One Buc MailbagScott Smith Senior Writer/Editor @ScottSBucs The mailbag returns with a fan-submitted querie into the potential shape of the offense in 2014 
I’m a little leery to go on record about this because there’s still a bit of mystery about what the Buccaneers’ offense will look like in 2014. Ever since the players started working with the coaches on the field this spring, the team has been…how shall we say it…reticent about the issue. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “secrecy” – a good number of the offseason practices were held in front of dozens of members of the media, from beginning to end. But, yes, I would say that Lovie Smith, Jeff Tedford and the rest have been a bit reticent to discuss the offense to this point. This doesn’t really mean that Tedford and Smith are preparing to unleash something wildly different on the NFL; the point of that reticence, I think, is simply to keep Buccaneer opponents in the dark as long as possible. That’s only going to last a week or two into the season. By the way you phrase your question, Mason, I take it you’re of the belief that Smith’s success in Chicago was built mostly on defense, and that his attention to and development of the offense was always secondary. Personally, I think that point has always been a bit overblown; the Bears’ offense was the second-highest scoring unit in the NFL in 2006 and was right in the middle of the league the following two years. No, it wasn’t always a productive offense during his nine years in Chicago, and difficulty finding a good starting quarterback was a main problem early in that tenure, but Smith was part of an administration that made bold trades for both Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall. Anyway, for argument’s sake I’ll concede the point and get to your question, paraphrased as such: Will Jeff Tedford be running a system that looks different from what the Bears did under Smith? Well, here’s what we know: During the year following his dismissal by the Bears, Smith – certain he would get another chance on an NFL sideline – prepared himself for his next job. He expected teams to be calling this January, and he was determined to be ready. That included tracking down Tedford, who was also on a one-year hiatus after his 11-year run as the head coach at Cal came to an end. The two got together in Chicago, compared philosophies and discussed what their offense would look like if Tedford paired up with Smith as his O.C. Now, here’s my question: Why would Smith bring on Tedford – a long-time head coach, a well-known offensive mind and a strong personality – if he was simply going to ask him to run whatever playbook Smith handed him. No, Mason, I think you’re going to see Tedford’s influence all over this attack. Plenty of people have speculated as to what that influence will look like, based on Tedford’s past and the personnel the Bucs have acquired since January. Former Golden Bear players say he had a very complicated playbook that required a smart and heady quarterback – it seems to me like the Bucs have at least two of those. He was also more than happy to run the ball on a high percentage of plays when he had the personnel, and that would seem to fit with one of Smith’s offensive tenets. It would also seem to fit with the Bucs’ personnel – a very deep running back corps with a potentially special lead back, plus a reshaped offensive line that could be very strong if the guard positions shape up right. Josh McCown had a strong half-season in Chicago last fall throwing the ball where only his big receiving duo of Marshall and Alshon Jeffery could get it. That was under Marc Trestman, not Lovie Smith and company, but it would be hard to picture the Bucs not adopting some of that approach after adding the 6-5 Mike Evans and the 6-5 Austin Seferian-Jenkins to the 6-5 Vincent Jackson. Also, with ASJ, Brandon Myers and Charles Sims joining the offense, I would expect you’ll see more passes to backs and tight ends as Smith and Tedford look for mismatches and ways to utilize “speed in space.” Finally, there have been questions about the tempo the Bucs’ offense will establish. I think Tedford gets a little amused when questioned about this, like he’s secretly preparing to completely do away with the huddle. Tedford points out that the Bucs’ playbook will certainly have a no-huddle section, but that every team has one of those, and has to in fact to be ready for two-minute situations. Maybe the best prediction is that the Buccaneers will mix their offensive tempos up a little more than they have in the recent past, and more than Smith’s Bears did. Now, I know all of that is pretty general, but again, we don’t know much about the specifics yet. To the meat of your question, though, I reiterate that I expect to see quite a bit of Jeff Tedford’s influence on the Bucs’ new offense, which would almost necessarily make it a different animal from the Bears’ offense, circa 2004-12. Fans can submit questions for upcoming mailbags via Twitter to @ScottSBucs (#BucsMailbag), through a message on the Buccaneers Official Facebook Page or via email at tbbsocial@buccaneers.nfl.com. The One Buc Mailbag runs every Thursday and is not necessarily meant to reflect the opinions of the team's management or coaching staff.