The Bucs have appear to have lost two offensive coaches this offseason as wide receivers coach Brad Idzik is poised to join Carolina as the Panthers offensive coordinator. The news was broken by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The move comes as no surprise as the Panthers had requested to interview Idzik for the offensive coordinator vacancy last week. Idzik is a close friend of new Carolina head coach Dave Canales, who spent the 2023 season as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator.

Canales, who was a first-year play-caller in Tampa Bay, brought Idzik with him from the Seattle Seahawks. The 32-year old Idzik was a first-year position coach with the Bucs after being an offensive assistant with the Seahawks. Canales will be the Panthers’ offensive play-caller with Idzik assisting in game plan preparation, as well as Carolina’s wide receivers coach.

Bucs Now Have 2 Offensive Coaching Vacancies To Fill

The departure of Dave Canales and Brad Idzik to Carolina leaves Tampa Bay with two open spots on the offensive coaching staff. Bucs offensive assistants David Raih and Jeff Kastl both assisted with the wide receivers and both could be candidates to be promoted to replace Idzik.

Tampa Bay has been interviewing offensive coordinator candidates, and have officially announced two of them.

The Bucs met virtually with Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El, who was on the Bucs staff from 2019-20 before leaving for Detroit in 2021. Tampa Bay met in person with former Bills and Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who has experience working with Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield from their days together in Cleveland in 2020-21 where he also served as the quarterbacks coach.

Former #Browns OC Alex Van Pelt is heading to Tampa to interview for the vacant #Bucs OC job today, source said. He’s also still in play in Las Vegas for #Raiders OC.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 29, 2024

Former Browns OC Alex Van Pelt Photo by: USA Today

Van Pelt, 53, began his coaching career with Buffalo, first as the offensive quality control coach from 2006-2007 before coaching quarterbacks in 2008. He was the Bills’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2009 before making his next stop in Tampa as the Bucs’ quarterbacks coach under Raheem Morris in 2010 and 2011. He then coached running backs and quarterbacks over stops with the Packers and Bengals.

Most recently, Van Pelt served as the Browns’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2020-2023. He was fired after the team’s playoff loss to the Texans a few weeks ago, though he did some solid work in Cleveland. In fact, 2023 was some especially good work as starting quarterback Deshaun Watson missed most the year and the Browns still made a run to the playoffs with Joe Flacco, who was signed midseason, under center.

Van Pelt was Baker Mayfield’s offensive coordinator in Cleveland from 2020-2021. While 2023 became the best statistical season of Mayfield’s career, his previous best was in 2020 when he threw for 3,563 yards and 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions. Mayfield then played through injury in 2021, throwing for 3,010 yards and 17 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. Mayfield is a pending free agent, but Tampa Bay would like to bring him back on a new deal this offseason.

After it was previously reported that he was a candidate, Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson interviewed with Bucs head coach Todd Bowles in Tampa on Tuesday, KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson reported Monday night.

Up next for highly regarded #Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson: an in-person interview Tuesday with #Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles for offensive coordinator job, per NFL sources. Interviewed with #Patriots #Eagles #Saints #Browns #Steelers @KPRC2 https://t.co/WGiay6QuTy

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 30, 2024

Texans QBs coach Jerrod Johnson – Photo by: USA Today

Johnson just finished his first year with Houston, working with Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate C.J. Stroud. He previously served as the Vikings’ assistant quarterbacks coach in 2022 after working as the offensive quality control coach with the Colts from 2020-2021.

Johnson will turn just 36 this summer, so he’s certainly one of the younger candidates for the Bucs’ open offensive coordinator job. The Steelers and Saints have reportedly completed interviews with him for their open offensive coordinator roles as well.

It was reported by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer Sunday afternoon that the Bucs put in a request to interview Rams pass game specialist Jake Peetz for offensive coordinator. Breer also noted that he will meet with Tampa Bay later in the week. Peetz has been in various roles within the NFL since starting with the Jaguars as a scout in 2008.

Still just 39 years old, Peetz has spent time with the Jaguars, Commanders, Raiders, Panthers, and Rams at the NFL level. He also has coaching experience in the college ranks, having served two stints with Alabama in 2013 and 2018 as an offensive analyst under Nick Saban and was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at LSU in 2021. He will be the latest name to monitor in the team’s ongoing search.