It was an eventful day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Wednesdat as the Bucs offensive coaches stood on the podium and answered questions about that side of the ball this upcoming season.

Most notably, it was an opportunity to hear more about how the quarterback competition will shape up between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask, but there was also the mention of the newfound youth along the roster.

In the past calendar year, the offense has had quite a facelift. There will be a new starting quarterback, running back, and tight end this upcoming season alone. The incumbent offensive linemen appear to be shuffling into different positions and there will be two new starters up front, replacing left tackle Donovan Smith and right guard Shaq Mason. There are a lot of moving pieces.

Offensive coordinator Dave Canales is also a new piece and he also the one in charge of moving these pieces around the chessboard. Canales is making some philosophical changes regarding the schemes, formations, and new personnel that hope to spark an offense that, at times last season, was frustrating to watch and only averaged 18 points per game.

Bucs OC Dave Canales Building Offensive Culture, Identity

Bucs OC Dave Canales – Photo by: Matt Matera/PR

When Dave Canales speaks, it is easy to see his excitement working with the team and his thorough thought process with the tasks ahead throughout the rest of the off-season process.

Building a rapport with the players will be crucial to his (and the Bucs’) success in 2023. From his perspective, it appears that this has been going well so far.

“The first impression [from the team] is eager,” Canales said. “They’re very hungry. I think some of that is natural, too, when you have a shift. When I was in Seattle, we had four different coordinators, and every time a new coordinator came in, there was this natural excitement from the staff, from the players – something new, a new toy. That’s kind of the vibe I’ve been getting from the players.”

Building and implementing a culture is vital for leaders in any workplace. Since being hired by the Bucs, his Twitter account has been filled with motivational tweets about team building and establishing a foundation for the future.

Every day is about getting acclimated to the system for everyone on the offensive side of the ball. The defense still has its identity under head coach Todd Bowles and with most of the veteran core of leadership returning, but the offense will be looking to establish its own character with new leaders and playmakers emerging and trying to win ballgames differently.

Bucs WR Chris Godwin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“It’s been all positive,” Canales added. “It’s been – they’re excited about the marriage of the system like we talked about in that first interview – marrying the run and the pass. And then just having a real good core that guys can sink their teeth into. Chris Godwin has been such an encourager – really positive, just supporting us and letting us know, ‘I got you; this is great.’

“For me, I just [tell] the veteran guys who’ve been around, ‘Hey, I get better when you tell me what’s giving you angst. If there’s something where there’s a little bit of gray area or you’re not sure what to do here, that’s where we need to work.’ We’ve had a good line of communication that way.”

Getting buy-in from established players such as Godwin, Mike Evans, Ryan Jensen, and Tristan Wirfs is essential. But for the offense to function as a cohesive unit, figuring out how to distribute and move the ball means building up the youth on the roster.

Kyle Trask, Rachaad White, Cade Otton, and Luke Goedeke are all recent draft picks aiming to step into more prominent roles. Not only will they hope to do so, but recent selections in last month’s NFL Draft have the chance to make an immediate impact as well.

Dave Canales Comments On Bucs’ 2023 Draft Class

Three players were drafted on the offensive side of the ball, each with the potential for big things. Cody Mauch, Payne Durham, and Trey Palmer have the traits to be successful in the NFL, and Dave Canales gushed about them at his press conference.

“Cody Mauch [was] one of my favorite players in the draft – his tenacity in the run game, his athleticism,” Canales said. “He truly could play all five spots on the offensive line. He’s got that kind of talent. He lacks a little bit of that huge size element that you really want for some of the positions, but he’s so versatile. He’s a fantastic player.”

North Dakota State G Cody Mauch – Photo by: USA Today

Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds recently wrote about next season’s ideal offensive line depth chart. The interior will look different at the left and right guard spots, two positions Mauch will have every chance to claim.

Last year, the Bucs selected two tight ends, Cade Otton and Ko Kieft. While the team waited to select one in what was a deep class this year, Payne Durham has the chance to work in tandem with Otton as they grow together.

“Payne Durham [is] a guy we really loved through the process,” Canales said. “[He has] a huge frame, a great catch radius. Most tight ends in the NFL are covered except for [Travis] Kelce, [George] Kittle, [Darren] Waller – a couple of those guys who really can run away and separate. Everybody else is going to be covered; it’s the guys who’ve got those subtle things at the top [of the route tree] – he’s got that. We’re really excited about that.”

He will not be running away from most of his matchups after clocking in with a 4.87 40-yard time, but that will not matter if he keeps up his touchdown production (eight at Purdue in 2022). Against some of the top prospects at the Senior Bowl, he showcased what Canales alluded to as “the subtle things” in his ability to make tough contested catches.

One guy that will be leaving his matchup in the dust is wide receiver Trey Palmer, who could be a potential draft steal if he reaches his ceiling.

“Trey Palmer – fantastic get for us and our system,” Canales said. “We would target guys like Trey – big, strong, and fast. He’ll contribute on special teams, he’ll stretch the field, he’ll play behind one of two studs and is going to learn from them. We just love getting our hands on that physical type of prospect.”

Next season, the offense will look different for the Bucs, but hitting the refresh button gives the team a chance to update the offense with young contributors who are just as hungry to prove themselves as Dave Canales is.