Timeline: Lovie Smith's First 100 DaysPosted 4 min ago
Jan 5, 2014Lovie Comes HomeWith grandson Jackson in his arms and wife MaryAnne, sons Matt and Miles and daughter-in-law Kathleen in tow, Lovie Smith steps out of the Glazers' private jet and onto a quiet piece of tarmac in Tampa, Florida. He is greeted first by Shelton Quarles, the Buccaneers' director of college scouting and one of the very men Smith helped reach his NFL potential as a linebacker on Tampa Bay's renowned defense.
Jan 5, 2014A short drive takes Smith and family past Raymond James Stadium and to One Buccaneer Place, the state-of-the-art facility built in 2006, five years after Smith left Tampa to become the St. Louis Rams' defensive coordinator. It is Smith's first time in the building, and he takes the time to appreciate a long and leisurely tour through his new home. The tour ends in his second-floor corner office, which overlooks the practice fields and has a clear view of the stadium. He declares it the perfect fit. By 10:00 p.m. that evening, family obligations secured, he'll be back in that office, watching tape as his first official work as the Buccaneers' head coach.
Jan 6, 2014An Introduction to Buccaneer FaithfulWearing a black suit, a crisp white shirt, a solid red tie and a Buccaneer pin on his lapel, Lovie Smith appears in the packed Team Auditorium at One Buccaneer Place through the back entrance. He sits in the front row with his family and listens as Buccaneers Co-Chairman Bryan Glazer announces a new chapter in the franchise's four-decade history, one that Glazer says will "energize our fan base and provide the Tampa Bay community with the winning football it deserves."Speaking easily with his slight Oklahoma drawl, Smith talks about his history with the team, his staff-building plans and how Tampa has kept a special place in his heart over the previous decade and a half. With Buccaneer fans watching live on the team's web site and local television stations, Smith strikes a chord with one goal in particular: relevance. "Its time, as we go to the future, for us to become a relevant team again. When you're off for a year, you get a chance to watch a lot of football games, which I did, and I really liked the foundation that's in place right here for us to make a quick climb."Smith also named Leslie Frazier as his defensive coordinator on this day. Jeff Tedford had already been announced as the offensive coordinator on January 4, two days after the team named Smith its head coach.
Jan 9, 2014Coaching Staff Begins to Take ShapeAs evidenced by the rapid-fire hiring of his coordinators, Smith came to Tampa with a plan in place and several potential assistants on speed dial. Much of his coaching staff came together on this Thursday, including Special Teams Coordinator Kevin O'Dea, Linebackers Coach Hardy Nickerson and Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen.This first wave was a mix of men who had worked with Smith before, such as Running Backs Coach Tim Spencer, and bright newcomers from the college ranks, such as Quarterbacks Coach Marcus Arroyo. In this way, the staff began to resemble the one that Tony Dungy put together in his first season at the Bucs' helm in 1996. That group included a linebackers coach who had never previously worked in the NFL but who had come highly-recommended to Dungy: Lovie Smith. Smith's description of the ideal coach for his staff – a "stern teacher" – sounded as if it would have fit into Dungy's approach, as well.
Jan 18, 2014Smith Sends Staff to Senior BowlAfter that first flurry of hires on Jan. 9, Lovie Smith added to his coaching staff on the 10th with Cornerbacks Coach Gill Byrd and Tight Ends Coach Jon Embree, and again on the 18th with Offensive Line Coach George Warhop. With that crew almost complete, Smith is able to dispatch a full contingent to Mobile, Alabama for Senior Bowl week. Smith himself does not make the trip; while the Senior Bowl is considered an important part of the draft scouting circuit, there are too many tasks in front of him at One Buccaneer Place.While Smith continues his efforts to help in the search for a general manager and makes his first appearance at a community event since his hire, his coaches and scouts evaluate nearly 120 players who will be eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft. The Buccaneers will end up drafting two of those players – West Virginia RB Charles Sims and Wyoming WR Robert Herron.
Jan 20, 2014MLK Breakfast Draws Smith to First Public AppearanceSmith's mission to help the Buccaneers become relevant again includes relevance within the surrounding community. Eventually, he intends to discover what issues are important to his players and coaches (his own include supporting Boys & Girls Clubs and diabetes research) and incorporating those issues into the team's outreach efforts. By mid-January, however, Smith has had only a handful of brief interactions with his players, and his coaching staff is still taking shape.But Smith knows and accepts that a successful turnaround of the Buccaneers will make him the face of the team, a responsibility from which he will not shy away. While there will be many more opportunities for him to make a difference in the Bay area in the years to come, Smith's first public appearance as the head coach of the Buccaneers is at the 34th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Breakfast conducted by the Tampa Organization of Black Affairs.Smith found that setting to be perfect for his first foray into the community. "The sacrifices of people like Dr. King put me in the position that I'm in today," he said. "It's only fitting that I was able to be here today. I've benefitted so much from what he started. I'm living proof of his words – that we can be judged by the content of our character." 
Jan 21, 2014Smith Gets Management Partner in G.M. Jason LichtA thorough search that brought at least nine candidates ends with the hiring of Arizona Cardinals Vice President of Player Personnel Jason Licht as the Buccaneers' new general manager. Licht's journey to Tampa through almost two decades in the NFL is marked with association with winning teams, from Philadelphia to New England to Arizona. In his 18 seasons before coming to Tampa, Licht worked for teams that made nine playoff appearances and appeared in four Super Bowls.Smith was heavily involved in the search for the Buccaneers' G.M., handling the preliminary interviews before recommending candidates to ownership and eventually endorsing Licht for the job. Smith searched for, and found, a top personnel man who would work with him as a partner and establish the best possible lines of communication. Licht had sought the same situation. "Every place that I've worked, especially successful teams in those eras, the G.M. and the head coach have to work together," said Licht upon his introduction to the Bay area. "It's a partnership, and at the end of the day it doesn't matter if you're Ron Wolf, Bill Polian or Jason Licht – our job is to serve the coach. It's going to be a partnership." 
Jan 24, 2014Last Pieces Put in Place for Coaching StaffWith Carlos Polk arriving to assist Special Teams Coordinator Kevin O'Dea and Mike Phair (a former Buccaneer scout) coming on board as the assistant defensive line coach, Smith wraps up his coaching search. It is a smooth process that results in a 20-person staff, including Smith himself. Of note is the splitting of the traditional "Defensive Backs" job into "Cornerbacks Coach" (Gill Byrd) and "Safeties Coach" (Mikal Smith). In addition, Senior Defensive Assistant Larry Marmie, who had coached Smith as a collegiate star at Tulsa in the late '70s, was charged with coaching the nickel backs, specifically. In a meeting with his staff, Smith calls Marmie "the best coach I ever had," because Marmie gave him the answers he needed for any and every question.
Jan 29, 2014Coaches Gather for First MeetingFive days after finalizing his 2014 coaching staff, Smith calls the group together for the first time in the same room that will later be used for the draft. Every single member of the staff is seated and waiting at least five minutes before the meeting is due to begin. Once it does, Smith begins in a casual tone, going over such things as parking spaces, dress codes and work hours.Those formalities covered, Smith lays out the team philosophy he wants to drive all of the coaches' actions: "To play tough and relentless fundamentally-sound situational football on every play." He says he'll be able to tell if his team is being coached in this manner "if the wide receivers block and the linebackers tackle correctly." Smith also lists five characteristics that his assistant coaches should share, asking them to be stern teachers, knowledgeable, honest, loyal and hard workers. "A lot has gone into you being in this room," he tells them. "You wouldn't be in here if I didn't think you were those things." 
Feb 1, 2014Canton Calls Smith's Former Pupil, Derrick BrooksLovie Smith admitted to having butterflies in his stomach in the week leading up to Super Bowl XLVIII, but it had nothing to do with any rooting interest for the Seahawks or Broncos. It was actually an event on the eve of the big game that had Smith's nerves jangling. As is tradition, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee was scheduled to hold its final meeting on the day before the Super Bowl and this year there were three former Bucs on the list, all of whom had worked with Smith: Derrick Brooks, Tony Dungy and John Lynch.Brooks would get the call, joining Class of 2013 inductee Warren Sapp as the first two first-ballot Hall of Fame selections in Buccaneers franchise history. Because Brooks was a prominent member of the first group of linebackers Smith inherited in Tampa in 1996, there was a special bond between the two; in fact, it was Brooks who phoned Smith in his hotel room first thing in the morning prior to the Bears' 2006 NFC Championship Game against the Saints to talk strategy. Smith was thrilled to hear the news of Brooks' selection on that Saturday night."No one is more deserving," said the coach. "I've had a chance to be around some great players, and some are first-ballot Hall-of-Famers. There's nothing as a linebacker that Derrick Brooks couldn't do and it's just good that other people acknowledge that also. "From the moment I left here, he's always been a part of not just my life – my children, my wife. It's always good to see what he's doing in the world. I knew he would be one of those guys that changes the world. Because he's a great football player but you hear people talk about he was an even better person, and that was the case." 
Feb 7, 2014Bobby Slater Takes Over Training StaffNot every aspect of the team Smith inherited needed overhauling, but some changes beyond the roster and the coaching staff were eventually borne out of necessity. When long-time Head Trainer Todd Toriscelli departed to take a similar job with the Tennessee Titans, Smith was able to move swiftly to replace him. The job went to Bobby Slater, a highly-respected NFL trainer who had spent the previous 15 seasons with the Chicago Bears, including Smith's entire tenure as head coach. The Bears' assistant head athletic trainer/director of rehabilitation at the time of the Bucs' call, Slater took on the title of director of sports medicine and performance at One Buc Place.Smith paid his respect to the departing Toriscelli, with whom he had worked in Tampa for several seasons in the 1990s, but he felt fortunate to be able to immediately fill the void with Slater. "I have a deep respect for the work Bobby did during my time with him at the Bears. I witnessed first-hand his expertise and attention to detail in working with the players, and I know he will provide our Buccaneers players with great medical care." 
Feb 10, 2014Bucs Roster Gets a Few First EditsThe Buccaneers signed a handful of players on January 6, just a few days after Smith took office, but they were the typical postseason "reserve/future" deals, mostly comprised of new deals for men with expiring practice squad contracts. Many of these players would have already moved on by the time the team went to training camp, and all of these moves were made before Smith and his crew got to work on their roster evaluation.Ten days into February, however, with that evaluation nearly complete, the Buccaneers made a handful of roster maneuvers, signing quarterback Mike Kafka and releasing four, including veteran linemen Gabe Carimi and Derek Landri. Carimi, who had come to Tampa in a post-draft trade in 2013, had played two seasons under Smith in Chicago. These changes, and a few more that would follow in the month of February, were not franchise-altering but they did begin to set the stage for the all-out blitz the Bucs would put on unrestricted free agency in March.
Feb 13, 2014Roster Evaluation CompletedWrapping up a process that took a little over a month and included input from Smith, Jason Licht and both of their teams of assistants, the Bucs' management group held its final meeting on this Thursday afternoon. At this point, Smith and company had pinpointed the strengths and weakness on the depth chart – and some potential imbalances in how the salary cap was distributed – and formulated a good part of their strategy for the upcoming free agency period.Early in the evening of that same day, Smith swung by the lobby at One Buccaneer Place to attend a private party for some team sponsors. He gave a short speech and then engaged in a rather lengthy Q&A session. Totally at ease, the Bucs coach seemed to be in no hurry to get back to his office, even pressing the crowd for more questions when they started to tail off. The partygoers were the first to hear that the Bucs' roster evaluation process was done, as Smith shared that news with a wide grin. "That's why there's a smile on my face," he said. "I'm feeling good!"
Feb 19, 2014Attention Turns to the Draft at NFL CombineThe completion of the internal roster review allows Smith, Licht and the rest to shift their collective focus from the pros to the prospects, and the annual NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis arrives less than a week later to aid in that process. While Buccaneer scouts and Licht's entire staff have already been evaluating the hundreds of players eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft, Smith essentially begins that process for himself at the Combine.Watching from a luxury suite in the northeast corner of Lucas Oil Stadium – most of the 32 teams have similarly set up shop on that level, with a variety of team flags marking the specific suite tenants – Smith spends the better part of four days sizing up prospects, one position group at a time. More importantly, the evenings during the Combine are dedicated to a lightning-round of rotating 15-minute interviews with prospects. These take place at the train station-themed Omni Severin just north of the stadium; players simply come down from their rooms on the upper floors and make the rounds among the team's designated conference rooms.
Mar 3, 2014New Uniforms with Enhance Logo UnveiledOn the first Monday of March, 11 days after teasing Buccaneer fans with a new helmet featuring an enhanced and much larger flag logo, the team releases images of its completely new look, as modeled by Doug Martin and Gerald McCoy. Since Smith first joined the team in 1996, its final year in the original orange-and-white uniforms, he becomes one of the few figures in team history associated with all three primary uniform designs.
Mar 7, 2014Jonathan Casillas Skips Free Agency, Returns to BucsThe Buccaneers finished the 2013 season with a whopping 19 players who were due to become unrestricted free agents in March. The roster evaluation conducted by Smith and Licht obviously charted a path for a significant amount of turnover, as only three of those 19 eventually returned to the Buccaneers: linebacker Jonathan Casillas, offensive lineman Jamon Meredith and cornerback Danny Gorrer. Of those three, only Casillas re-signed before the start of free agency, though Meredith's new deal was announced hours after that period began, which means he likely didn't test the market, either.With linebackers Dekoda Watson (Jacksonville) and Adam Hayward (Washington) departing for new teams, Casillas returned to a much less crowded situation in his efforts to win a job as the starting strongside linebacker.
Mar 8, 2014Release of G Davin Joseph Begins Series of Difficult DecisionsA two-time Pro Bowl selection and a player who was immensely popular both in the locker room and among the team's fan base, guard Davin Joseph endured a difficult season in 2013 after returning from a 2012 knee injury. Part of an offensive line that had a large collective cap hit but disappointing results in 2013, Joseph was released three days before the start of free agency."Decisions like this are never easy when it comes to parting ways with players such as Davin," said Licht in a prepared statement. "We thank Davin for his contributions on and off the field during his eight years in Tampa Bay and we wish him well in the future. Every decision we make during this time leading up to free agency is with the intention of improving our roster and building towards becoming a championship team once again."Joseph will later sign with the St. Louis Rams near the end of May.
Mar 11, 2014Bucs Dive Into Deep End of Free Agent PoolArmed with a very specific and bold plan – and aided by a 72-hour pre-free agency window of discussions with player agents – Smith's Buccaneers chart a new course for the team in the matter of a couple hours. The NFL's new league year begins at 4:00 p.m. ET and by 6:00 the Bucs have already announced deals with three unrestricted free agents: defensive end Michael Johnson, defensive tackle Clinton McDonald and tight end Brandon Myers. Jamon Meredith also re-signs with the team.The Bucs could have coasted on that wave into the rest of the open market's first week, but instead they went right back to the phones and landed another highly-coveted player late that evening. Pro Bowl cornerback Alterraun Verner jumps to Tampa from Tennessee, in the process making another anticipated roster move much more palatable to team management.At the press conference to introduce this first group of free agent newcomers, Smith hints that the Bucs were far from done even after that rather significant first-day spending spree: “[W]e had a plan in mind to improve our football team. It’s about establishing our foundation a little bit more … We’re just taking some steps; I mean this is a big step we’ve taken with these four gentlemen here, but of course it’s not done. We have more guys to add and just enjoy the process.” 
Mar 12, 2014Josh McCown Arrives as Darrelle Revis DepartsOn the second day of the free agency period, before the Bucs start shopping again, Lovie Smith places a phone call to Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis, who had joined the team via trade the previous spring. It is a short phone call, all business, neither contentious nor cordial. It is certainly not unexpected, as the team's deliberations on whether or not to keep Revis, while not confirmed, had essentially become public knowledge. In the end, Smith and company simply believed they could use the $16 million of cap space that Revis occupied to help the team in a variety of ways, as was demonstrated during that wild first day of free agency."It was a tough decision," said Licht. "He’s a good player, a very good player. We’ve said that from the beginning. But we’ve been able to add four [or] five very good players as well. We’re going to not look in the rearview mirror and we’re excited about the future now.”The Bucs were definitely excited to land McCown, who was coming off a brilliant run in relief of the injured Jay Cutler in Chicago in 2013. Shortly after McCown's introductory press conference, Smith confirmed with local beat writers in a side interview that McCown would head into training camp as the designated starter, ahead of Mike Glennon, who had started the final 12 games of his rookie season in 2013.
Mar 13, 2014Free Agency Blitz Continues with a Big Change on the O-LineHaving brought in a new starting quarterback, a pass-catching tight end and three important pieces on defense, the Bucs turned their attention to that underperforming offensive line on the third day of free agency. In came former Cincinnati Bengal Anthony Collins, who performed superbly in his first extended crack at the starting left tackle job in 2013. The other shoe dropped shortly thereafter, when Donald Penn, who had held down the Bucs' left tackle spot for the previous seven years, was released.“The fact that, watching all the tackles this year, he’s the one that jumped out the most to me, because it was such a surprise to see a guy thrown into the starting lineup and to actually see their team perform better," said G.M. Jason Licht. "And that’s not a knock on any player. [Collins] has great feet, he’s got great athleticism, and he plays very hard. I don’t want to say he came out of nowhere, because everyone has been aware of Anthony for a long time, but when he got his opportunity he performed exceptionally, so we feel very lucky to get him. And I don’t think he’s hit his prime yet.” 
Mar 14, 2014More Help Up Front ArrivesSeemingly determined to land at least one coveted player every day in the first week of free agency, the Bucs make another splash on this Friday by luring center Evan Dietrich-Smith to Tampa from Green Bay. His arrival continues the total overhaul of the Buccaneers' offensive front, which could feature new starters in four of the five spots when the 2014 season opens. Like Johnson, Verner, McCown and Collins, Dietrich-Smith is anointed a starter immediately upon joining the team.
Mar 16, 2014Bucs Work Through the Weekend, Land Two More FAsAfter taking one day off from their free agency signathon – a Saturday – Licht and Smith were back at it on Sunday, reeling in former Patriots linebacker Dane Fletcher and former Browns guard Oniel Cousins. Fletcher is considered a versatile and still improving defender who could compete for a starting job at a couple different spots, while Cousins almost surely had the endorsement of Bucs Offensive Line Coach George Warhop, who had held the same position in Cleveland the season before.
Mar 20, 2014Second Wave Brings Secondary Help in Mike JenkinsThe Bucs could have stopped after six days of free agency work and still finished with one of the most remarkable offseason hauls in franchise history. However, there were still several players that piqued the team's interest and enough salary cap room to justify more additions, and so the second week of the market began with the signing of former University of South Florida cornerback Mike Jenkins. A 16-game starter for the Oakland Raiders in 2013, Jenkins is expected to fit in with Alterraun Verner and Johnthan Banks as the team's three starting corners, counting the nickel back position.In the days that follow, the Buccaneers will also add depth to the receiver position by picking up unrestricted free agents Lavelle Hawkins and Louis Murphy and add another piece to the secondary with safety Major Wright.
Mar 23, 2014Jeremy Zuttah Traded to the RavensThe reconstruction of the Buccaneers' offensive line continues as seventh-year veteran Jeremy Zuttah is moved to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft. That pick will later be put to use on the third day of the draft, packaged with a 2014 seventh-rounder to acquire the extra 2014 fifth-rounder that is used to take Purdue tackle Kevin Pamphile.As with the releases of Penn and Joseph, the trade of Zuttah clears even more salary cap space as the Buccaneers continue to redistribute those assets to positions and players that Smith and Licht value. Evan Dietrich-Smith will start at center, the position Zuttah manned in 2013 after spending much of his first five seasons filling in wherever needed on the interior line.
Apr 4, 2014Mike Williams Heads Back to Buffalo HometownWilliams, a fourth-round find in 2010, caught 193 passes in his first three NFL seasons and was rewarded with a lucrative contract from the previous Buccaneer regime prior to the 2013 campaign. Unfortunately, his fourth year was mostly wiped out by hamstring troubles, and that would end up being the coda on his tenure in Tampa. Several unwanted headlines during the offseason may or may not have factored in the Bucs' motivation to trade Williams to Buffalo (his home town) for a sixth-round pick, but this was another move with very helpful cap ramifications.The trade of Williams from a receiving corps that lacked depth behind Vincent Jackson led to immediate speculation that the Buccaneers would target a receiver in the first round of the upcoming draft, particularly after they had addressed so many other issues in free agency. That is, in fact, what Tampa Bay eventually did, grabbing Texas A&M's Mike Evans with the seventh overall pick. Coincidentally, the pick the Buccaneers received from Buffalo in the Williams trade was used on another receiver, Wyoming's speedy Robert Herron.
Apr 7, 2014Smith Gathers His New Team for the First TimeThanks to the presence of a new coaching staff, the Buccaneers (and the other six NFL teams with new men in charge) were allowed to start their offseason training program two weeks earlier than most of the league. They did so on the first Monday of April, a day that began with Lovie Smith's first-ever meeting with his team.Though this first meeting was largely procedural, discussing schedules and parking and other day-to-day issues, it was also the first opportunity for many of the Bucs to meet their new teammates. Since this was Phase I of the CBA-regulated offseason, there wasn't much on-field work the team could accomplish in Weeks One and Two, but the process of a largely-reworked roster coming together as a cohesive unit could begin in earnest.
Apr 10, 2014Johnny Football Pays a Visit to One Buc PlaceLike every team in the league, the Buccaneers are allowed to bring 30 draft prospects to their headquarters in April for private visits. And like every team, the Bucs take advantage of all 30 of those opportunities, most of them passing without any recognition from the media. However, the Buccaneers draw some attention for bringing quarterbacks Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr to town…four official visits that are confirmed by the team.Clearly doing their due diligence on the top prospects at the game's most important position, the Buccaneers also stir up speculation that they will use their #7 pick on a quarterback, with most of that speculation centering on Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel. Whether intentional or not, that so-called "smokescreen" helps obscure the Bucs' internal focus on Manziel's Aggie teammate, wide receiver Mike Evans. In the end, the Bucs take Evans, draft six offensive players who don't play quarterback and follow up by declaring Mike Glennon the quarterback of the future.
Apr 14, 2014Smith Pleased with New Bucs on Day 100On Smith's 100th active day as the Buccaneers' head coach – starting with the day he first walks into One Buccaneer Place – he opens the morning with another meeting with his entire team. This is the second week of the offseason program, and while it will be structured much like the first, Smith now has a week of evidence to judge how well his team is adhering to his standards for work, on and off the field.And Smith is pleased. It was not a perfect first week, he tells the team, but neither did he expect it to be. He is determined to keep the meeting short – Smith is not one for long speeches, preferring to get his point across simply and directly while he still commands everyone's attention – and so he tells his players two things. They did well in Week One. And they need to do better. The time to prepare for the next practice, the next game, the next season is always limited, so every opportunity to work needs to be seized. Ten minutes after the meeting begins in One Bucs' huge team auditorium it is over and the players have scattered to their individual meeting rooms to begin that work.link
