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Lions receiver Golden Tate catches a pass during OTAs last week.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

ALLEN PARK -- The first rule of the Detroit Lions' new offense, apparently, is don't talk about the new offense.

The second rule of the new offense .. well, you can probably guess it.

Detroit is installing a new scheme under offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, but has revealed very little of it during the two OTA sessions that were open to the media. And players aren't saying much about what it's going to look like either.

"You should ask Jim Bob," tailback Zach Zenner said with a smile.

OK Zach, that's an understandable response. But generally speaking, how's this thing going to look?

"Uhhh ... you know ... ummm ... yeah, I don't even want to go there," Zenner said. "Ask Jim Bob."

Cooter hasn't done interviews yet during OTAs, so that chat will have to wait. But one thing that can be expected?

A healthy dose of unpredictability.

That was always a knock against former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi -- that his playcalling was a bit stale and predictable -- and Cooter wasted little time freshening things up after taking over for Lombardi in Week 8 of last season.

He once dialed up a play that called for receiver Golden Tate to line up at fullback. The result?

A touchdown pass to a wide-open Tate.

And it seems more wrinkles are in store for 2016, now that Cooter has a full offseason to rip up the playbook.

"There's a wiiiide variety of plays -- a lot of things we can do -- which is the exciting part," Tate said, pausing for a moment on that third word. "I don't see us being predictable this year. I think Jim Bob, what he has lined up and the personnel we have, we're going to be exciting to watch."

Zenner said to expect the same.

"That's the goal," the second-year tailback said.

The stagnating Lions offense received a jolt of excitement after Cooter, originally hired to be Matthew Stafford's quarterback coach in 2014, was promoted last year. The changes were subtle at first, mostly simplifying assignments and blocking schemes. But as the weeks rolled on, he was able to install more of his own plays and the offense began to soar.

After averaging just 18.6 points in the first half of the season, Detroit averaged 26.1 in the second half.

No one played better than Stafford, who threw 19 touchdown passes and just two interceptions in the second half. He completed 70 percent of his passes and compiled a passer rating of 110.1 during that stretch.

But rather than continue to ride out whatever was working, Cooter is continuing to overhaul the offense this season.

"We started from scratch," Tate said. "Some of the same plays we had last year have different names. The terminology is really completely different. So it's almost like forget what we've learned the last two years under Joe Lombardi, and even the end of last year, and we've started over."

What's going to be the biggest difference?

"There's a lot, top to bottom," Tate said. "Personnel. Offense is completely different. The calls are different. The signals are different. From top to bottom, it's all new."

Detroit has completed six OTA practices, and will hold its final four this week to wrap things up before the summer break. How far along is the offense at this stage?

"It's good," Tate said. "It's a lot of material for sure. It's a little different from last year. I think in a classroom, we all get it -- but it's one thing to be out on the line of scrimmage in a matter of seconds understanding the calls and what's required of you.

"We're just trying to get good at it, so we can do less thinking and more playing."

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