For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the best defense isn't a good offense, it's a new, multi-year agreement with Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith. Either way, the franchise is now set to reap the rewards of a proactive approach.
Smith's multi-year agreement was officially announced by the team on Friday afternoon, ending concerns that he would leave after a single season in Tampa to take one of the NFL's open head coaching positions. Smith had interviewed for the openings in Jacksonville and San Diego (now Los Angeles); the Jaguars eventually retained interim coach Doug Marrone, and Smith chose to remove his name for consideration for the Chargers job and any additional opportunities.