Welcome to SR’s Fab 5 – my weekly insider column on the Bucs that options 5 issues which might be on my thoughts. SR’s Fab 5 is now a faster learn, however nonetheless packs a punch. Get pleasure from!

This week’s SR’s Fab 5 column is devoted to the 5 issues that offensive coordinator Dave Canales should do in 2023 to achieve success. Final week, I recognized 5 issues Bucs head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles should do in 2023 to achieve success, so if you happen to missed that one, you possibly can learn it by clicking right here.

FAB 1. Dave Canales Shouldn’t Be Afraid To Present His Hand In The Preseason

Most NFL offensive coordinators will maintain their playing cards near their vest within the preseason, utilizing the exhibition video games in August to easily consider gamers and run vanilla schemes and performs consequently. Why present Week 1 and Week 2 opponents what you could be doing offensively and lose the ingredient of shock in meaningless preseason video games? That’s standard knowledge across the league, and it is smart.

Bucs OC Dave Canales – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR

However for brand new Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales, a first-time play-caller, he shouldn’t be afraid to point out his hand in August. That doesn’t imply calling trick performs and emptying out the playbook within the preseason. But, Canales must see which performs will work and received’t work with sure gamers within the lineup, so meaning among the performs he plans on calling in the course of the season should be run within the preseason.

It takes time and sport reps for gamers to grasp their performs, whether or not it’s up entrance forming a pocket as a cohesive offensive line or receivers and tight ends perfecting their routes and timing with the quarterback. Whereas the offense that Canales introduced from Seattle is quarterback-friendly and straightforward to be taught, the Bucs received’t have the performs and system down pat by September.

The extra the Bucs run sure performs, particularly the mid-zone and wide-zone working performs, and the bootlegs, waggles and play-action off it, the higher and extra comfy Tampa Bay’s offense shall be at executing them.

Canales’ offense options a number of performs that may be run out of the identical personnel groupings and the identical formations. That alone will have the ability to disguise and conceal what the Bucs plan on doing as a result of they’ll run half of these performs and save the opposite half for later within the season to create a component of shock.

The Bucs ran extra duo and hole scheme runs over the past couple of years than they did zone runs. So there shall be a little bit of a studying curve for Tampa Bay’s offensive line with the zone scheme, particularly with a completely new beginning 5 up entrance this season. Middle Ryan Jensen missed all of final yr because of a knee damage and has but to take part in full-team, 11-on-11 performs.

Tristan Wirfs strikes from proper deal with to the left facet, and Luke Goedeke transitions from left guard to proper deal with. Zone blocking requires offensive linemen to maneuver laterally in live performance with one another and it’s necessary to get the timing down. So Canales must name a superb quantity of zone runs within the preseason to attain that aim.

Canales additionally must get right into a rhythm as a play-caller within the three preseason video games and get comfy calling the performs he’ll wish to run within the common season – in addition to the timing that goes together with it. There’s a sure time to drag the set off on a play-action deep shot, and a sure time to name for a unadorned bootleg. Canales must get a sport day really feel for that and be taught when to “zig” when the opposing protection is anticipating the Bucs to “zag.”

The Bucs have loads of expertise on offense to bodily win loads of matchups one-on-one. They received’t must depend on scheme to win on each play, though Canales can do this too with the confirmed system he’s introduced with him from Seattle. He shouldn’t be afraid to let it rip within the preseason, gentle up the scoreboard and assist this younger Bucs offense generate some early confidence.

There’s some technique concerned in exhibiting a good variety of performs within the preseason and keep away from being too vanilla. The extra Canales reveals, the extra opposing defenses like Minnesota and Chicago must burn follow time planning for out of the gate.

FAB 2. Don’t Be Afraid To Name An Early Winner In The QB Competitors

Dave Canales has stated he plans on taking the Bucs quarterback competitors all over coaching camp and the preseason if obligatory. The longer it goes, the extra each Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask shall be competing on the highest degree and pushing one another. There’s definitely some benefit in that plan, and Canales noticed it unfold that method in Seattle final yr between Geno Smith and Drew Lock. The Seahawks didn’t identify Smith the starter till after the third preseason sport and it labored out simply positive.

Bucs QBs Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR

Smith wound up having a fair higher yr than Russell Wilson, the quarterback he changed, by throwing for over 4,000 yards and making his first Professional Bowl. The 32-year previous journeyman additionally wound up because the NFL’s Comeback Participant of the Yr. But it surely must be famous that Smith had spent the 2021 season as Wilson’s backup and already had a rapport with lots of the receivers and tight ends, in addition to a whole yr within the Seahawks’ system.

Mayfield is new to Tampa Bay, and Trask spent his first two seasons in purple and pewter throwing the staff’s backups and practice-squaders – not Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Whoever wins the quarterback job will want extra reps and extra time to completely develop the chemistry essential to have the offense clicking on all cylinders.

On a current look on the Pewter Report Podcast, Canales stated the rationale why the Seahawks’ quarterback competitors went this distance was as a result of Lock had an incredible coaching camp, however that Smith simply made a number of extra performs. As a result of his expertise and his stable offseason, Mayfield is taken into account to be the early chief for Tampa Bay’s beginning quarterback place.

If Trask doesn’t rise to the event and keep stride for stride with Mayfield in camp, then Canales and head coach Todd Bowles could be smart to call the sixth-year vet the starter sooner reasonably than later.

Whoever wins the beginning job will want as many reps as he can within the new offense with new starters to get as prepared as potential for Minnesota in Week 1. For that motive, if one quarterback pulls forward early by a wholesome margin, finish the competitors early and get the starter an elevated variety of snaps.

FAB 3. Ease Rachaad White Into The Beginning Position

The Bucs imagine Rachaad White will be an every-down again in Dave Canales’ new offense. His imaginative and prescient and endurance mixed along with his measurement and velocity make him a really perfect match for Tampa Bay’s mid-zone and wide-zone working scheme.

Bucs RB Rachaad White Picture By: Cliff Welch/PR

White performed simply 589 snaps final yr as a rookie, speeding for 478 yards and a landing on 129 carries and catching 50 passes for 290 yards and a pair of TDs because the No. 2 again behind Leonard Fournette. That workload is predicted to double in 2023 as he replaces Fournette as RB1.

White has added 5 kilos of muscle to his body to raised face up to the pounding and he modified his jersey quantity to No. 1 to mentally put together for being the Bucs’ lead again. However the final time White was a main ballcarrier was at Arizona State, the place he performed in simply 13 video games in 2021. White will see motion in at the very least two preseason video games plus 17 common season video games.

Canales could be smart to ease White into the lineup by splitting the carries early within the season with backups Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Chase Edmonds. White ought to nonetheless play nearly all of the snaps, however perhaps nearer to 60% of the workload reasonably than the 80% that Canales could be tempted to dial up with the 24-year previous again.

The Bucs have to do no matter they’ll to make sure that White is offered for all the season and that he doesn’t have drained legs by the tip of the season, particularly if Tampa Bay is making a run at one other division title. Managing his workload early and understanding that it’s an extended season – one with an early bye the primary week of October – will go an extended approach to preserving White recent for the stretch run.

FAB 4. Grasp Third-And-Quick

Tampa Bay’s offense faltered in 2022 below offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, who was fired on the finish of the season. Scoring dropped from 30 factors per sport to 18 factors per sport, and a giant motive for that was the Bucs’ shortcomings on third down.

Fewer third down conversions final yr led to fewer sustained drives and fewer scoring alternatives. Tampa Bay transformed simply 38.6% of its third downs final yr, which ranked nineteenth within the NFL. The Bucs ranked fifth within the league in 2021, changing 44.8% of their third downs.

Bucs RB Leonard Fournette – Picture by: USA At the moment

An enormous motive for the staff’s struggles on third down, particularly third-and-short conditions, was the truth that the Bucs had the NFL’s worst-ranked working sport. Tampa Bay rushed for a median of 75.6 yards per sport final yr – a 21-yard-per sport drop from the 2021 season.

The Bucs transformed simply 52-of-88 (59%) third-and-short conditions final yr – outlined as third-and-3 or much less – after changing 52-of-70 (74%) third-and-short downs in 2021. That was a giant drop off that shortened drives and led to too many punts.

If Dave Canales can get the Bucs to grasp third down, particularly third-and-short conditions, there’s no motive why Tampa Bay can’t rating extra factors this season with both Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask below middle than the Tom Brady-led Bucs did final yr – as loopy at that sounds.

Tampa Bay ranked ninth with a 44.4% third down conversion proportion in 2020 when the Bucs received the Tremendous Bowl. If Canales can get the Bucs’ floor sport going to the place what the offense does on third-and-3 and third-and-2 could be a thriller reasonably than a predictable move, the end result must be extra conversions and extra sustained drives.

Not solely ought to that result in extra factors, however it also needs to assist maintain Tampa Bay’s protection brisker by giving that unit an prolonged break reasonably than having to take the sphere once more after fast three-and-outs. That’s the kind of complementary soccer head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles desires to play and why he employed Canales within the first place.

FAB 5. Don’t Hesitate To Pull The Set off At RT Or RG If Obligatory

The Bucs have the perfect of intentions in beginning athletic rookie Cody Mauch at proper guard and Luke Goedeke, who’s coming into his second yr, at proper deal with after a really shaky season at left guard. If each younger offensive linemen are as much as the duty, Tampa Bay’s proper facet of the road might be one of many nastiest and most aggressive within the league.

Bucs RT Luke Goedeke – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR

However head coach Todd Bowles and Dave Canales are rolling the cube as a result of lack of expertise between Mauch and Goedeke. The staff waited too lengthy to drag the plug on Goedeke final yr after he actually struggled in opposition to a litany of Professional Bowl-caliber defensive tackles within the first eight video games of the season.

Staying within the beginning lineup that lengthy nearly wrecked his confidence. However sitting and watching from the sidelines truly benefitted him, so when he began the final two video games of the season – at proper deal with in Week 18 and again at left guard within the playoffs – he performed his finest soccer.

The Bucs imagine Goedeke will fare higher at his extra pure place, as he began his final two years at Central Michigan at proper deal with. But when for some motive he struggles – maybe because of his shorter-than-ideal arm size – Canales can’t wait various video games to make a change and insert Matt Feiler or another person at proper deal with.

Nick Leverett proved to be a significantly better match at left guard than Goedeke was. The Bucs have loads of stable choices at guard if Mauch turns into this yr’s Goedeke and struggles with the transition from North Dakota State to the NFL and the transfer from left deal with to proper guard. Except for Leverett, reserve middle Robert Hainsey can play guard, along with John Molchon and Aaron Stinnie if he winds up making the roster.

Canales and head coach Todd Bowles have been smart to take a look at the roster and simply choose the beginning 5 primarily based on expertise. That permits the offensive line loads of time in coaching camp and the preseason to gel and discover cohesion. Having an open competitors at left guard, proper guard and proper deal with would have solely slowed down the chemistry-building course of heading into the season.

It’s okay to permit Mauch a number of video games to get his toes moist within the beginning lineup as a rookie, and for Goedeke to have a number of video games to readjust to enjoying outdoors at proper deal with. However Canales must have a fast set off finger in case both participant’s improvement stalls or there’s a noticeable decline of their play.

Watch Dave Canales On The Pewter Report Podcast

Take a look at the current Pewter Report Podcast with Particular Visitor: Bucs OC Dave Canales by clicking the hyperlink beneath.