Ken

Zampese

The Buccaneers also hired T.J. Yates as pass game coordinator, Andrew Mitchell as assistant offensive line coach and Todd Bowles Jr. as a defensive assistant. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport previously reported both Zampese and Yates’s expected hirings. Bowles joins his father’s coaching staff after playing most recently at Long Island University in 2024.

It’s not a done deal yet, but both coaches should make it to Tampa Bay sooner rather than later. The Bucs are finalizing a deal to bring on Falcons OC Zac Robinson in the same role. As most coaches do, he will bring along some of his lieutenants. Zampese has been coaching in the NFL for over 20 years. Yates joined the coaching ranks almost immediately after his playing career ended in 2017.

The team could turn to an in-house replacement for recently-fired offensive coordinator Scott Turner, who couldn’t overcome Washington’s QB woes in 2022. Zampese worked closely with Sam Howell during his rookie season. Howell acquitted himself well in his lone start of his rookie campaign, a Week 18 drubbing of the Cowboys. He’s the clubhouse leader to start for Washington in 2023. Zampese has coached in the NFL for 24 years, including a stint as the Bengals’ OC. He’s been on the Washington staff since 2020.

Coach Ron Rivera has filled out his staff with a lot of familiar last names, including Zampese. The former Bengals offensive coordinator and Browns QBs coach will look to groom 2019 first-rounder Dwayne Haskins, assuming Washington doesn’t take another quarterback early in this upcoming draft.

The Browns are also moving on from offensive quality control coach Brian Braswell, special teams assistant Josh Cribbs, assistant DBs coach Jerod Cruse, special teams coordinator Amos Jones, defensive quality control coach Eric Sanders, offensive assistant Bob Saunders, LBs coach Blake Williams, DC Gregg Williams and OL coach Bob Wylie. New coach Freddie Kitchens is still assembling his staff, though he’s expected to retain WRs coach Adam Henry, RBs coach Ryan Lindley and DBs coach DeWayne Walker.

The move reminds of Buffalo’s post-Week 2 firing of OC Greg Roman in 2016, which didn’t exactly have great results. Roman was the fall guy for the Bills’ inept defense. This is different from that standpoint, though. Zampese’s offense was completely inept in each of the first two games, failing to show any ability to compensate for obviously-deficient offensive line play, using a wholly ineffective three-way RBBC that somehow, inexplicably still employs Jeremy Hill, and failed to get A.J. Green the ball on a consistent basis. The Bengals have played two (home!) games and scored zero touchdowns. Whereas Roman’s firing was questionable, this one is 100-percent deserved.

Zampese has been the QBs coach in Cincinnati since 2003, so he has worked with Andy Dalton for the quarterback’s entire career. That familiarity should give him a leg up in the coaching search. WRs coach James Urban could also be an option, or the Bengals could decide to look outside the organization.

The Bengals are staying in house once again to fill their open OC spot. He takes over for Hue Jackson, who left for the Browns’ head-coaching job. Jackson was promoted when Jay Gruden left to take the Redskins’ head gig. Zampese has been the QBs coach since 2003 and received some interest from the Rams for their open coordinator job last offseason. His promotion will keep the continuity in Cincinnati and gives Zampese a chance to put his name on the radar.

Reporter Mary Kay Cabot believes Jackson is targeting his ex-Bengals staffmate as a position coach. Zampese has also been linked to the Broncos’ QBs coach opening.

Zampese interviewed for the Browns’ OC gig, but he’ll instead coach quarterbacks. It’s an important job in Cleveland, however, as the Browns are expected to use the No. 1 or 4 overall pick on a signal caller. Coach Hue Jackson needs to develop whoever that pick is, and Zampese is going to play a big part.