Rams QB Baker Mayfield and OC Liam Coen – Photo by: USA Today Baker Mayfield spent the last five weeks of the 2022 season in Los Angeles, starting four games in place of injured starter Matthew Stafford. Coen was the Rams offensive coordinator in 2022, replacing Kevin O’Connell, who left to become the Vikings offensive coordinator. Coen spent the 2021 season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Kentucky where he worked with Will Levis, turning him into a legit NFL Draft prospect before returning to L.A. where he had previously worked under Sean McVay from 2018-2020 as an assistant receivers coach and quarterbacks coach. Fresh off the team’s Super Bowl victory, the Rams’ scoring fell from 27 points per game in 2021 to just 18.1 points per game in 2022, largely due to injuries to several key starters, including starting quarterback Matthew Stafford and Pro Bowl receiver Cooper Kupp. Both were limited to just nine games. The Rams wound up playing four different quarterbacks in 2022, including both Mayfield and Bucs third-string quarterback John Wolford. So Coen already has experience working with two out of the three QBs in Tampa Bay. Mayfield spoke glowingly about Coen on Friday morning the 2024 Pro Bowl Games as news broke about Tampa Bay’s intentions on hiring him. #Bucs QB Baker Mayfield talks about the team’s OC interview process and on his time with Liam Coen with the #Rams.#PewterReport #ProBowlGames #NFL pic.twitter.com/wkzaqbGDRw — PewterReport 
(@PewterReport) February 2, 2024 New OC Has Play-Calling Experience One of the things the Bucs were hoping to avoid with Dave Canales’ replacement was having to break in a rookie play-caller all over again. The Bucs did interview several candidates that did not have any previous play-calling experience, but former Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, former Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen did have experience calling plays. 
Rams HC Sean McVay, Bucs OC Liam Coen and Rams QB Matthew Stafford – Photo by: USA Today Coen called plays for the Wildcats in 2021 and 2023, working with quarterbacks Will Levis and Dennis Leary. Kentucky averaged 29.1 points per game last year, which ranked 58th out of 133 FBS schools. In 2021, the Wildcats offense averaged 32.3 points per game with Levis under center, which ranked 36th out of 133 FBS schools. Coen also had play-calling experience with the Rams in 2022, as head coach Sean McVay ceded play-calling duties in Week 12. L.A.’s offense actually had a slight uptick in scoring with Coen calling plays, averaging 19.8 points per game, including a 51-point outburst in a late-season win against Denver. He also had previous stints as an offensive coordinator and play-caller at Maine (2016-17), and was a pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UMass (2014-15), which was Coen’s alma mater where he played quarterback, as well as pass game coordinator and QBs coach at Rhode Island (2011). Coen has extensive experience working with quarterbacks and wide receivers at the college level and with the Rams. Coen likes to run the ball and have a balanced attack on offense, which is something that Todd Bowles favors, and uses a good deal of play-action passes. He will bring elements of McVay’s Rams playbook to Tampa Bay. Liam Coen Can Help With Bucs’ 2024 Draft Prep The fact that Liam Coen spent two recent years in the college ranks at an SEC school like Kentucky can also help the Bucs with their draft preparation. 
Kentucky RB Ray Davis and Kentucky LB Trevin Wallace – Photo by: USA Today The Wildcats have a few NFL prospects this year led by running back Ray Davis, who ran for 1,129 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry in his lone season at Kentucky. Davis, who is coming off a nice week at the Senior Bowl, also caught 33 passes for 323 yards (9.8 avg.) and scored seven receiving touchdowns after transferring from Vanderbilt where he also rushed for 1,000 yards the previous season. Davis will likely be a Day 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace, who also had a solid week at the Senior Bowl, is considered to be an early Day 3 prospect after his three-year career where he produced 166 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. Wallace is coming off his best season where he had 80 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble for the 7-6 Wildcats. Wildcats cornerback Andru Phillips left school after his junior season and the 6-foot, 187-pound DB is considered a Day 3 prospect after not recording a single interception at Kentucky. Quarterback Devin Leary transferred to Kentucky to replace Will Levis, and completed 56.3% of his throws for 2,746 yards with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions under Coen’s development in 2023. The 6-foot-1, 211-pound Leary had an up-and-down career at North Carolina State before moving on to Kentucky, and he’s considered to be a late Day 3 selection. In addition to the Wildcats Coen knows intimately from two stints at the school, Kentucky also played Iowa, Louisville, South Carolina, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Florida, Clemson, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Alabama. So the Bucs’ new offensive coordinator will have a working, first-hand knowledge about some of the 2024 draft prospects from those schools. The post Liam Coen Checks A Lot Of Boxes For Bucs As OC appeared first on Pewter Report. https://www.pewterreport.com/liam-coen- ... s-bucs-oc/
