Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Creating the Blueprint for Optimal Offense in 2015

For much of the 2014 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense was only entertaining if you were a fan of the opposing team.

Aside from a dominant stretch from rookie standout Mike Evans over the second half of the year, Tampa Bay's offense bounced between barely mediocre and just plain laughable over the course of their 2-14 season. The Bucs finished 30th in the NFL in total yards per game on offense, one of just three teams to average less than 300 yards per contest.

In their first year under new head coach Lovie Smith, the Bucs averaged just 17.3 points per game, good enough for 29th in the league.

When a team finishes tied for the worst record in the league, it’s not surprising to see them near the bottom in nearly every offensive category. But there are plenty of reasons for Bucs fans to be excited about their offense in 2015, from Evans and a vast array of talented targets in the passing game, to a new franchise quarterback under center and a revamped offensive line.

The biggest advantage Tampa Bay’s offense may have over last year’s unit is stability at offensive coordinator, as Dirk Koetter is set to fill the void left behind by Jeff Tedford, who took a leave of absence prior to the regular season last year and would never return to the Bucs sideline, parting ways with the team at the end of the season.

Koetter joins the Bucs after enjoying plenty of success in the same role for both the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Tampa Bay center Evan Smith spoke early in the offseason on SiriusXM NFL radio about the disarray the offense was in due to Tedford’s absence, per Pro Football Talk:

"

We were really trying to find ourselves all year, and I don’t think we ever really got a foothold on that. It’s tough. It’s like somebody gave you a box, and the box was full of things, with a picture on the side like a kids toy set.

And then you open the box and there’s no directions and they tell you to put it together. That’s kind of how it was. We were sitting back and staring and we never really got it quite right.

"

But with a new captain at the helm and plenty of weapons at their disposal, Tampa Bay’s offensive attack could be in for a serious bounce-back year in 2015. What will it take to make it happen?

It All Starts Up Front

Many will point to Tampa Bay’s new rookie quarterback as the most important aspect of this year’s offensive success, but regardless of who is under center for the Bucs in 2015, the unit isn’t going anywhere unless there is serious improvement along the offensive line.

Demar Dotson was easily the most consistent member of the unit all season long, even moving from his natural spot at right tackle over to the left side, taking over for Anthony Collins. After getting a huge payday in free agency from the Bucs last offseason, Collins played so poorly he was a healthy scratch for the final three games of the season, was released and remains unsigned.

Cliff McBride/Getty Images

Two more veterans added by the Bucs prior to last season, left guard Logan Mankins and center Evan Smith, were also disappointing for much of the year. The other guard and tackle spots were a revolving door of uninspiring play from the likes of Oniel Cousins and Garrett Gilkey, among others.

This offseason, the Bucs have made it a priority to keep trying to build a strong unit up front. Having learned their lesson the hard way with Collins, they passed on the high-priced free agents and chose to address their needs at both tackle and guard with early draft picks. Tampa Bay selected Penn State tackle Donovan Smith with the 34th overall pick in the second round, then traded back into the latter part of the same round to take Ali Marpet, a small-school stud from Hobart College.

Smith is expected to win the starting left tackle job, but Bucs offensive line coach George Warhop says Kevin Pamphile—a fifth-round pick last year—will start out ahead of him on the depth chart, per Mark Cook of Pewter Report. Starting either a rookie or a second-year pro who was a Day 3 selection may seem like a death wish for a team who just invested the No. 1 overall pick in a new franchise quarterback, but that position battle should ensure the Bucs are left much better off at that spot than they were a year ago.

Though he may take some time to adjust to the speed of the NFL game after playing at such a small school, Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht expects big things from Marpet, as Pewter Report points out:

Marpet turned plenty of heads with an impressive performance at the Senior Bowl, holding his own against some of the best interior defensive lineman in the country. He followed it up by showing off his athleticism at the combine, which only further endeared him to multiple scouting departments throughout the league.

There are sure to be bumps along the way for this group in 2015, but the infusion of young talent combined with the consistency with regard to the scheme and play-calling should lead to a much-improved unit across the board this season.

Let it Fly, Jameis

Tampa Bay spent the top overall pick in this year’s draft on one of the most polarizing prospects in recent history, handing the keys to the offense, and the franchise, over to Florida State’s Jameis Winston.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The former Heisman Trophy winner and national champion made plenty of headlines, both on and off the field, making him a controversial figure throughout the pre-draft process. But Tampa Bay’s decision-makers did their due diligence and came away convinced Winston was the right man to lead them in a new direction.

Many highly drafted quarterbacks are put in difficult situations right away, but it’s hard to argue that in Winston’s case. Though the offensive line will obviously need to improve, Winston will have plenty of dangerous weapons at his disposal in the passing game, and he won’t be afraid to take advantage of his arsenal.

Between Winston’s playing style and the personnel at his disposal, it’s a great fit for Koetter’s offense, according to Greg Cosell of Yahoo Sports:

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(Matt) Ryan was successful with Koetter. He had the classic NFL quarterback development and got better every year (his numbers may have fluctuated a bit as his supporting cast got better or worse, but as a quarterback he has steadily improved). Coming out of college Ryan was a bit of a strider as he threw, not a great quick-twitch athlete, but a natural thrower who can also make firm touch throws that are required in the NFL. You can say these same things about Winston. Ryan had good years with Mike Mularkey as his offensive coordinator early on, and then fit Koetter's system well. I think Winston will fit Koetter's offense well too.

I also really like the marriage of Winston and the receivers he'll have, particularly because of Winston's aggressive style. 

You could argue that Roddy White-Julio Jones and Mike Evans-Vincent Jackson are similar receivers. Jones is the most explosive of the four (a healthy Jones is a top three or four receiver in the NFL because he's very explosive for a man that big), but Evans is a similar style receiver. And they're all big receivers who can make tough catches and run every route. They can run vertical routes because of their size. They don't have T.Y. Hilton speed, but they're vertical threats because of their long strides.

And the one thing about Winston is he's willing to pull the trigger on throws. That's a positive. And that makes it important that Winston has big targets to throw to. When you have size out there, those receivers can theoretically be open even when it looks like they're covered. Winston will throw a pick every once in a while because he's a rookie, but you don't want to pull back on his conviction to pull the trigger. That's who he is and that's what his game is. Having Jackson and Evans will help.

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Evans was an absolute monster over the last eight games of the season, and he should a better, more refined player in 2015. Jackson isn’t the field-stretching deep threat he once was, but he’s still incredibly effective at moving the chains, making the big catch over the middle and using his size to his advantage in the red zone.

Bucs fans should also not forget tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins—last year’s 38th overall pick—who was held back by nagging injuries last season. He has the size and athleticism to be a huge matchup problem for opposing defenses, and if he’s at full strength, he could have a breakout year as team’s focus their attention on Evans and Jackson.

Winston will also have another talented pass-catcher who can stretch the field in fellow rookie Kenny Bell, the team’s fifth-round pick this year. Bell was Winston’s roommate at rookie minicamp, and the former Nebraska receiver has already been impressed with his new quarterback’s dedication and work ethic, according to Sean Wagner-McGough of CBS Sports:

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He's the best roommate I've ever had, one of the best teammates I've ever had. It's been phenomenal. We've been going from about 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and then we get back to the hotel and he wants to study more ... He's dedicated to his job, that's for sure.

"

Bucs fans shouldn’t shudder if they see Winston throw around 20 interceptions this season, due to his aggressive style and the learning curve he’ll experience with regard to understanding the speed and complexities of NFL defenses. But it wouldn’t surprise me to see Winston throw even more touchdown passes, and he brings the type of clutch factor to the table the Bucs have never had at the quarterback position.

With Winston throwing to the likes of Evans, Jackson, Seferian-Jenkins and Bell, the Tampa Bay offense should be much more productive—and entertaining—in 2015.

Embrace the Backfield Committee

Tampa Bay’s depth chart at running back is a “jack of all trades, master of none” type of group, as they lack the type of balanced back who can handle a majority of the touches. That doesn’t mean they’re without a great deal of talent at the position, but they’ll have to divvy up the snaps evenly to take advantage of each player’s strengths and keep them fresh and healthy over the long season.

Doug Martin has struggled to regain the Pro Bowl form of his rookie year, when he racked up nearly 2,000 total yards. Multiple injuries have held him back, along with the well-documented struggles of the offensive line.

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Tampa Bay’s new regime thought so much of Charles Sims they spent a high third-round pick on him last year, despite far greater needs elsewhere on the roster. Ankle surgery forced him to miss the first half of the regular season, but he progressed well over the final eight games of his rookie year, showing flashes of the quickness and explosiveness that had the Bucs’ decision-makers so smitten on draft day.

Sims and Martin both have the skills to succeed on third downs, as well, which should give them more snaps than the rest of the group, but the Bucs should keep Bobby Rainey as involved as possible, as he was the most effective back Tampa Bay had last season on a per-touch basis. Their leading rusher in 2013, Rainey led the team with a 4.3-yard average per carry last season and finished third on the team with 33 receptions.

As long as the offensive line improves, there’s no reason why this group can’t be far more effective in 2015 if the touches are divided evenly and all three backs are able to avoid any major injuries.

The Bottom Line

The Bucs will have new faces at two of the most important positions on offense, quarterback and left tackle, so there are sure to be some growing pains this season. Winston will probably take a few too many chances, the offensive line will take time to jell, and there will surely be many moments of frustration as the unit works to build chemistry.

But the talent is there, they have a scheme that should maximize their strengths, and they have the kinds of playmakers that should make this a much more exciting group to watch in 2015.

Luke Easterling is a Featured Columnist covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NFL Draft for Bleacher Report. He is also a Senior NFL Draft Analyst for Draft Breakdown. Follow him on Twitter @LukeEasterling.