Bucs Outlook From Former NFL Suit
August 12th, 2025
Bucs OC Josh Grizzard.
Joe tends to give a lot of credibility to those who have been there, done that.
Joe never played or coached in the NFL. Never worked in an NFL team’s front office. So when folks who have done those things speak, Joe listens carefully.
And one guy Joe always listens to is former NFL personnel executive Louis Riddick of ESPN. He seems to genuinely respect the Bucs and the team makeup. But Riddick wondered aloud when the Bucs’ luck is going to run out hiring inexperienced offensive coordinators.
Reason for concern: Baker Mayfield is coming off the best season of his career as measured by yards (4,500), completion percentage (71.4%) and TD passes (41). Heading into 2025, he is on his third different coordinator in as many seasons, as Ben Solak noted. Mayfield said the fact that new OC Josh Grizzard was on the staff in 2024 as pass game coordinator is a positive. But Grizzard has never been a coordinator on any level, and the constant revolving door in Tampa is a concern going forward.
It’s a fair point. The Bucs got somewhat lucky with Dave Canales, who had never called plays on the NFL level. And the Bucs hit the lottery with Liam Coen, who, while he did call plays in the SEC, did not call plays in the NFL until he came to the Bucs.
Josh Grizzard is in the same boat as Canales.
Yes, yes, yes. Grizzard was last year’s passing game coordinator. He was the third-down specialist. That’s not calling plays — for every down. That’s not crafting gameplans.
To be fair to Grizzard, he didn’t seem to have any issues in the Bucs’ first worthless preseason game.
August 12th, 2025 at 9:09 am
Can’t wait for the real games to start.
Then we can have actual assessments of the roster and coaches.
LFG!!!
August 12th, 2025 at 9:10 am
Not a concern in the world with this guy. He has been around the blocks already in his career and is an extremely educated dude. Plus he has a Franchise QB that is all business when it comes to preparation and awareness. And its basically the same Offense with some tweaks. LFG! Top 5 Offense again. Go BUCS!!
August 12th, 2025 at 9:11 am
Ever hopeful. 🤞🏻
August 12th, 2025 at 9:11 am
If Grizz works out, we have to start wondering if there’s something to the way the Bucs, Bowles, and the players are structuring the system around these OCs. Obviously a lot of it is talent. It’s simply easier to execute a game plan when your players are better than their players. This was never more true than Tom’s last season with Leftwich. It wasn’t like Leftwich all of sudden called a whole new system. But…lose Gronk, AB, 2 offensive lineman, your RB gets worse, and your QB will ONLY execute plays that can be thrown in 2s or less. We all remember the results.
But to Joe’s point about first time play callers cutting their game plan/play calling teeth with the Bucs. 2 newbie OC’s, both performed adequately to start the season and got significantly better as the season went on. Seems like something that Bowles and the rest of the Bucs program is doing to make sure they are prepared.
August 12th, 2025 at 9:14 am
I thought it looked like a smooth operation to me the other night. No “Dumb Stupid Penalties,” as someone once said…..
GO BUCS
August 12th, 2025 at 9:20 am
Bucs don’t have a choice. The NFL looks at Bowles and sees a defensive coach who’s fingers are most assuredly NOT in the Offense. They see a successful offense and they skim the coordinator and any coaches he can pry from the organization, because that offensive success is pure…it ain’t Arians “this is Byrons offense” LOL. The wildcard is the GMs talent capture. Coen isn’t going to have Mayfield in JAX. And to be honest fr the first time ever it makes me interested to watch a few NFL games of a team I was never interested in. I want to see if the Bucs made Coen or Coen made the Bucs. Obviously it’s not that cut and dried… but it’ll still be an interesting season to see what Coen does with Lawrence and the talent pool there. Canales in Carolina….I think he could be Lombardi and he would still be hamstring by that organization. But he will keep smiling.
Statistics
August 12th, 2025 at 9:23 am
Let’s see how Grizz does against the Squeelers with the starters, but we really won’t see anything new until Atl game. I think he will be much better than Canales and maybe a step down from Coen. The good thing is that the offense won’t change much and Baker is going to audible out of any defensive sets that don’t look good. Think the big issue is still going to be the defense again this year.
August 12th, 2025 at 9:26 am
Actually the historical issue that I have seen with a lot of Offensive Coordinators comes through in their 2nd season.
Most of the guys that get to this level — do well in their 1st season of calling plays.
Then especially the teams in the division that see the OC year after year — understand the tendency of those guys and their production slips from year 2 to year 3.
The real true offensive innovators seem to mix it up year to year enough to continue to be relevant. Reid — Peyton — McVay. I even thought that BA did it enough with his ‘red pen’ to be that above average offensive guy.
August 12th, 2025 at 9:28 am
Grazed hopefully stays a couple of seasons and transition to head coach.
Let’s see how he does and the answer could be based on how the team performs.
The Brady culture has transformed the Bucs. Just need to see that continuity continue with Grazard.
August 12th, 2025 at 9:33 am
The G Man will do fine calling plays. It sure helps when you have all the talent that the Buc’s have on the O!
August 12th, 2025 at 9:36 am
Grizzard was last year’s passing game coordinator. He was the third-down specialist. That’s not calling plays — for every down. That’s not crafting gameplans.
But the Bucs were #1 in the league last year in 3rd down efficiency, so that should be a good sign that he’ll be fine.
August 12th, 2025 at 9:38 am
If Grizz moves on to a coaching position after this season theres one take away that some won’t like –
Bowles is a pretty good Head coach in regard to a key responsibility of being a head coach – evaluating coaching and player talent.
August 12th, 2025 at 9:39 am
Baker has not have the same coordinator for over a year since he has been in the league. Think about that. He and the rest of the Offense will make Grizzard look like the next hot thing and will be plucked from the Bucs. Just hope they go all the way this year before having to break in a new OC next year.
August 12th, 2025 at 9:45 am
a 4th coordinator in 4 years would just be nuts…
for now —> sizzle to the grizzle……in the florida heat
August 12th, 2025 at 9:45 am
Just do not have the bouts of cuteness like Liam and Grizzard should be alright.
We’re up 14 in the first quarter, leave the dang double reverse flea flicker on ice. Thta’s not an exxageration either, we did that week 6 last year
August 12th, 2025 at 9:47 am
“a 4th coordinator in 4 years would just be nuts…”
2022: Leftwich
2023: Canales
2024: Coen
2025: Grizzard
It’s already our reality
August 12th, 2025 at 10:11 am
3rd times a charm!!!!!
SB CHAMPS and Grzz declines an offer to become MIAs next head coach to return to the BUCS!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
August 12th, 2025 at 10:14 am
Coach’s don’t and shouldn’t stray far from what is working for them in their schemes. Reid hasn’t changed his philosophy from year to year, they just make the same plays over and over with good players, that’s what good teams do. They may make some tweaks here and there but it’s basically getting the same guys open, blocking for the same runner and so on. It’s the consistency by the players on the field that makes the team good. And yes tendency’s are there but the same good teams execute year after year. I think Grizz will be just fine if not better than last year, he seems to have a bit of a mean streak for a coordinator, which is good to see. If he does well I hope he stay’s the course here to build his reputation and stays content.
August 12th, 2025 at 10:15 am
“worthless preseason games” What a joke you are with your little phrase.
Go tell Jackson, Bullock, Watts, Parrish, Williams, Wright, JJ Roberts, Chukwume, Culp, Greene, Miller and others how worthless preseason games are for them! These guys and others are playing for a chance to make more money then they ever hoped to make. I am sure they would laugh in your face! Even if they don’t make the team they now have real game film and other teams are watching.
We are full of real talent in some positions other teams would jump on them in a heartbeat.
We will have to make some tough cuts. That’s why these guys are playing for jobs either with the Bucs or some other teams. Do you not think Jackson, Bullock, Williams, Miller, Wright, etc. think that it’s “worthless preseason games” to those guys? I can promise you they don’t think so and neither do the Bucs and other teams!!!
August 12th, 2025 at 10:16 am
Joe Says: “The Bucs got somewhat lucky with Dave Canales, who had never called plays on the NFL level.”
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The Bucs also got lucky the Canales got hired as a HC by another team after one year. Had that not happened, Liam Coen wouldn’t have been hired for last season.
August 12th, 2025 at 10:18 am
From the bucs perspective promoting grizzard was probably lower risk than hiring a guy off the street which is what they had done the previous 2 OCs. especially canales, the bucs dodged a bullet with that guy, they are lucky he got a chance to “move up” lol
August 12th, 2025 at 10:21 am
Warren Brooks Lynch … Todd Bowles has had FOUR OCs in his 4 years here, but Baker didn’t get here until 2023, so he’s ‘only’ on his 3rd OC in Tampa (I think Adam was referring to Baker’s situation, not to Todd’s).
August 12th, 2025 at 10:24 am
Everyone had to do it for the first time once. He will be fine. He’s seasoned in the NFL and not from some college program. R-E-L-A-X!
August 12th, 2025 at 10:27 am
It’s not a revolving door by choice.
August 12th, 2025 at 10:35 am
Off topic but if u play madden EE 9 is catching everything and tez is a true returner
August 12th, 2025 at 10:43 am
a good committed running game and deeper passes is what i saw, maybe that’s the call for the updated grizz bucs offense as far as trends fit this season
August 12th, 2025 at 10:45 am
I see two question marks:
1) he’s never called a game before so he’s never had to set up a defense over an entire 60 minutes or condition them. Cohen did it in college which is semi pro ball. But canales never did.
2) keeping an even keel no matter how things are going. Great or poorly, he has to stay composed. Both Canales and Cohen seemed to have that down. Bowles should be able to help there if it’s an issue. The players have to sense calm.
Having great players should also help him with adjustment pretty quickly IMO.
August 12th, 2025 at 10:50 am
He was in the building last year of we could go from two completely different guys to a guy who is running basically what’s in place last year what is his point👎🏽👎🏽
August 12th, 2025 at 10:52 am
Our last two OCs got HC jobs after one year…seems like we are hiring the right guys….
August 12th, 2025 at 10:54 am
It’s not the plane , it’s the pilot! It’s not the OC , it’s the QB!
August 12th, 2025 at 11:39 am
I bet Liam called a few plays at times, during his last stint in LA with McVay, when he replaced Kevin O’Connell as their “OC.”
August 12th, 2025 at 11:49 am
TOP 3 REASONS GRIZZ WILL SUCCEED
1. Not an Island. There are other coaches, a head coach, to assist Grizz.
2. Pro Bowl Roster. Plays succeed with the best OL and skill players in the NFC.
3. Speak Same Language. He’s been with this team and playbook for a year.
All of the greatest coaches in every sport had to have a first year.
August 12th, 2025 at 11:57 am
I would argue they are 1 for 2 so far. Liam was real good.
Talent got them by with Canales. He was not that good. Most the year the offense was horrible. They had a little run at the end to squeak into the playoffs by barely beating bad teams.
August 12th, 2025 at 12:01 pm
Baker had three offensive coordinators in three years… try six in four years. Then he went through nearly one every season with the Browns. The NFL did its best to keep him from being successful but Baker isn’t about failure. This is a dude that gonna be our all-time best Buc QB very soon.
August 12th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
I like that last statement, “SlyPirate.” It rolls through my mind at times, too! It’s like when everyone was saying that Liam was too green, had no experience, wasn’t ready yet, NEEDED another season, blah, blah, blah, when it came to being a HC, Etc. And I’m like, hell, he was a college QB, worked for several years under McVay, was OC at Kentucky, then OC at the Rams, and was OC at Kentucky AGAIN, then back to the NFL again, as the Bucs OC. “Football” has literally, been HIS LIFE. I mean, how the hell do YOU know if HE’s “ready” or not!? EVERY great coach ‘started out’ being a green rookie somewhere, sometime, right!? You have to start with being given the opportunity first, or how else would you ever know!?
August 12th, 2025 at 12:21 pm
I agree with that 💯 about Canales, “David.” The ONLY reason he got a HC job was because he was the ONLY person willing to take THAT JOB. He knew that could very easily be his only opportunity too, & that’s why he jumped at the chance. The only thing that pisses me off about it is that we didn’t get that 3rd-Round Comp Pick out of it! It’s a stupid rule to begin with, but the whole ‘2-YEAR’ thing is ridiculous. And, I’m pissed that the Bucs didn’t at least petition the league over it. Make it make sense to me!? Where do they come up with the number ‘2-Years’ & NOT 1!?
August 12th, 2025 at 12:25 pm
Only one preseason game to go by, but team seemed ready to play. Few mistakes. Something to consider though, you don’t really gameplan preseason games in the usual sense. They’re a player evaluation… you want to see how OL blocks in third and short, how well WRs execute their routes, how well the QB goes through his reads and gets rid of the ball. So the ‘gameplan’ is really just a series of exercises to evaluate players, not necessarily to win the game. That’s just a cherry on top.
I think Grizzard will be OK, but we won’t know for sure until Wk 1 vs Atlanta.
August 12th, 2025 at 12:52 pm
Liked the balls downfield on offense. Good receivers and we all know pass interference calls will come in our favor more often
August 12th, 2025 at 12:56 pm
@Warren Brooks Lynch :
^^^^^^
see what Defense Rules mentions above…
thanks for clarifying that Defense…
i saw it and was simply just too lazy to type for a bit 🙂
August 12th, 2025 at 1:12 pm
the bucs have somehow someway become a very stable organization…
it’s almost unbelievable for me to say that after living thru the 80’s, and until the late 90’s with them…
young baker went thru it around the league, and now a more matured and seasoned baker has settled into a really stable spot for himself…
gotta be happy for baker – and i sure am happy for my bucs…
seems like we have a franchise qb that almost popped up out of the blue…
as for trask, he must be asking himself “what do i gotta do ?”…the dude has literally gotten sandwiched between brady and baker to this point
August 12th, 2025 at 1:13 pm
so then maybe trask should be nicknamed “lunchmeat” 🙂
August 12th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
I’m feeling like Grizz might have learned a lot from the few failures of Cohen and May be better than his predecessor. He is not green at offensive play calling, he’s been around it and has developed concepts for third down where we were best in the league. I have a good feeling about Grizz and I am hoping he calls more deep balls for #13 & #9
August 12th, 2025 at 1:39 pm
People seem to overlook the obvious. If it’s fear of change look at the major difference in this OC change than the two prior selections.
Canalas and Coen were both outsiders while Griz is the ultimate insider! He’s not coming from another team or having worked with another QB last year. It’s the same QB..same OL…same RBs..same WR’s plus a years experience as a virtual assistant OC er…3rd down specialist.
Griz has this covered!
August 12th, 2025 at 2:18 pm
What they won’t acknowledge us that Baker Mayfield elevates every coordinator he basically is a coach on the field. Whatever reasons they can use to say we will fail they will.
August 12th, 2025 at 2:51 pm
I think this might be something like Mayfield’s eighth OC in eight years. He might know as much about the different ways to approach that job, and game planning, as anyone.
Tom Moore landed his first NFL OC post in 1983, according to Wikipedia. He might remember enough to help the new guy, too.
Bowles prides himself on out chess matching OCs and seems to know how to spot good ones.
August 12th, 2025 at 3:56 pm
None of the other first time offensive coordinators graduated from YALE. All great offensive coordinators were first-timers once. This is not brain science or nuclear energy. Everyone has a book with situations and options and Baker has options on every play to change the play. This is silly. Coen is the latest fair-haired boy but his calls in the Red Zone were the reason we lost in San Francisco, lost in KC, and lost to the Commanders in the playoffs. When the chips were down he was not some uniquely great play caller. He was best in the first quarter where everything is programmed. There is one great playcaller in this league, the guy at KC and it doesn’t hurt that he has the game’s top quarterback.
August 12th, 2025 at 4:04 pm
tom moore is the shaman of the bucs
August 12th, 2025 at 6:22 pm
4 OCs in 5 years? Hate it. Props and kudos to Licht and Bowles. The O could be the greatest in talent in NFL history, but they’re still human. They have to adapt to a new Offensive Coach, again. I hope Grizzard is good and smart enough to open up this Offense this year.
August 12th, 2025 at 7:13 pm
I don’t get why you don’t hire an AI to do the play calling. Just input every play from last year, every situation, what Coen did, and the AI could perfectly recreate his play calling – and you’re paying what, $20 a month? Seems like a deal to me.
August 12th, 2025 at 7:19 pm
@ munch – what do you think the rays do…Cash is beholden to the computer…that’s sabremetrics…no emotion, no gut…just raw data…
August 12th, 2025 at 7:32 pm
Rod, 20 bucks a month is 240 bucks a year. Why waste money. The Bucs have improved the offense. They got alot from Coen and they have kept that. And they have added some wrinkles. But with the added year of experience coupled with the new talent last year won’t look so great. This year this offense is going to set some records. Not just team records, but league records. So why should we throw away 240 dollars Rod?
August 12th, 2025 at 7:46 pm
Kenton Smith Says:
August 12th, 2025 at 7:32 pm
Rod, 20 bucks a month is 240 bucks a year. Why waste money.
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You only have to pay in season, so Aug-Jan, and heck, if you need to still pay in Feb, I’m sure they can start a gofundme to take care of it.
And I was saying just fire everyone and replace them with AI, it’s a lot cheaper, and it’s what’s coming in the future.
August 12th, 2025 at 7:49 pm
Bucs4Ever Says:
August 12th, 2025 at 7:19 pm
@ munch – what do you think the rays do…Cash is beholden to the computer…that’s sabremetrics…no emotion, no gut…just raw data…
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I don’t watch anything as dull as baseball so I wasn’t aware, but what’s the point of having Cash? Just fire him and replace him with an AI. Bam, lots of money saved. It’s going to be the big thing here shortly.
August 12th, 2025 at 8:51 pm
Let’s talk about how we are gonna contain Kay Adams.
August 13th, 2025 at 3:24 am
Amazing how the same clowns that have all these concerns about the bucs offensive cuz of coordinators are the same ones not counting that against the Superbowl bound lions( never gonna happen lol) is a joke and they lost both coordinators