Why Buccaneers were right to choose Todd Bowles over Byron Leftwich

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a new head coach, as Bruce Arians has decided to step down and join the front office. The Buccaneers made a wise choice when it comes to his replacement.

This offseason has been something straight out of a simulation, and nobody would blame you if you ask to stop the ride and want to get off. In the late hours of an otherwise quiet Wednesday night, Peter King dropped this nuclear bomb:

Never a dull moment in the NFL.

It was pretty well known that it was a goal of Arians to pass the ship along to one of his coordinators whilst on the winning course. He achieved this, as Todd Bowles is the captain now. He becomes the lucky thirteenth head coach in franchise history. It really speaks to the character of Arians, and he will no doubt go down as a legend in Tampa Bay.

That said, the decision to choose former defensive coordinator Bowles over offensive Byron Leftwich is a curious one to some. However, the decision to go with Bowles was the right call.

This is not a knock on Leftwich. In fact, this writer is a HUGE fan of Leftwich. However, given the current makeup of the team, experience had to win the day, and Bowles certainly has that. Remember, at one point he had the New York Jets and friend of the program Ryan Fitzpatrick at 10-6 before the front office got in the way. The Jets.

This team is in full-on “win-now” mode, and a coach that players respect who has been a head coach in the NFL was crucial to keep the Bucs sailing ahead. Sure, Leftwich has the respect of the players as well, and rightfully so, but this roster needed a head coach to let the players play because he understands that they know what they’re doing. It’s exactly what Arians did, and that turned out pretty good. Besides, with this head coaching switch occurring later in the offseason by normal standards, a sense of stability amidst the initial chaos is key.

While it is true that the hot trend in these streets is to have an offensive mind leading the charge, that isn’t necessarily as crucial when Tom Brady is your quarterback. Leftwich can still call the plays, and Brady can execute them as flawlessly as he’s executed just about everything else in his life while Bowles oversees everything and stays out of the way.

Regardless, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in great shape. Byron Leftwich may have been the “sexy” pick, but Todd Bowles was the smart pick. Most importantly, thank you and godspeed to Bruce Arians, and congratulations, Todd Bowles.