The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers are in the midst of respective transition periods following an underwhelming 2022 season.
The Buccaneers won the NFC South with an 8-9 record and were blown out by the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round. The Panthers missed the playoffs completely after finishing in a three-way tie for second place in the division.
It led to massive changes for both teams as the Buccaneers let go of eight coaches, including offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, while the Panthers made a change at the position as well, in addition to head coach.
Both teams are seemingly closing in on naming a replacement as they are conducting second interviews with candidates. Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach/tight ends coach Thomas Brown is in the running for both jobs and will meet with the teams this week, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network:
#Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown is scheduled to fly to Tampa for a second interview Wednesday for the Bucs’ OC job and then to Carolina for a second interview Thursday for the Panthers’ OC job, per sources. A rising coach who knows Sean McVay's offense inside and out.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 12, 2023
Brown has been part of the Rams coaching staff since 2020, when he became the running backs coach. The was a position he held for two seasons before being promoted to tight ends coach last year.
Brown additionally helped out the running backs group after Ra’Shaad Samples left the organization to coach the position at Arizona State.
Brown is considered a coach on the rise and previously interviewed for the Houston Texans’ head coach job this offseason before former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans was hired.
If Brown doesn’t land either of the offensive coordinator openings, he will likely go back to working with the Rams’ running backs next season. L.A. has already hired a new tight ends coach in Nick Caley, formerly of the New England Patriots.
