A brand new Pewter Report Roundtable debuts each Tuesday on PewterReport.com. Every week, the Pewter Reporters deal with one other powerful query. This week’s immediate: Who was the perfect Bucs assistant coach in 2024 – exterior of offensive coordinator Liam Coen?
Scott Reynolds: Kudos To Skip Peete For RB Growth
Bucs HC Todd Bowles and RBs coach Skip Peete – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
As somebody who grew up watching soccer within the Seventies and Eighties in my youth, I like a superb working sport. And I’m glad that the working sport has made a profitable return to the NFL, which received a bit too go blissful for my liking in current seasons. It’s been miserable watching the Bucs’ moribund floor sport for years whereas protecting this crew. Tampa Bay’s dashing assault has lacked any actual “attack” earlier than this previous season.
That’s when new offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s scheme and the arrival of rookie sensation Bucky Irving helped take the Tampa Bay working sport from lifeless final within the league to fourth within the league, which was fairly outstanding. Coen introduced on a slew of latest offensive coaches except for veteran working backs coach Skip Peete, who was the lone holdover from Dave Canales’ employees. Peete did a fantastic job with Tampa Bay’s working backs in 2024 and deserves loads of reward.
Not solely did Irving turned the Bucs’ first 1,000-yard rusher with 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns whereas averaging a powerful 5.4 yards per carry as a rookie, however Rachaad White elevated his dashing common from 3.7 yards per carry to a 4.3-yard common with two dashing scores and 6 receiving TDs. Sean Tucker additionally burst onto the scene in his second season in Tampa Bay and was NFC Offensive Participant of the Week in Week 6. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry with three complete TDs. The Bucs’ three-deep working again room is the envy of the league thanks partially to Peete’s high quality teaching and growth.
Matt Matera: Justin Peelle Did A Nice Job With The Tight Ends
Bucs TE Devin Culp and TEs coach Justin Peelle – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
The Bucs tight finish room was thought-about mediocre to common going into the 2024 season. Cade Otton was persevering with to be the starter however was a backside tier starter within the league. Payne Durham hardly received a lot enjoying time, Ko Kieft turned a glorified fullback that was higher on particular groups, plus Devin Culp was a seventh-round choose that didn’t have numerous expectations. Then Justin Peelle got here into city and made this group a standout unit.
All it began with the expansion of Durham, who progressed as a lot as a blocker as he did as a receiver. His shining moments got here when the Bucs wanted him most on offense. Receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin had been injured within the sport towards the Ravens, so Otton basically turned the highest goal for Baker Mayfield. He had three massive video games in a row with 100 yards, 81 yards and 77 yards whereas getting over double-digit targets in every look.
After all Otton finally received harm late within the season like many Bucs did, which meant it was time for Durham and Culp to shine. Durham had two video games in a row, letting or not it’s recognized that he could be a purple zone presence. Culp had his most enjoying time of his rookie within the final two common season video games. He confirmed off some pace and had a mixed 88 yards on 5 catches in two video games. Justin Peelle took a younger, unpolished group with not a lot expertise behind Otton and made them prepared for all the things on this excessive flying offense.
Bailey Adams: Bucs O-Line Coaches Had been Excellent In 2024
Bucs OL coach Kevin Carberry – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
For as spectacular as offensive coordinator Liam Coen was for the Bucs in 2024, his offensive line coaches had been proper up there with him. Kevin Carberry and Brian Picucci labored wonders with Tampa Bay’s offensive line this season, serving to it take a large leap ahead even because it broke in some new personnel. Beneath the course of Carberry and Picucci, the O-line helped gas a 4,500-yard passing season for Baker Mayfield and a 1,000-yard dashing season for rookie working again Bucky Irving.
Not solely that, however the Bucs broke their single-season franchise file for crew dashing yards, surpassing the earlier file of two,437 that had stood since 1979. The offensive line performed an enormous half in that along with main the best way for Tampa Bay to common 5.25 yards per carry, which ranked third-best within the NFL this yr. The Bucs had been additionally the one crew within the league to rank prime 5 in passing yards per sport (third) in addition to dashing yards per sport (4th).
The Buccaneers had been the one crew in 2024 to rank within the top-5 in passing yards per sport (250.4 – third) and dashing yards per sport (149.2 – 4th). pic.twitter.com/pvpEvyPJZt
Contemplating the place this crew’s run sport was for the final couple of years – lifeless final – the advance in 2024 was large. It might’t all be attributed to the offensive line, however the unit does deserve numerous credit score, and so do its coaches.
And never solely did Carberry and Picucci assist the unit degree up as an entire – they helped get the perfect out of every particular person alongside the road. Left deal with Tristan Wirfs made one other Professional Bowl and earned First-Staff All-Professional honors in his second yr since switching over from the proper facet of the road. Left guard Ben Bredeson got here in and shored up that spot on the road. Rookie heart Graham Barton weathered some rising pains to show in a robust debut season. Proper guard Cody Mauch proved to be probably the most improved participant on the offense. And proper deal with Luke Goedeke continued to spherical into kind as the most effective proper tackles within the league.
Carberry and Picucci had been a breath of recent air after Harold Goodwin and Joe Gilbert adopted Dave Canales to Carolina final offseason. The Bucs can solely hope that they’ll cling onto these two even when Coen does take a job elsewhere within the coming days or even weeks.
Adam Slivon: Kacy Rodgers Is The Vibrant Spot On Defensive Workers
Bucs co-DC Kacy Rodgers – Picture by: USA Right now
When the perfect Bucs assistant coaches not named Liam Coen, one instantly seems in any respect the expertise beneath him that propelled the offense this previous season. What will get neglected although is what co-defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers did with the defensive position and game-planning the run protection. This has been Rodgers’ specialty for some time, going method again to his days with the Cowboys in 2003. All through his time within the league, he has helped develop quite a few Professional Bowl defensive linemen. He’s performed the identical in Tampa Bay.
After following Todd Bowles from the Jets to the Bucs in 2019, Rodgers has performed a crucial position in Vita Vea’s on-field progress after he was drafted in 2018. The identical may be mentioned for Logan Corridor and Calijah Kancey, who had been the crew’s prime draft picks in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The three of them mixed for 20 sacks in 2024 and had been stout in run protection, enjoying a key half within the unit permitting simply 97.8 dashing yards a sport, which was the fourth-best mark within the league. Whereas the protection struggled for a lot of this season, one brilliant spot was the work Kacy Rodgers did with the defensive position room.
Rodgers has confirmed himself because the Bucs’ greatest defensive assistant coach, and his reported interview with the Packers may very well be a method to acquire leverage for a pay improve subsequent season. With the work he has performed with the blokes in his room that’s warranted. He’s the one defensive place coach that ought to undoubtedly be retained. His contract has expired, and he interviewed with Inexperienced Bay for a similar position, however hopefully that was simply to leverage Tampa Bay for a increase.
Josh Queipo: Josh Grizzard As a result of Of His Identify (Amongst Different Issues)
Bucs OC Liam Coen, RB Bucky Irving and go sport coordinator Josh Grizzard – Picture by: Corey Perrine/USA Right now
Let’s get this out of the best way. By advantage of his superb first identify, he’s the worthiest of this prestigious moniker. However past his badass identify, Grizzard was instrumental in taking the Bucs’ go sport from twenty third in yards per sport and twelfth in EPA/go in 2023 to 3rd and fourth, respectively. All of this was achieved whereas the Bucs misplaced their prime two receivers for large swaths of the season. Quarterback Baker Mayfield set profession highs in passing yards, first downs and touchdowns.
Grizzard oversaw a passing assault that led the league in third down conversions and was third in drop again success price within the NFL. Grizzard introduced a confirmed observe file of success to Tampa Bay after spending seven years with the Dolphins, together with the previous two as a high quality management coach. Since arriving in Tampa Bay he has helped get probably the most out of Mayfield, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Cade Otton whereas serving to to develop one of the deadly display video games within the NFL.
And if the crew loses offensive coordinator Liam Coen to Jacksonville to be the Jaguars head coach it could not shock me one bit if Grizzard will get an interview to exchange him. The Bucs have gone exterior the group for the final two coordinators however might have the luxurious of staying in-house and conserving Coen’s system in place with Grizzard’s elevation ought to the crew go in that course if Coen departs.
