FAB 3. “12” Could Be Bucs’ Most Intriguing Personnel Grouping

The buzz term around One Buccaneer Place this offseason has been “12 personnel.” That’s the personnel grouping that features one running back, two tight ends and two wide receivers, and that’s perhaps head coach and offensive play-caller Dirk Koetter’s favorite.

Bucs TE Cameron Brate & head coach Dirk Koetter – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The addition of tight end O.J. Howard, the Bucs’ first-round pick, and speed receiver DeSean Jackson greatly complement the presence of Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans, who matched the franchise single season record with 12 touchdowns, and tight end Cam Brate, whose eight touchdowns tied all NFL tight ends last year. Insert a healthy and focused running back in Doug Martin, who is phenomenal shape, and quarterback Jameis Winston may have a permanent case of goose bumps as he breaks the huddle.

Having two tight ends presents real problems for defenses in two major ways. The first of which is that is a run-or-pass formation.

“I talked to some of the coaches and they are very excited about it,” Brate said about the offseason addition of Howard and Jackson. “It opens up a lot of our offense. We can run or pass out of any set – 11 (one back, one tight end, three receivers), 12 (one back, two tight ends, two receivers), 21 (two backs, one tight end, two receivers) or 22 (two backs, two tight ends, one receiver) – it doesn’t matter who is on the field we are able to get whatever the coaches ask of us done.

“We used different personnel last year with what we had. We had to do a lot of stuff out of 11 personnel – one back, one tight end, three receivers – and that’s kind of a giveaway to the defense that it’s going to be a pass. We’ll be able to use 12 a lot more often and that will be able to open a ton more things for us – not only in the running game, but also in the passing game. They’ll have to have defenders on the field that can defend both the pass and the run. It will be good for our offense.”

The picture you’re probably painting in your head about 12 personnel is having Brate on one side of the offensive line with Jackson flanked out wide, and Howard on the other side of the line with Evans split out wide. That’s the conventional look of the two-tight end, but expect Koetter to show more creativity than that.

Bucs TE Cameron Brate & QB Jameis Winston – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I think on first and second down, especially, most teams would prefer to be in a two tight end set or one tight end and a fullback – what we call 12 personnel – and Cam is an excellent pass-catching tight end,” Koetter said. “But a lot of these ‘F’ tight ends or these tight ends that are not quite as good a blocker at the point of attack makes it tougher to run the ball, and that’s where O.J., especially coming out of the program he did – he’s a winner, he’s a great kid, and he can do everything we need a tight end to do.”

Koetter could flex Brate and/or Howard off the line and into the slot and give the Bucs a three- or four-wide look, except with two receivers and two tight ends playing those roles rather than four wide receivers. Because 12 personnel typically keeps a team in its base defense rather than deploying nickel defense, Tampa Bay’s opponents will have three linebackers on the field.

Would that force the linebackers to split out to cover the tight ends? That could open up wider running lanes for Martin.

Or would the defense walk a 6-foot safety down to cover the 6-foot-5 Brate or the 6-foot-6 Howard in man coverage? That would leave the defense in a Cover 3 zone or Cover 1, which is man coverage with a single high safety in centerfield, and prevent both Evans and Jackson from being double-teamed.

Now how about Koetter splitting Howard and Brate out wide on opposite sides of the field and putting Evans and Jackson in the slot for a few plays? Would the cornerbacks move inside to cover the receivers or stay outside on the perimeter and cover the tight ends? If they moved outside, can you say “mismatch?”

Bucs RB Doug Martin – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Would the linebackers move outside to cover the tight ends or stay inside to cover the receivers? Again, can you say “mismatch” if they stayed inside in zone coverage?

Having the linebackers switch places with the corners and move outside to cover Brate and Howard near the sidelines would certainly put a huge smile on Martin’s face, as running between the tackles would be much easier in that formation.

And how about a formation that has Brate in the slot next to Jackson out wide to one side with Howard in-line next to the tackle with Evans out wide, and Martin motions out of the backfield to line up in the slot as a receiver between Howard and Evans? How would opponents defend that empty backfield formation? Who would be assigned to cover Martin – a linebacker or a safety?

The possibilities are as vast as Koetter’s imagination.