dynamite regular season record, the noose around Schottenheimer’s neck has often been his pathetic postseason record.

But it seems there is another stone being wrapped around his neck, and that is his age. Schottenheimer is 68 and some believe that is too old to coach in the NFL.

This issue was also invoked in a recent NFC South chat with ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas.

Gerald (Wyoming)

I think Marty is what the Bucs need. They have a rb to pound it for Marty ball and the guy wins, what do you think?

Pat Yasinskas

He has a track record of winning in regular season. My only question is if, at 68, he might be too old to coach?

Let’s dispel the age nonsense right now. Steelers defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau is 74 and just had his contract extended. His players worship him and there are few if any better coordinators in the game.

Monte Kiffin was pushing 70 when he left the Bucs. Joe didn’t remember anyone bringing up age then.

Marv Levy was in his 70s when he was coaching the Bills.

Shoot, it took a sex scandal and lung cancer to take Joe Paterno out of the game and he was still winning games. Bobby Bowden was still getting to bowl games in his late 70’s and his successor (thus far) hasn’t done all that much better than Foghorn Leghorn (remember when people screamed for Bowden’s head for playing in the lowly Chumps Bowl?).

After all, how did youth do for the Bucs’ coaching staff recently?

Mike Nolan and his sideline suits and 3-4 defense could be the Bucs' radar as a defensive coordinator.

Of course, Joe is watching the Man Channel, aka NFL Network, this morning as Joe prepares for another day of glorious playoff football.

Watching the Saints implode early Saturday but stay focused and come back had Joe shaking his head thinking about the many times the Bucs faced adversity in 2011 games yet broke like a sand castle under a good wave. Raheem Morris and company just never had any answers.

As for the Bucs’ 13-day-old head coaching search, it’s still plodding on with NFL.com senior reporter Jason La Canfora chatting it up on the air today saying he still believes Mike Sherman is the Bucs’ top horse in the race, with likely Brad Childress and Mike Nolan coming along as offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively.

It’s hardly a Dream Team that would inspire fans, but Joe’s surely open-minded if they’re the picks.

As Team Glazer prepares to stare down potential head coaching candidates Mike Zimmer, the longtime Bengals defensive coordinator, and Rob Chudzinski, the Panthers’ one-year-wonder offensive guru, (perhaps the interviews already have happened?), the big question for either prospect is who they’ll want to run the other side of the ball — the one opposite their expertise.

After listening to former Bucs QB and current JoeBucsFan.com analyst Jeff Carlson, Joe know wonders whether Zimmer lost his man.

Speaking yesterday on PrimeTime on WHBO-AM 1040, Carlson shared that Zimmer was defensive coordinator at Weber State during his entire career there during the late 1980s and explained that Bob Bratkowski was offensive coordinator for part of that time and the two coaches were tight. Zimmer and Bratkowski later reunited in Cincinnati before Bratkowski moved on to be Matt Ryan’s quarterbacks coach the past two seasons in Atlanta.

But yesterday Bratkowski was hired as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ new offensive coordinator under new head coach Mike Mularkey.

For all Joe knows Zimmer had other plans for his potential Bucs offense, but it’s intriguing to think Zimmer might have lost a guy that would have been a key member of his staff.

On the Bucs’ head coaching search, you can count Carlson among the Zimmer fans.

“He’s a yeller. He’s a curser. He’s a dipper, you know, chews tobacco and spits and does all that nasty stuff. But he’s still what you call a player’s coach,” Carlson said. “He is still a good dude. A guy that will hit you in the ribs with his elbow when he tells a joke, or whatever. He’s willing to laugh with you and understand that, but knows when business is business and it’s time to do your thing. He will certainly chew your rear end off with colorful language. But I think he’s going to get you to play at your highest level.”

(Meanwhile, this afternoon the NFL.com rumor circuit has the Dolphins heavy after Zimmer.)

As for Chudzinski, Carlson suggested that perhaps Carolina’s offensive guru gets a little too much credit for Cam Newton. Carlson gave a flip-side argument that Alex Van Pelt or Greg Olson would need to get massive blame for Josh Freeman’s tailspin if one is to heap lofty praise on Chudzinski, so reality is somewhere in between.

As for Freeman, Carlson painted a picture of Freeman needing a lot more than a new playcaller.

“I think Josh Freeman has a long way to go in getting his mechanics back,” Carlson said. “His potential is off the charts. But you gotta realize that by getting yourself under control. When you look pictures of  Josh Freeman, still photo photographs of Josh Freeman, you can see that he is so out of sync that he needs an overhaul, almost like a Tim Tebow overhaul.”

Joe’s of the mind that a defensive-minded head coach is going to have an awfully tough sales job to Team Glazer and rockstar general manager Mark Dominik. Whoever it is better come to the conference table with one hell of a plan for No. 5.

Recently, former Bucs defensive end Chidi Ahanotu typed a column for PewterReport.com in which he detailed what was wrong with the Bucs after their grotesque 10-game tailspin to end the season, which led to Raheem Morris being jettisoned.

Boy, Ahanotu sure had a lot to write about.

Ahanotu is no fan of Josh Freeman. In fact, Ahanotu believes the Bucs must throw Freeman overboard for the 2011 season and start anew by drafting Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin (RGIII) of Baylor.

The Bucs, having won the fifth pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, may have a slight chance to select a quarterback like Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. Freemen is a suspect and must go.

For Joe, this is simply crazytalk.

Now Joe has no beef whatsoever with Ahanotu. Joe’s had cocktails with him before and he’s a good guy. That typed, was the 2010 season simply a mirage? So the Bucs should run Freeman a year after he tosses 25 touchdowns against six interceptions? Really?

Innkeeper, Bushmills and water on the rocks, please!

No one, not one person knows if RGIII can play on the NFL level. He should be able to, but right now that’s nothing more than guessing.

Freeman has already shown he can play on the NFL level, and at a high level in fact. Now no one knows if the 2010 season was a fluke for him or not, but to suggest the Bucs — who have mega-millions of dollars invested in Freeman — should wash their hands of him after one bad season is bordering on outrageous.

Per Rotoworld, Freeman has two more seasons left in his contract. If the Bucs’ new coach and a new coordinator (and hopefully new toys to play with) can’t turn him around in two years, then Joe can easily see the Bucs letting him walk after the 2013 season.

While many Bucs fans fantasize about stealing Marques Colston from the hated Saints when the stud receiver becomes a free agent in a matter of weeks, former Bucs QB Shaun King has other flanker talent in mind for his beloved Bucs.

Long before the heinous debacle of the 2011 season, King screamed from rooftops, and his King David Show microphone on WQYK-AM 1010, that the Bucs did not have anywhere near enough dynamic playmakers on offense, especially in their receiving corps. King scoffed at the notion that Dezmon Briscoe would turn heads around the NFL in 2011.

So naturally King now says the Bucs surely need to bring in proven receiving talent to complement Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn.

Who does he like? Chiefs standout Dwayne Bowe, 27, and Laurent Robinson, 26, of the Cowboys. Both will be paid handsomely but neither would require top tier money like Colston will command, King said.

Joe would much prefer Bowe, who was a first-round pick in 2007, a Pro Bowler in 2010, and has turned in 1,000+ yard seasons with questionable quarterback talent tossing him the rock. He’s the real deal.

Imagine the confidence boost to Josh Freeman if/when he learns he got an offseason gift bigger than Luke Stocker to bolster his attack.

NFL Network draftnik Mike Mayock, center, joins Bucs director of player personnel Dennis Hickey, top, and Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, bottom, at the NFL Combine last winter.

When the Bucs finished the season with a grotesque tailspin of a 10-game losing streak and jettisoned head coach Raheem Morris as a result, it wasn’t too early to talk draft.

So when Joe’s good friend, the dean of Tampa Bay sports radio, “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig interviewed the great NFL draftnik Mike Mayock yesterday on WDAE-AM 620, of course Mayock couldn’t get away with out a draft question.

When Duemig asked Mayock what he would do as Bucs GM, sitting at draft choice No. 5, looking at either stud cornerback Morris Claiborne of LSU or flashy wide receiver Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State, Mayock had a non-answer answer that interestingly shed light on how others view the Bucs.

“You can start there. Outside of quarterback and defensive line, where they have an awful lot of really good young talent, you have to say, ‘Who is the best available football player where we are drafting?’ No question wide receiver and cornerback are huge needs.’

While Joe found Mayock’s point about the defensive line interesting, Joe is torn between Claiborne and Blackmon.

Joe sort of leans Clairborne only because the Bucs will be facing Drew Brees, Matty Ice and Cam Newton for many, many years to come. The Bucs now are looking at the very real possibility of their starting cornerbacks coming from the trio of E.J. Biggers, Elbert Mack and Myron Lewis.

Click the link below for Mayock’s full interview.

So what’s the vibe on Rob Chudzinski inside the Panthers organization?

Of course, Joe doesn’t mingle up there, but Carolina Panthers director of player development Mark Carrier, a former Pro Bowl wide receiver with the Buccaneers, sure does. Carrier talked about his offensive coordinator today on Primetime on WHBO-AM 1040 this afternoon.

“Everybody loves him around here. Real laid back. A young man. His mind is always working,” Carrier said. He’s going to get an opportunity. I’m hoping from a prejudice side, up here in Carolina, not so soon. But if the Buccaneers do happen to offer him an opportunity, it’ll be a great fit for the Bucs.”

Carrier went on to rave about Chudzinski’s unmatched work ethic and preparation. Carrier relayed a story about how the Panthers coaching staff was on vacation last week but Chudzinski was working tirelessly at the Panthers facility preparing for the 2012 season.

Carrier agreed with the assertion that Chudzinski was the man most responsible for Cam Newton’s development, saying Chudzinski “force-fed Cam into believing in what he was doing.”

Joe raised an eyebrow upon hearing Chudzinski was “laid back,” but it was unclear whether Carrier was talking about Chudzinski’s coaching demeanor or the way he is off the field. Regardless, Joe realizes “laid back” coaches can be firm disciplinarians. Father Dungy comes to mind.

Busy day over at One Buc Palace for Team Glazer and Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.

First, it was learned that Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer will interview with the Bucs braintrust as has been speculated for weeks. Now, Joe learns of word the Bucs may raid one of their NFC South opponents.

Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune reports that the next man in the Bucs’ hit parade will be Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.

Chudzinski, 43, reportedly interviewed for the St. Louis Rams’ head coaching job Thursday. He also interviewed for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coaching job that went to Mike Mularkey.

Under Chudzinski this season, the Panthers’ offense went from 32nd to seventh behind rookie quarterback Cam Newton. The Panthers set a franchise record for total yards, scoring 47 touchdowns.

Chudzinski also helped send several players to Pro Bowl while running the Cleveland Browns’ offense.

The way Chudzinski developed Cam Newton — right now it’s tough to argue he’s not further along the road to being an All Pro than Josh Freeman — is simply amazing.

It seems as if Chudzinski is able to mold an offense to get a player’s best traits to shine. What more can one ask for in a coach?

The Carolina Panthers’ treasured one-year wonder offensive coordinator, Rob Chudzinski, and the Bengals’ longime defensive taskmaster, Mike Zimmer, are cleared to interview for the Bucs’ head coaching opening, so reports Jason La Canfora of NFL.com this afternoon.

Team Glazer’s pledge to leave no stone unturned searching for their next head coach seems like it will come true. Out of the retread interview phase, it seems the Bucs now will move on to study the hopeful first-timers.

As Joe’s written before, Zimmer’s sustained success with the Bengals defense, without big names and payroll, plus his disciplinarian reputation, is intriguing. Joe’s less enamoured with 43-year-old Chudzinski, though he surely worked wonders in 2011.