Stat Guys: Rachaad White Won The 2023 Bucs Draft
May 6th, 2023
No. 1 RB Rachaad White.
Warren Sharp’s outfit is down on Rachaad White.
Sharp, a noted handicapper turned stathead dives crazy deep into stats to dig out trends. And he and his numbers guys do not like how little White produced last year — or didn’t produce.
In fact, Raymond Summerlin of Sharp Football Analysis suggests White was one of the worst running backs in the NFL and was no better than Playoff Lenny.
White … escaped draft weekend without any significant new competition – Sean Tucker, who the Bucs signed as an undrafted free agent, is worth watching.
It is important to note how much White struggled last year. He finished 45th among 51 qualifying running backs in yards per touch (4.3), 41st in EPA per run (-0.12), and 49th in yards after contact per rush.
The reality is he was not any better than Leonard Fournette, who remains a free agent.
Chase Edmonds is not as big of a threat as a highly-drafted rookie would have been, but White will have to play better to establish himself as the No. 1 option.
Still, White’s outlook is rosier coming out of the draft.
Joe loved how White played against Seattle. Why didn’t that happen more often?
Now if you want to tell Joe the offense was a trainwreck since it was an organized disaster with SpongeBob running the show, OK. Very believable.
If you whine about the offensive line, well, did the NFL pass a rule that slipped past Joe stating running backs are no longer allowed to break tackles or avoid hits?
The fact the Bucs drafted no skill positions with what Ira Kaufman calls a “premium pick,” first three rounds, tells Joe the Bucs have a lot of confidence in new offensive coordinator Dave Canales.
Or the Bucs are slyly setting themselves up to draft a quarterback next spring after averaging 18 points a game last season.
May 6th, 2023 at 8:13 am
Chase Edmonds is more of a fourth string running back.
May 6th, 2023 at 8:14 am
I think he’s got a better chance this year, if only because Leftwich isn’t running the offense. I wouldn’t be surprised to see his numbers go up this year. And as long as Tucker’s heart hopefully doesn’t become more of a problem, and with Vaughn, I expect that our running game should improve this year.
May 6th, 2023 at 8:14 am
White showed some sparks at the end of the season. Before that he look very bad. He has the tools, he just has to execute. Hopefully he will.
May 6th, 2023 at 8:21 am
“If you whine about the offensive line, well, did the NFL pass a rule that slipped past Joe stating running backs are no longer allowed to break tackles or avoid hits?”
Wow, what a hot take lol yea let’s just totally brush off the fact we had >10 OL combos over the course of the 2022 season, or the fact that by design we had a scheme that at best, used the run game to set up the 4-5 pass plays that stem off a given run play. White also caught 86% of the passes thrown his way
May 6th, 2023 at 8:52 am
It’s kind of tough to get production when your offensive coordinator only let you run on first downs, and only then right up the middle, so everybody and their grandmother knows what’s coming.
May 6th, 2023 at 8:53 am
How can White average more than 4.3 yards per touch when Brady was throwing him dump offs five yards behind the line of scrimmage?
May 6th, 2023 at 8:58 am
If you’re trying to have us believe that an offensive line isn’t important to the success of a running back then we lack brain cells. In the history of the NFL every famous rusher had a plus average O-line. If you don’t believe me then ask them who they thank for their success. …jeez
I predict if the O-line plays better than last season Rachaad White will have a better season.
May 6th, 2023 at 8:59 am
hard to break tackles when you cant get to high speeds of running. there were hardly any holes made for him to gain momentum to break tackles. also the play calling was so bad that the linebackers knew when to go get him before the play started.
May 6th, 2023 at 9:00 am
He looked good to me last year, he has great hands, runs tough, smooth and slippery. He gonna bust some this year!
May 6th, 2023 at 9:05 am
White was a rookie. We seem to always expect too much to happen. Year two coming up. With all the self promotion he’s been doing he sure better show up.
May 6th, 2023 at 9:16 am
“If you whine about the offensive line, well, did the NFL pass a rule that slipped past Joe stating running backs are no longer allowed to break tackles or avoid hits?”
Wow.
So much I could say to that, but I don’t want to risk getting banned, lol.
I’ll just say…a brick wall is a brick wall. The best sleeve hammer can’t ‘break’ thru a brick wall in one hit.
Dooly nailed it above.
May 6th, 2023 at 9:18 am
Also…stats don’t show broken tackles.
May 6th, 2023 at 9:19 am
Getting rid of Brady’s $35 mil THIS year gives them a lot of options, including signing a top tier free agent
May 6th, 2023 at 9:24 am
I’m not quite sure any running back would have done well with our OC & Oline last year…
Let’s see what White does this year…..
May 6th, 2023 at 9:34 am
Restructure Mike Evans and sign Kareem Hunt.
May 6th, 2023 at 9:49 am
A whole article to try and convience Buc’s fans that they have a good running back.
I guess Donovan Smith was not good enough to play for the Buc’s but the Chief’s understand how and who it takes to win. Smith will be playing in another super bowl and Buc’s fans will be debating who will sign to play left tackle,sad.
May 6th, 2023 at 10:07 am
LAL. Life after Leftwich. As you said Joe, Fournette didn’t do any better. It was Lefty’s offense that sucked more than the O line, or RB’s. leftwich could not scheme a good running game. just didn’t have it in him.
May 6th, 2023 at 10:09 am
Doc, you’re an idiot. KC was desperate for a T.
Donnie is done. Checked out of the game he never loved. I predict he won’t finish the season.
Oh, and I think Rachaad White is going to be just fine. He flashed in a putrid scheme last year and I expect he’ll be lighting it up under Canales this season.
May 6th, 2023 at 10:12 am
All you excuse makers for the great under performance of the offense last year better pray Dave Canales can pump up this group with his schemes. If not, last year will be looking a whole lot better than we remember it now.
May 6th, 2023 at 10:28 am
BL was A reason our offense underwhelmed last year, but this whole “look the other way” when it comes to the offensive line is amazing to me. Barry Sanders in his prime would’ve stunk behind that line.
May 6th, 2023 at 10:33 am
I tend to be a stats guy. But you can’t totally disregard what your eyes are showing you.
My eyes suggested that last years center and guards did a horrible job with any run push and Leftwich was a horrible play caller.
It was not a White issue.
May 6th, 2023 at 10:44 am
DoooshLaRue Says:
The stats speaks for them self. KC is a winning team and do not sign anyone unless he was the best on the streets. If you think the line was bad last year, even with a quick release quarterback and now you add a rookie from a small school and two bad quarterbacks and a first year OC, the truth is the truth.
May 6th, 2023 at 10:44 am
Canales will be bringing in a totally different blocking scheme that White will benefit from.
My last name is Tucker, so naturally I have high hopes for our new Running Back!
May 6th, 2023 at 10:48 am
I really feel we will be more successful this year with our run game…Hear me out!
1) Leftwich is gone. He’s the only person in my life that made me believe I had psychic powers!
2) Fournette is gone. I loved him 2020-2021 when he was power back. In 2022 he’s switch to “trying” to be Barry Sanders in the trenches. The crazy thing was he was dancing at the line but when he hit open spaces he stop trying to be Barry and ran directly at the defender and swiftly went dooooown! It was a joke!
3) As I have been stating for awhile, White showed me and I presume the Bucs last year that he’s going to be stud when they finally give him the rock. Get him on your fantasy league. You heard it hear first!
So ….we don’t need to waste money on a another RB right now. At this point we could use another LT, CB, and or Safety.
May 6th, 2023 at 10:56 am
It’s one thing to take stat geeks seriously but if your doing it on average for a veteran or a guy on multiple teams in his career but to take it seriously based a rookie season is kinda weak
If I remember correctly he definitely broke tackles. Every one can keep saying running back position has been devalued then at the same time say they are angling for a top pick in the draft when you know it’s not true. Playoff Lenny worked exactly one season until he got paid so I’m good with rookie backs or fist contract backs
May 6th, 2023 at 10:58 am
I think White had a nice year for a rookie. Talented. He’s going to be very good as a runner and has good hands.
May 6th, 2023 at 11:08 am
Even a dominant O-line would have had problems considering that we entered every game with the exact same gameplan, week in and week out.
We have the talent on the team, not so much with coaching.
Yes BL was awful, but if you think he was the only failure last year….. sorry, cant help you.
It doesn’t matter how much talent you field if you are as predictable as we were last year. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t game planning the responsibility of the HC? Individual jobs are delegated, sure, but the total package falls on the HC, and he delivered the most predictable games in the league.
Just like watching your child make a painful mistake because they need to learn their lesson, I’m afraid this season is going to be painful to watch!
May 6th, 2023 at 11:08 am
I think Tucker has quite a bit of juice based on the highlights that I watched. Also I also believe that under Canales’s offense that the rushing attack will be a total turn around from last season.
May 6th, 2023 at 11:09 am
He ran behind the same line and played for the same coordinator as Lenny did, but he also turned the ball over more. I can get behind some of the addition by subtraction notions, but turning the ball over as a rb is no bueno.
May 6th, 2023 at 11:20 am
Show me a decent run blocking scheme and I will show up a decent running back. Nobody could run behind our O line last year. Hopefully this year will be better?
May 6th, 2023 at 11:29 am
“Now if you want to tell Joe the offense was a trainwreck since it was an organized disaster with SpongeBob running the show, OK. Very believable.”
Yes. If it made the GOAT bad then it’s not a stretch to think that a rookie RB would also look bad.
May 6th, 2023 at 11:35 am
How quickly we forget. Why was the Offense bad last year? Why did the running game suck?
Leftwich. Next topic, please.
May 6th, 2023 at 11:40 am
I like RW a lot. If you watch his highlights he made the most with a below average o-line. He is patient and makes cuts at the right moment. I do see Sean Tucker being a steal. Not sure how you go from being a 2nd thru 4th rd prospect to being undrafted. My guess is he was dealing with a mental health issue or something. Hopefully, the young man is in good health now and ready to make his case to be #2 or #3 back on the team.
May 6th, 2023 at 11:42 am
If you whine about the offensive line, well, did the NFL pass a rule that slipped past Joe stating running backs are no longer allowed to break tackles or avoid hits?
-LOL
May 6th, 2023 at 11:44 am
BL would’ve made Barry Sanders look bad with his shyte run schemes. Friggin Helen Keller knew when we were running the ball. Zero imagination.
May 6th, 2023 at 11:52 am
The O-line only needs to eat up defenders enough to give the RB just enough of a gap to do something. From there, the RB has to bust through or avoid tackles. Blockers have to get to the second level, too.
There are always going to be plays the best o-lines and RBs won’t execute. Consiatency is the key and that did not happen last year due to injuries, etc. The loss of Jensen and Marpet hurt.
May 6th, 2023 at 12:04 pm
Can’t blame it all on clown leftwich
May 6th, 2023 at 12:16 pm
I think they win around 4-5 games this season….
No need to get over excited about any member of that.
Go Bucs!!! (With the 4th pick in the NFL draft the Bucs select…Quarterback out of….)
May 6th, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Honestly last year our oline play last year was pretty bad…
we couldn’t protect the quarterback and we definitely couldn’t run the football (not that we really tried Byron) so hopefully that’s not an issue again this year
May 6th, 2023 at 12:36 pm
Doc Says:
May 6th, 2023 at 10:44 am
DoooshLaRue Says:
The stats speaks for them self. KC is a winning team and do not sign anyone unless he was the best on the streets.
__________
They signed Ronald Jones last year.
😂
Without Mahomes, they ain’t much.
May 6th, 2023 at 12:42 pm
I agree with comments above with regard to the fact that, any RB, no.matter how good, would be set-up-for-failure under the extreme negatives under which that would have to play: i.e., no O-line; no offensive coordinationg.
What stats does this come-under?
Rachaad White only played “here n’ there” in the first half of last season: when it was finally discovered by the “coaching” staff that he was the only one making 1st downs (and, “gee!, White’s a good receiving-RB”), that changed.
And Rachaad White, in a rookie year earned #1 RB in the 2nd half of a rookie season; and you can best believe it was only because of Brady lobbying for it, not because of the wisdom of the coaching, they had none.
How would anyone know any of this from “the 1/2- season-stats?”
May 6th, 2023 at 12:55 pm
“During the 2022 regular season, Smith gave up a total of 31 pressures (18 QB hurries, 7 QB hits, 6 sacks) in 13 regular season starts. He also had the second-most penalties called on him among all NFL offensive linemen (12), according to Football Database. Those penalties were for offensive holding (7), false start (4), and illegal use of hands (1)”
May 6th, 2023 at 1:28 pm
Line wasn’t great, Leftwich couldn’t call a game or scheme up a running game, but don’t discount the fact that Gisele got Brady’s nuts in the divorce and old man Brady absolutely REFUSED to push the ball down the field and couldn’t keep the safeties away from the line of scrimmage.
BTW, for the Brady fans that want to blame everyone but him, his sack percentage was the second lowest of his career. Don’t give me the BS about not being able to throw. He never tried. He lost his nerve. That’s on him. You can’t give him all the credit the first two years then none of the blame this last year.
May 6th, 2023 at 1:30 pm
Doosh….
True. They signed Ronald Jones last year. You proved the point. No Ronald Jones meant we had no running game. He was our last good runner at running back.
May 6th, 2023 at 2:15 pm
So let’s use some brain power here…
In the same offense, with the same offensive line, with the same retarded OC, calling the same plays, in the same order, over and over again, the RBs basically performed the same.
Hummm… oh right, it’s that the RBs are all terrible and you need to clean house, because with better RBs they would have made the Leftwich running game, which consisted of running it up the middle on every 1st down into 8 man fronts, well that offense would have worked if you had an UDFA with a bad heart.
LOL!
May 6th, 2023 at 3:07 pm
And in the Seattle game out O Line absolutely mauled Seattle upfront. If we really are tanking for Caleb this year Rachaad gives us our best chance.
May 6th, 2023 at 4:06 pm
DoooshLaRue Says:
They signed Ronald Jones last year.
Mr. Jones has a super bowl ring, so they did not make a mistake.
May 6th, 2023 at 4:36 pm
If White is gonna be great, we probably shoulda seen some glimpses of it last year, at some point.
May 6th, 2023 at 5:56 pm
Doc Says:
May 6th, 2023 at 4:06 pm
DoooshLaRue Says:
They signed Ronald Jones last year.
Mr. Jones has a super bowl ring, so they did not make a mistake.
__________
Oh definitely.
He played in 6 games, 0 starts and gained 70 yards on 17 carries.
An integral piece for sure.
And for the record Doc, that lucky sumbiotch has 2 SB rings.
May 6th, 2023 at 6:02 pm
“Or the Bucs are slyly setting themselves up to draft a quarterback next spring”
Sorry but that’s just absurd! If they head into the final game with a loss determining a top draft pick maybe…but that is the FARTHEST thing from their minds right now.
People have jobs on the freaking line. They are not fans, they are professionals with livlihoods to protect.
Only losers lose on purpose! Nobody wants to reestablish that mind set!
May 6th, 2023 at 11:49 pm
I think White with his running style is more suited for a zone scheme which is not what we ran last year. So this year under Canales I expect much better results.
May 7th, 2023 at 9:49 am
Sean Tucker will be RB1 by mid season. Tucker has impressive RB traits which are obvious when watching him play. Rachaad White is an average backup at best. White has no on-field speed, no burst , no power, no wiggle, is not decisive hitting the hole, runs too upright, and annoyingly arrogant as his switch to uniform number #1 proves. After his subpar year last year that takes stones to wear #1 as if to suggest he is amazing.