Liam Coen Explains Why Devin Culp Is Finally Making An Impact
January 3rd, 2025
UPDATED: It took a rare injury to a key player for Bucs reserve tight end rookie Devin Culp to finally get on the field and make an impact.
On Sunday, Culp had three catches for 52 yards. Those were his first career catches.
One reason Culp only played a few snaps before Sunday was a log jam at tight end. He’s the No. 3 when it comes to being a full-time pass-catching tight end. Ko Kieft is ahead of him on run plays.
Culp also hadn’t yet made an impact because the offense he was used to in college was a spread-option, where coaches signal in plays to the team.
The NFL and the spread-option don’t mix. That offense is borderline foreign to the NFL, though some NFL teams use some of its traits.
The offense used with Culp at Washington last year — you know the kind, where the quarterback claps for a cadence rather than barking plays — is an irritant to Chucky. He often tees off on the clapping offenses on one of his many Barstool Sports platforms.
It seems Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen is no fan of those college offenses.
Coen said yesterday Culp finally is used to how Coen runs an offense, which is far different than what Culp saw at Washington.
“Yeah, that’s what I kind of always say, is like, what’s wrong about the no-huddle offense and quarterbacks in high school and Pop Warner are looking at the sideline for a play,” Coen began. “Don’t speak. Don’t say a word. Get up to the line of scrimmage. Don’t speak. Don’t say a word. Clap for the cadence. Don’t speak. Don’t say a word.
“This game is about communication, and how we play this game in terms of [the] huddle, the calls, the communication that we have to do is what’s wrong with our [society].”
(Joe’s note: Joe believes Coen said “society” but the word he used is sort of inaudible but “society” makes sense given what he said immediately after.)
Coen then added that it’s common for people now to text rather than have conversations. And sometimes he finds players mirror that culture and he must work with rookies for them to understand they can’t text in a huddle.
“Everybody just texts,” Coen said. “They don’t speak to each other. That’s what’s wrong. I tell the high school coaches all the time, it’s what’s wrong. Talking to each other, we don’t talk.
“And it’s one of those things where [Culp has] had to get in the huddle, hear a play call, multiple calls, and be able to go out and execute that at a high level. That’s not easy to do for anybody that’s never done it.
“So glad to see him being able to contribute, and hopefully be able to continue to do some more moving forward.”
Joe fully understands why NFL coaches are not fond of the spread-option and the clapping. But this is the first time Joe had heard it explained the way Coen did.
So it isn’t just Todd Bowles’ defense that sometimes has to struggle with a lack of communication. Coen does, too.
And now Joe wonders if what Coen detailed is part of what Bowles means when he keeps referring to communication.
(A Bucs administrator once told Joe years ago that players learning to converse is a real issue because, as Coen detailed, they just text. This same suit told Joe that sometimes players will play a video game on their phones with teammates in the locker room and rather than talking or hollering back and forth during the game, they text each other while they are all still at their lockers.)
January 3rd, 2025 at 12:31 am
That there is an Coach. He just called him an meathead…but coached him up
January 3rd, 2025 at 1:00 am
Good, interesting article.
January 3rd, 2025 at 1:14 am
So why has Macmillan in the same offense adjusted much faster?
January 3rd, 2025 at 1:25 am
Canabuc: “So why has Macmillan in the same offense adjusted much faster?”
Kapow!
January 3rd, 2025 at 1:46 am
Canabuc, because the tight end learning curve for rookies is already a tougher one. Notice that very few TE make an impact their rookie season. TE’s have a lot of different responsibilities on the field.
January 3rd, 2025 at 2:27 am
This seems to be a more player-centric issue than a team-wide “communication” issue. Coen is correct on the issue of communication in our society in general, and can def see players texting each other from the other side of the room (even guilty of it myself as a 59yo sometimes lol). Culp is being asked to learn an entirely different language when he hasn’t even been asked to learn the alphabet before, so of course he’s going to struggle (could be the reason why he lasted until the 7th considering his physical gifts). It’s really no different than a player coming in with a learning disability that struggles to pick up the playbook, even though his team ran a pro-style offense in college. Some guys are just slower at learning than others, not about communication necessarily, see it happens every year.
Believe the issue the D is having in particular is moreso due to a defensive staff simply being poor teachers & communicators overall themselves, which in turn causes the players to have uncertainty on the field re: their assignments & responsibilities. Seems clear there’s a disconnect happening almost weekly. That said, some players preferred method of communication through text could prevent them from being comfortable enough to verbally speak up and ask for clarification, though think that’s also more of a player-centric issue than a team-wide one as well.
January 3rd, 2025 at 2:47 am
Play calls are like” sentences”. Each department ( o line, tight ends , receivers ,running backs ) listen to a particular part. The”noun” maybe for the o line. The adjective is for the tight ends. The verbs, receivers, the adverb, running backs, etc) Evans doesn’t need to know all the nouns. He keys on which verb is articulated. He listens to the “verb”, and the snap count. Only Baker has to know it all ( which makes qb such a cerebral position). Cody listens for the “noun” which tells him what to do, and the snap count. The position dictates the level of difficulty understanding the playbook.
January 3rd, 2025 at 4:26 am
Very good and informative article and Let em Bake very astute observations. It explains why Mc Millian didn’t jump out from the get go like everyone thought he would. Had to learn a whole new manner off speaking and listening and why he only started to be a real threat recently. They both finally broke through that learning curve. Joyfully it continues they both continue to get better
January 3rd, 2025 at 5:02 am
culp looked really good and fluid af out there as a receiver…
and come on guys…mcmillan had looked like a pretty hot mess until maybe the past handful of weeks…and that could be generous…he looked like an injury prone busteroonie those first 10-11 weeks for sure…now he’s looking mad legit – and everyone is loving the pick now…
culp looked like a nice weapon…and i said before the season, don’t sleep on payne durham…the dude can catch – when thrown the ball…our tight end room is a fast developing and good one…
palmer might be on the hot seat here in the off season…maybe draft a receiver in the 3rd or 4th…
or scatteboooo…to add to the rb room…if he’s there on the board at the right time – just pull the trigger…
otherwise draft defense, defense, and some more defense
January 3rd, 2025 at 5:55 am
College teams are really doing a disservice to their players when utilizing an offense & system of communication that is so foreign to the NFL.
Any high school players with NFL aspirations should choose carefully what college they go to. If I was in that situation I’d want to go to a school with coaches that utilize an NFL style offense.
January 3rd, 2025 at 5:59 am
@Joe, the subject of this article would be good to take up on a future podcast!
January 3rd, 2025 at 6:02 am
Athletes in high school get tutors. Don’t tell me they aren’t playing because of communication. Im so sick of that word. Run this route and win because you are fast or big. No more JTS for me.
Either they can play NOW or move on.
We have a window here where guys need to contribute immediately.
If it took 3-4 years to develop guys, we would never resign anybody.
January 3rd, 2025 at 6:26 am
Maybe licht should add a check box for phone addiction to his scouting profiles.
January 3rd, 2025 at 6:32 am
Culp looked physical!
He was hard to bring down!
I thought he was supposedly “small”
He didn’t play like it!
He has sick potential!
I want to see a TE screen with this guy!
He runs a 4.4!
January 3rd, 2025 at 6:58 am
Secure Coen 2025
January 3rd, 2025 at 7:43 am
Culp is FAST !
4.6 fast with good hands!
Mix it up!
January 3rd, 2025 at 9:09 am
Culp is due to get schemed open on a td
January 3rd, 2025 at 10:19 am
The more I hear from Coen, the more impressed I am. As a fan, I sometimes don’t understand his decisions, but now I feel better that Coen has some very good reasons for his decisions. Sign Coen now!
January 3rd, 2025 at 10:53 am
coen has gotta realize if he somehow sticks around for a year two…
with all these developing young pieces…bucky, mcmillan, culp etc…
and a return of CG14…
coen could very well be slinging the number one offense in the league…or be right there…
something our ultra deft OC should consider
January 3rd, 2025 at 11:21 am
Better living through modern technology!! ????
January 3rd, 2025 at 11:26 am
My son plays JV’s same boat, Coen is 100% about communication at a young age!! It’s not like the old days! Rather text!!! Please make Coen an offer he can’t refuse…. Go Bucs
January 3rd, 2025 at 11:26 am
If I remember right, Culp runs a 4.47 40 and had already put on a few pounds by the time the season started. I’m pretty sure the only reason he didn’t go earlier is because of the program he came from and a lack of polish. I expect big things from him next year.
January 3rd, 2025 at 12:17 pm
Why would he play earlier? We had 2-3x TE that have NFL experience. Let rookies develop. They don’t have to be stars in year 1.
January 3rd, 2025 at 1:34 pm
One of the most interesting posts I’ve seen on JBF. Coen’s statements should be a must read for every high school coach in the country.
January 3rd, 2025 at 2:14 pm
Coen seems like a fantastic communicator and teacher. He articulates clearly and precisely.
Then you look at Bowles, who 6 years into his stint with this defense, still has major communication blunders each and every game. Corn tore he’s how important communication is, then you have Bowles on the sideline of every game, not saying a word to anyone.
January 3rd, 2025 at 11:43 pm
Seems to me no way clapping is going to work when u have a TE being told to block for the next play how the hell will I communicate that with a clàp
January 3rd, 2025 at 11:44 pm
Clap stone age climax
January 4th, 2025 at 10:41 am
This guy looks To be another gem on offense. Has some size and saw some
speed on Him when the ball was in his hands. Our Tightend room is stacked 🔥🔥
January 4th, 2025 at 8:34 pm
preach on liam… don’t stop there, ur on a roll