Chip Kelly may be the impetus behind the shocking firing of Lovie Smith in Tampa Bay.
That was a scenario presented by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Wednesday night when asked about possible successors to Smith with the Buccaneers.
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Rapoport said Tampa Bay could consider promoting offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to maintain continuity in the development of quarterback Jameis Winston, the No. 1 draft choice in the 2015 NFL Draft before dropping the Kelly bombshell.
"Another option: Chip Kelly. They did, four years ago, nearly have him as their head coach," Rapoport said on NFL Network. "They did reach an agreement with him; he eventually reneged and went back to Oregon."
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It would seem to be just common sense that the organization already has a plan in place to have made a move that took the entire league by surprise, making the Kelly scenario more plausible.
"Nobody saw the Bucs pulling the plug on Lovie Smith, just two years into this regime, especially two years after drafting a quarterback No. 1 overall," Rapoport said.
Tampa Bay finished the season on a four-game losing streak that took them out of playoff contention after a 6-6 start. But the fact that the Bucs were. 500 after 12 games showed marked improvement over Smith's first season in which the team struggled to a 2-14 mark.
The Buccaneers have a news conference scheduled for Thursday to explain the ousting of Smith. They'll need a good explanation, as several Tampa Bay players publicly showed their bewilderment over the decision, as reported by CBS Sports.
Said defensive tackle Gerald McCoy: "Honestly, I have no idea what's going on."
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