After seven seasons in former head coach Jon Gruden's version of the West Coast offense, Jeff Jagodzinski prepares to take over and implement his brand of attack.

"It has to start with the run game, if you can't run the football in this league, you are going to have a hard time; because off the run, if you get that established everything else will fall into place for you.

"In our game plan, we won't have more than 10 runs; there will be variations of what we do as far as the zone scheme. The thing that we're trying to do right now is teach them the concepts and getting into the fit and the backs seeing it the right way.”

The newly-installed zone blocking (made famous by Mike Shanahan in Denver) allows runners to read the play and find one of the cutback lanes that should develop. Under the man-to-man blocking scheme employed in the past, the objective was to generate a single gap for the runner.

However, if that hole doesn't develop or if the defense commits too many defenders, the back often has to try to break tackles and drop a shoulder. That means more wear and tear.

However, with Earnest Graham, Derrick Ward and Cadillac Williams on the roster, Tampa Bay has a stable of backs capable of carrying the load in rotation.

The zone-blocking system also seems a good fit for the Bucs' offensive line. The young unit is one of the league's more athletic—one of the most important qualities for a group that will employ zone blocking.

The tackles (Donald Penn and Jeremy Trueblood) are good lateral movers, and the guards have shown in the past that they are mobile enough to pull. Center Jeff Faine is regarded as one of the more agile players at his position and has proven that with his ability to get to the second level and take on linebackers.

"Our running game is going to be a downhill and physical [group]. We will run the lead zone, both strong and weak, inside and out, and we'll also run some gap schemes because of the personnel we have. We will run some power gap schemes; the zone scheme is dependent on the whole unit, not just one guy.

"[With this] scheme you really limit negative yardage plays. Even if you get back to the line of scrimmage and its second-and-10, that's okay. If it's second-and-16 because a guy misses a back block that's not okay."

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?