TAMPA, Fla. -- A lot has been made of the fact that Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota has virtually no experience operating under center.

It’s a valid point. The only time Mariota took snaps from under center in college was when the Ducks were doing kneel downs at the end of games.

There is no question Mariota would have to make a big adjustment if he is selected No. 1 overall by the Buccaneers. But maybe the change wouldn’t be as dramatic as it might seem.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, the current league-wide trend is to use the shotgun or pistol formation much more frequently than in the past. In 2014, 60 percent of the league’s snaps came out of either the shotgun or pistol formation.

There has been a steady rise since ESPN Stats & Information started charting this category in 2006. In that season, only 19 percent of the snaps came out of the shotgun or pistol formation. But there has been a steady rise in each year since then and the 50-percent barrier was first broken in 2013.

Exact numbers on how often the Bucs used the shotgun formation last year weren’t available. But it’s safe to say they used it less frequently than the league average. As long as Lovie Smith is the coach, the quarterback is going to be required to line up under center a fair amount of the time. But the shotgun is a part of the Bucs’ offense.

Maybe Mariota’s not as far behind the curve as many think.