Zac Robinson Reveals Just How Different The Bucs’ Offense Will Look

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With the preseason opener just over a week away, Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson says roughly 85% of Tampa Bay’s offense has already been installed, with the scheme split almost evenly between familiar concepts and new wrinkles.

After months of building the foundation, Robinson’s vision will soon begin to be realized. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, he shared how his unit is progressing under his guidance and how things have evolved since taking over.

Zac Robinson Shares That “85% Of The Offense” Is In, 50-50 New vs. Old

Since taking over as the Bucs’ offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson hasn’t been shy about putting his own stamp on the offense. While doing so, he also has a proven blueprint from Liam Coen’s successful 2024 unit to draw from.

Given that both come from a similar coaching tree, it is no surprise to hear he is keeping what worked while adding his flavor to the finer details of the scheme. What does he think of the offense’s progress after the first week of training camp?

“I think it’s been good,” Robinson said. “It’s been a lot of great work against the defense. You see a bunch of different looks. You’re able to work through a number of different things just based on what those guys present each day. The install is a quick install to kind of get everything in. We’re at a point where we’ve got a lot of stuff in and you’re trying to dial everything in in terms of formations, motions and alignment. Now we’ve got basically, I would say, 85% of the offense in.”

In particular, Robinson has leaned on two offensive veterans for input.

“The guys have done a great job,” Robinson added. “I know talking in the spring with guys, and guys have been hearing ‘C.G.’ (Chris Godwin Jr.) and ‘Bake’ (Baker Mayfield) and some of these guys, it’s like, ‘Hey, how much is new compared to previous [years]?’ They’ve been saying it’s about 50-50. So, there is a lot of new, but there’s also some good carryover from previous years so that’s been good. We’re getting a lot of great work in, and we’ll just continue to hone in on what we’re going to look like once we kick this thing off.”

What has drawn plenty of player feedback is how bringing in the wide zone has gone and what the plans are for the team’s running backs. Pewter Report has chronicled this extensively, and for good reason. It will change how the offense marries the run and pass. Robinson believes Tampa Bay’s offensive line has the versatility to make it work, even as the offense continues to evolve.

“This offensive line is incredibly versatile,” Robinson said. “There’s really nothing these guys can’t do. Watching the past couple years on tape – just on crossover tape – I’ve seen the gap stuff, I’ve seen the zone, seen the duo game and a number of different [perimeter] variations. It is a well-rounded group, and they’re taking everything in stride. Exactly what that’s going to look like once we start kicking this thing off is kind of to be determined but we’re working everything right now.

“Those guys, I can’t say enough about just the investment those guys put in and how smart they are. It’s a great group to work with. They’re incredibly physical. Feeling what it feels like in pads with those guys, especially in some of the pass protection stuff as well, it’s a firm group up front. It’s been great working with those guys. I look forward to continuing to build, keep getting reps and ultimately figuring out where we go with it.”

Has Zac Robinson’s Vision Changed At All Since Taking Bucs OC Job?

Having been in his post for over half a year, Zac Robinson has had plenty of time to build the Bucs’ offense as he sees fit.

It is one thing to come in and have an initial thought process about how he wants to carry out his vision.

It is another thing to take in player feedback and see how they are responding to the X’s and O’s.

To that end, how much has it evolved?

“It’s a great question,” Robinson said. “We talked about the first day of camp. It’s a great time to try things out and kind of figure out what we can do and maybe something that we thought we were going to do but we’re not going to end up doing it. So, we’re still in that process, though.

“Right now, like I said, we’ve got the bulk of the offense in and then [we are] really tailoring it down to get the reps that we need to get reps at in order to get good at something. You have to have some sort of identity, obviously, to be a good offense, and that’s what we’re focused on right now.”

Based on Robinson’s track record calling plays with the Falcons, he teetered on personnel extremes out of necessity but brought the best out of Atlanta’s trio of playmakers — Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. Training camp remains Robinson’s opportunity to experiment before the games begin to count.

He is using every practice session as a full-on evaluation.

“Football is always evolving, and it really never stops,” Robinson added. “Like I mentioned before, from now to the middle of the season, things could evolve and take a life of their own, and you’re just in a discovery state. That’s where it’s awesome to have really smart players as well, so those guys can handle a lot of stuff. Us as coaches just have to make sure we don’t give them too much, where we can hone in on things and make sure that we’re fundamentally sound in the things that we’re all coaching.”

Robinson’s thorough answers provide hope that things will be different for the Bucs’ offense.

All the players involved, especially quarterback Baker Mayfield, are banking on that being the case. After all, Tampa Bay needs all the points it can get if the Bucs want to return to the playoffs and truly compete in the NFC. A return to averaging more than 25 points per game will keep them in every contest and give the defense some breathing room. In a way, what Robinson can accomplish will determine a lot about the franchise’s future. Not just for himself, but for Mayfield and head coach Todd Bowles.

Zac Robinson has inherited one of the NFL’s deeper offensive rosters with more than enough talent.

Now he must turn his vision into one of the league’s most productive offenses.

No pressure, right?

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