Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported Wednesday night that the team and Smith are wrapping up a deal.
"The Bucs are hiring Lovie Smith to be their new head coach, two sides are finalizing the contract tonight" — Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer)
ESPN.com reported that Smith will receive a four-year contract worth more than $5 million per season. The pact also includes a club option for a fifth year.
Smith, the former Chicago Bears coach, will replace Greg Schiano, who was fired Monday. Smith also interviewed for the Houston Texans' job which is about to go to Penn State's Bill O'Brien.
Smith already has ties to the Bucs organization; he was a defensive assistant in Tampa under Tony Dungy from 1996 through 2000. A tweet from The Tampa Bay Times' Roy Cummings indicates that the reunion came together quickly.
"The Bucs actually interviewed Lovie Smith on TUESDAY, according to a high ranking Bucs source." — Roy Cummings (@RCummingsTBO)
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported late Wednesday that Smith will hire former California coach Jeff Tedford to be his offensive coordinator and Dallas Cowboys assistant Rod Marinelli as his defensive coordinator. Smith and Marinelli worked together in Tampa and Chicago.
The Bears fired Smith following the 2012 season. Chicago went 3-5 in the second half after a 7-1 start.
CLOWNEY TO NFL DRAFT
It's official.
South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney announced his intention to declare for the 2014 NFL Draft after his Gamecocks beat Wisconsin, 34-24, in Wednesday's Capital One Bowl.
In an on-field interview with ESPN, Clowney was asked if this was his last season in Columbia, S.C., to which he responded "Yes, sir."
"It’s been great, man … I will miss everything about Carolina and I will miss everyone here,” he said.
While his proclamation surprised very few people, it was an official confirmation of Clowney's long-discussed intentions.
BRIDGEWATER TURNING PRO
Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is turning pro, according to ESPN.com’s Brett McMurphy.
The junior is expected to be the first quarterback selected in the 2014 draft and possibly the No. 1 player taken overall. In the most recent Sporting News mock draft, Bridgewater is projected to be drafted first overall by the Houston Texans.
Bridgewater completed 71.0 percent of his passes for 3,970 yards, 31 TDs and four interceptions. For his career, Bridgewater threw for 9,817 yards, 72 TDs and 24 interceptions while completing 68.4 percent of his throws.
COLTS INSPIRED BY MEETING
Arguably the most dangerous and easily the most underrated playoff team is the Indianapolis Colts. No one is talking about the team that was first to clinch a postseason berth. The team that is riding is a three-game winning streak is hovering far off the grid, for whatever reason.
Maybe it was because of a streak of bad losses that turned a hot team into a lukewarm one.
After starting the year 6-2 — including wins over Seattle, San Francisco and Denver—the Colts were hammered in a blowout loss to the St. Louis Rams. Two weeks later, the Arizona Cardinals embarrassed them. They were the kinds of losses that cause teams to slip from relevance.
But, the Colts, with a star quarterback in Andrew Luck and a star linebacker in Robert Mathis, are very much in it.
Mathis told the Indianapolis Star that the turnaround could be attributed to a players’ only meeting after the loss to Arizona.
“There was a players-only meeting of the minds,” Mathis said. “It was really just a gut-check meeting…It’s a distant memory, but it was guys meeting, men talking and holding each other accountable. And we responded quite nicely.”
The Colts play the Kansas City Chiefs, whom they beat on the road 23-7 in Week 16. The wins sandwiching that are against the Texans and Jaguars, not exactly inspiring awe. Perhaps that explains why the Colts aren’t in the headlines.
All that matters to Indianapolis, though, is that it is winning at the right time.
“Accountability,” Mathis told the Star. “(There were) no personnel shifts, no change in schemes. No world-changing kind of deals. It was just holding guys accountable. If you’re not doing your job, you’re going to be called out in the locker room. Not in the media or anything. It’s guys being accountable.”
BOWE CLEARED TO PLAY
Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe has been cleared to play in Saturday's wild-card playoff game against Indianapolis after sustaining a concussion against the Colts two weeks ago.
Bowe was among several starters held out of last week's overtime loss at San Diego.
Kansas City could be without right tackle Eric Fisher, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft. He strained his groin near the end of Tuesday's practice and was not working Wednesday.
Outside linebacker Tamba Hali's status also remains up in the air. He's been dealing with some inflammation in his knee that has kept him out of practice the last couple of weeks, though he planned to try working out during Wednesday's practice.
JETS ASSESS SANCHEZ, SMITH
Mark Sanchez lost his starting job to rookie Geno Smith, and couldn’t win it back since Sanchez was out for the year with a shoulder injury sustained in the final preseason game. Now, he could soon be off the team entirely, reports the New York Daily News.
The Jets, by most accounts, are expected to release Sanchez after four years as a starter.
Sanchez’s contract is as much of an issue as his four-year performance. He is set to make $9 million in 2014 and has a $2 million roster bonus in March if he’s still on the team.
“We’ll get to that in time. He is a Jet,” general manager John Idzik said. “We consider all our guys Jets until we make a decision or something happens that changes that. So with Mark — I met with him yesterday as well — our focus is to get him healthy, just as it has been really the entire season and then we’ll take it from there.”
Idzik was more effusive about Smith than the veteran, Sanchez. Smith will again find himself competing for the starting job, despite starting every game this year.
“We’re all excited about having Geno as part of the Jets but we will always look to improve every position in any manner we can and that doesn’t change going into 2014,” Idzik said. “We’ll look at quarterbacks, yes, we’ll look at quarterbacks.”
He did point out that Smith “finished strong.” Smith didn’t have any turnovers in the last two games, but finished the year with 25 total.
“He’s a very resilient young man,” Idzik said. “For him to start all 16 games, go through the highs and lows of an NFL season and just to see him develop as a player, see him handle a game see him be more efficient in the pocket, his accuracy, threatening with his legs, all of the things that he did, they were very positive.”
VICK WANTS TO START AGAIN
Michael Vick’s pulled hamstring put him on the bench and with Nick Foles playing lights-out, Vick hasn’t seen the field since.
That’s not how he wants his career to end, though. He has been nothing but supportive of Foles and has been a great teammate and leader for the Philadelphia Eagles. And right now, his only thought is of trying to help Philadelphia win a Super Bowl.
But when the year is over, Vick, who’ll be 34 in June, will certainly contemplate his future.
“I’m playing again next year, that’s the way I look at it,” he told CSN.Philly.com. “I know at some point I’ll be back out there.”
That may not be as a regular starter. He said if “all else fails,” he’d be interested in remaining in Philadelphia as a backup.
Vick’s contract ends after this season.
“I don’t worry about it,” Vick said. “My skill set is still there, my arm is still there, my legs are still there, I’m still a playmaker, that’s evident. I think at some point, I’ll be playing somewhere.”
REDSKINS TO INTERVIEW CALDWELL
The Washington Redskins have added another name to their list of prospective coaches: Jim Caldwell.
Caldwell, the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator, is expected to interview with the Redskins, according to NFL.com. Panthers coach Ron Rivera acknowledged that Carolina defensive coordinator Sean McDermott is interviewing with the Redskins, as well. They are also reportedly interested in Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.
It is clearly the most high-profile opening, especially with quarterback Robert Griffin III undoubtedly anxiously awaiting Mike Shanahan’s replacement.
Caldwell is a proven winner as an NFL head coach. He replaced Tony Dungy and took the Colts to the Super Bowl. In 2010, Indianapolis was again a contender in the playoffs, but without Peyton Manning in 2011 due to neck surgery, the Colts fell to 2014 and Caldwell was let go.
Contributors: Rana L. Cash, Ken Bradley, Kami Mattioli, Tom Gatto
