National Football League

Resurrection, not rebuilding: New Bucs OC Dirk Koetter has big job ahead

Published Jan. 13, 2015 6:30 p.m. ET

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TAMPA, Fla. -- It took less than a minute for the most obvious question of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offseason to be delivered like a stiff pass to the chest of new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.

Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston?

This happened on a conference call Tuesday afternoon, which served as the platform for Koetter's first public comments since he agreed to terms with the Bucs last Thursday. If Koetter, formerly the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator, was unaware of how No. 1 pick talk has gripped the Tampa Bay region in recent weeks, then he became acquainted fast. Oregon fast.

Wisely, he deflected the inquiry to his new bosses, coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jason Licht. Both figure to guard their thinking with the skill of a grizzled poker player.

"It's funny that would be the first question, and you're going to be disappointed in the answer, because I have no idea," Koetter said. "That's somebody else -- Jason and Coach Smith are in charge of making that decision."

Is it too early to say Koetter's seat is hot?

Of course. But there's an argument to be made that no coach on the Bucs' staff, outside of Smith, will be watched more closely next season than the longtime offensive assistant. The focus on Koetter should never cool, either with Mariota or Winston in the Bucs' huddle or with it minus both.

The reason why: The Bucs' offense was a walking zombie last season. It needs more than resuscitation. Try resurrection.

Fortunately for Koetter, the bar is low. If he calls one play in the regular season, he would have done more than Jeff Tedford. If he lifts the Bucs' offense to even an average level by season's end, he would have accomplished a greater amount than Marcus Arroyo, the quarterbacks-coach-turned-acting-offensive-coordinator who failed to keep the unit from sliding into a ditch on its way to finishing as the NFL's 29th-best scoring offense with 17.3 points per game.

Unfortunately for Koetter, One Buc Place is no Supreme Court. Smith and Licht don't have lifetime appointments, and after the pair produced a miserable 2-14 record last season, their regime may need resuscitation of its own with a similar stumble into the abyss next fall.

"There's some really talented players to work with there, number one, the young guys that were drafted this past year," said Koetter, when describing why the Bucs' job was appealing. "And then I've always had a lot of respect for Lovie and the job he does as a head coach as a defensive coach, going against him over the years. ... So I think it's a really good fit for me personally and also a good fit for the type of players they already have in place."

There are pieces to enjoy. There's Mike Evans, who had a team-high 1,051 yards receiving as a rookie. There's Vincent Jackson, who clinched his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season. There's whomever the Bucs will add in the first round, presumably a quarterback, if not a different offensive talent.

Then ... eh. The silver linings become lost in the thunderstorm.

That's why Koetter must be a home-run hire for Smith and Licht. He must make a five-star meal from a roster filled with one-star ingredients in 2014, many names worthy of the clearance shelf.

Those running backs? That offensive line? Koetter said the Bucs are in better shape than those on the outside might think, so we know he's glass-half-full type of guy. That perspective should be required for anyone on Tampa Bay's staff to stay sane, but optimism doesn't equate to victories without solid execution. Much remains to be seen.

"I believe in a balanced offense a lot," Koetter said. "The reason for that is, if you ask any defensive coach what's the hardest thing to defend, one of the first things he'll tell you is balance. Defenses are just too good nowadays in the NFL. If they can get a tip and they know they only have to stop one thing, they're pretty good at stopping that one thing. Balance is huge."

Will Koetter balance the need to revive and reinvent? That's the development to watch in the coming year.

To be frank, he has no other choice. Partially for reasons outside of Smith and Licht's control, the choice of Tedford was a disaster. Koetter's margin of error is smaller because of the failures that came before him. He better become used to the view from a tightrope.

There's no way the Bucs can rank near the bottom of each major offensive category again. There's no way that porous quarterback play can be excused once more. There's no way that two wins can be acceptable in 2015, not with a new offensive vision, not with a No. 1 overall draft pick on roster.

The coming months will be filled with chatter about whom the Bucs will make the NFL's new golden name. But what comes afterward, under Koetter's watchful eyes, will be more important.

"Who the Bucs are going to pick with the first pick, I'm the last guy to ask that question to right now," Koetter said. "I have no idea. But I'm excited about the guys we already have down there and the guys we know we're going to be working with, for sure."

Buckle in for unexpected turbulence, Coach.

You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.