Rachaad White’s Second Chance
June 25th, 2023
New start to career.
One big mystery of this offseason is the Bucs really didn’t add any running back of significance to bolster the league’s worst rushing attack.
Gone is Playoff Lenny. Added is Chase Edmonds, who ran for a whopping 245 yards for two teams last season. Is that really an addition?
The Bucs are banking on second-year back Rachaad White to break out. Outside of the Bucs’ win over the Seahawks in Munich, White was pretty darn close to a non-factor last year.
Now Joe asked White earlier in underwear football season if offensive coordinator SpongeBob and his disjointed offense was a bad fit for him. Joe was very impressed with White’s response. Joe served up on a silver platter an excuse for White to use for his disappointing rookie season. Nope. He wouldn’t go there. Joe was impressed.
Maybe the Bucs believe SpongeBob had no clue how to use White and the reworked offensive line will help all the running backs?
White is sure going to get chances to prove last year was not what Bucs fans can expect from the Arizona State product.
Rachaad White was not better than Leonard Fournette last year. In fact, he was rather bad.
He came in near the bottom of the league in both missed tackles forced/attempt and yards per opportunity.
Right between Kenyan Drake and James Robinson in the washed zone (bottom left) pic.twitter.com/MFq1GqRNYv
— Ryan Heath (@RyanJ_Heath) April 19, 2023
June 25th, 2023 at 7:07 am
We could still free up some money and bring in a FA RB…….this is an entirely new OLine…..with a healthy Jensen….Feller & Mauch…..the wild card is Goedeke at RT….if he does well, we should have a better Oline than 22.
June 25th, 2023 at 7:22 am
Addition by subtraction: Leftwich out – Caneles in. The former was clueless about running an offense and adjusting on the fly. The later, according to the players comments I’ve read, his offensive scheme is light years ahead of that garbage we witnessed last year. Don’t sleep on White, Vaughn and Sean Tucker.
June 25th, 2023 at 7:28 am
Wasn’t he a rookie last season and the backup? second chance? …smh
June 25th, 2023 at 7:32 am
TBBF … ‘entirely new OLine…..with a healthy Jensen….Feller & Mauch…..the wild card is Goedeke at RT’
Lots of folks seem to be putting a lot of faith in rookie Cody Mauch. I’m not even convinced that he’ll make the starting lineup this season. He played as a Left Tackle in Division II ball for really 2 years (they only played 2 games in 2020). He’s not really a ‘beast’ like Tristan Wirfs was when he started as a rookie; decent at run blocking apparently but his pass protection was meh. We’ve got several guys (Stinnie, Leverett, Hainsey) who could end up being starters for us in Game 1 rather than Mauch.
June 25th, 2023 at 8:21 am
I’m worried White may not be fast enough to be a stud. He could be good but not great. Hopefully this offense will reveal me to be wrong.
June 25th, 2023 at 8:24 am
This has become the biggest off season of this blog giving stats and charts. Seems like a change in the approach here.
I have to say one thing that seems to be a regular on this site for years is a request that Bucs add running backs. Has there ever been an off season when we have not written multiple times about that.
I agree DR that Cody Mauch is a 2nd year projection for us, not a 1st year guy.
June 25th, 2023 at 8:31 am
I’m somewhat optimistic that the combination of a zone blocking scheme and a full offseason as the starter in a new offense is going to really help unlock White’s potential. He doesn’t have to be the fastest or shiftiest, just be patient and read blocks well and hit the right holes at the right time and he will be productive.
June 25th, 2023 at 8:39 am
The guy is looking solely at White’s production, had no real info about the circumstances
June 25th, 2023 at 8:44 am
Let us also hope that Goedeke is a 2nd year guy at RT. Bucs need veteran pickup at last cut for Oline depth to be better. Bucs did not add a RB due to the fact it was plainly the Oline that was deficient causing the lack of production at RB.
June 25th, 2023 at 8:58 am
Stats say one thing but my eyes told me something completely different. He might have averaged a little over 3 ypc but the majority of his carries he was met by a defender, or defenders at or behind the line of scrimmage. It was a minor miracle that he got those 3 yards
June 25th, 2023 at 9:18 am
Considering all skilled draft positions, rookie RB tend to do better in their first year compared to other position. With this said, unlike other positions, teams can predict how good a RB is in their rookie year. I highly doubt that Rachaad White will be and better than a second string RB.
June 25th, 2023 at 9:25 am
Garrett Podell has written for CBS that this year’s Geno Smith will be Baker Mayfield. They both have very similar traits entering into their starting roles with their 4th team. I’ll buy it. We have enough talent around him and oh-by-the-way, a key piece of the Seahawk’s coaching tree is his new OC, Dave Canales.
June 25th, 2023 at 9:34 am
Most of us could call the run plays from our couch last season, so tough putting too much on the RB’s. (Just ask the Ravens D). I think the Sleeper might be Vaughn. He was in the doghouse with BL but has legit speed. it’s either this season for him or he’s likely done.
June 25th, 2023 at 9:35 am
In Leftwich’s offense it was usually easy to predict when the Bucs were going to run the ball and this made it easy for opposing defenses to key the RB and get early penetration. Barry Sanders would have had trouble being productive the way Leftwich used the running game. It seemed like he was content to use the running game just to set up the need to go deep,
June 25th, 2023 at 9:48 am
I’m still expecting the Bucs to free up more cap space with a new deal for Mike Evans.
Once that happens they will probably add another running back.
Cook, Hunt Elliot and maybe even Fournette are all candidates for that spot…
Plus – maybe S. Tucker gets healthy and becomes the RB2.
June 25th, 2023 at 9:59 am
Marine Buc, Elliot, and Cook will be looking for a contender to sign with, not us. We really don’t need them anyway. The problem last year was spongebob didn’t have a clue. The guy was garbage as an O.C., the rest of the league, and college agreed. He’s lucky if he can coach his kids team to a win. White, Vaughn, were 3rd rounders. You don’t make it to the NFL if you have no talent, they do, Leftwich didn’t. I think we’ll be fine with the backs we have. Better scheme, better O line, and a commitment to run the ball is what we really needed, and it’s what we’ve got.
June 25th, 2023 at 10:02 am
You can’t make a fair assessment of any backs due to the crap offensive line talent that Jason assembled
June 25th, 2023 at 11:15 am
Prolly another bust like Plan 9.
June 25th, 2023 at 11:17 am
Many assume that Jensen is going to be some pro-bowl lineman. That injury is a very tough to come back from let alone be 100%. And after a couple of games will be tough to manage the inflammation that leads to rehab and not practice. This will be Jensen’s last year as he will limp thru the season.
June 25th, 2023 at 11:19 am
Hodad … ‘I think we’ll be fine with the backs we have. Better scheme, better O line, and a commitment to run the ball is what we really needed, and it’s what we’ve got.’
Good summation of where we’re at IMO. Sure would like to have better depth (in all position groups) however. Injuries are a fact of life in the NFL as we’ve all seen (especially last year), and depth is critical.
More than likely, neither White nor Vaughn strike fear in the hearts of defenders; neither does Chase Edmonds. I’d love to see what we’ve got in Sean Tucker, but I’m not convinced that he’ll even make the team with his heart issue (NFL teams seem to be skittish about those things).
Our OLine has to be better (it couldn’t be any worse than last year), and the play-calling will surely be better also. With so many changes though, it’s hard to even predict how fast this offense will gel. My big hope is that our defense keeps it close while the offense is getting its’ stuff together.
June 25th, 2023 at 11:29 am
Geez it’s seems dumb putting up stats from a difference offensive scheme than they have now. It’s like everyone forgetting they admitted the run scheme under BA hasn’t always been subpar and he got here!!
So you’re saying the answer to the Bucs problem is drafting another rookie to go through what White went through. Plus maybe they disagree and think Sean tucker who would have been drafted if not for a medical issue expected to be cleared up by camp. If an offense can be designed to get receivers open the same can be said for running backs
June 25th, 2023 at 11:44 am
Last year the “run game” was terrible, not the backs. Getting first contact within one yard would be tough on anyone. From the line to the coaching it was a disaster. It must suck to be a RB in the new, pass-happy NFL. You can’t get paid as a veteran unless you led the league in yards or TDs and then it’s a “maybe” if you’re over 25. They’re treated as disposable. Look at Lenny. For his sheer ability to catch the ball in an area of the field that would be considered where a slot receiver would be, is he really not worth the same $$$ as an average slot receiver (8 mil/yr)? He doesn’t fumble, had very good YAC numbers (Joe had a graphic recently that showed him in the top 10 I believe) last year.
I can understand the Bucs not wanting to pay the money to keep him since they realize they aren’t putting together a “win it all now” team for 2023, but teams like Buffalo, Cincy, etc should snap him up at least on a 1 year deal and pay the man.
I think White, now entering his 2nd year, along with Sneak will do only as well as the oline allows and Canales schemes. They both have decent skills. Sneak is 26 so it’s do or die for him or be stuck at a vet minimum backup role. I’d be working on my kick return skills if I were him if he can’t show something this season in the run game. He might excel there.
I think our run game will be better this year (can’t be worse, right?) but still maybe in the bottom half of the league. Teams will focus on stopping our run and force Traskerfield to beat them. We really need our passing game to succeed. Teams don’t need to fear it, just respect it enough to not stack the box on every down.
June 25th, 2023 at 11:48 am
He had no chance in last year’s offense, so this is really his first chance.
June 25th, 2023 at 12:55 pm
Yep, some fans are loathe to blame the OL last season for our offense woes even though stats and film has backed up how bad the OL was last season. No running game and bad pass protection. I’m not sold on White, but in fairness to him there weren’t many holes created by the OL. Hainsey got pushed back. Goedeke was lost. Hopefully the new zone scheme helps. We were awful with duo last year.
June 25th, 2023 at 1:00 pm
If ever there was an opportunity for Vaughn – its this year. I think we might be pleasantly surprised.
Word is however (Joe) White had added muscle. Hopefully he added a little burst too.
June 25th, 2023 at 2:32 pm
White has soft hands and really excels with vision and patience. Those two attributes require good blocking which did not occur last year. I think the zone scheme is a great fit for his style of play. In space, he’s a long strider so his burst isn’t as quick but he has the speed to break long runs.
He really just needs to get stronger and learn to use his size to break tackles better. If he can do that he’s a top 8 back.
June 25th, 2023 at 4:52 pm
Rand Says:
June 25th, 2023 at 7:28 am
Wasn’t he a rookie last season and the backup? second chance? …smh
________
Exactly.
I think he’s gonna be good. I saw some flashes that really impressed me last year.
It won’t surprise me if he’s our best RB this year.
June 25th, 2023 at 9:55 pm
Joe, you keep saying this over and over. “The Bucs didn’t improve the ring game because they didn’t get a new RB.”
You’re losing credibility, brother. Watch the games.
New OC. Seattle had/has an amazing run game. Sponge Bob was a terrible play caller. New LT, LG, RG, RT. The RBs were getting hit behind the line. No RB other than Barry Sanders would excel. The running game is dramatically improved.
June 26th, 2023 at 2:08 am
Leftnut and Lenny were the main problems. Putting aside the fact that the O-line couldn’t block my grandma. Putting any of that on White is not fair or accurate. Lenny should have been benched early in the season mainly because he refused to just run the plays as called, instead dancing around in the backfield. When White did play he did as well under the circumstances as we could expect from a rookie. I Would not judge him much on last years play. He can catch the ball and I hope he shows us what an RB1 can do in the new offense.
Go Bucs
June 26th, 2023 at 2:15 am
Sorry Joes, I didn’t major in stat greek.
Geez
Go Bucs
June 26th, 2023 at 10:49 pm
Eyeball test says differently when Fournette ran and when White ran.