This was a neat source of speculation while it lasted, but it appears that the Bucs are now definitely out of the Great Jeff Fisher Chase. This became clear yesterday, when it was reported that Jeff Fisher would choose between St. Louis and Miami, and it became more and more obvious today. The St. Louis Dispatch first said that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would "apparently" not interview Jeff Fisher, and now Adam Schefter reports that Jeff Fisher is only considering Miami and St. Louis, and will make his decision next week.
For those of you who thought Jeff Fisher was the grand prize, you will be disappointed at this news. For those who, like me, thought that Jeff Fisher's resume wasn't overwhelming, this news isn't all that troublesome. The Bucs didn't seem that interested in going after Fisher, and while they reportedly tried to line up an interview that never actually happened. This gives the Bucs the opportunity to move ahead with their coaching search without being forced to wait on Fisher's decision, as the Dolphins and Rams now must do.
The Bucs have already interviewed Mike Sherman and Jerry Gray, while they're rumored to be interested in Rob Chudzinski, Mike Mularkey and Mike Zimmer. Don't be shocked if the Bucs ultimately hire someone who we haven't heard of yet, though.