Important Night For Rachaad White
August 26th, 2023
Rachaad White
Joe hasn’t given up on the Bucs enhancing their running backs corps for the 2023 season.
The Bucs lost their top 2022 rusher, Leonard Fournette, and replaced him with veteran Chase Edmonds. That’s not an encouraging swap for the NFL’s bottom-ranked running attack.
Second-year running back Rachaad White has been handed the Buccaneers’ No. 1 running back gig and he is sure to play in tonight’s presason game against the Ravens at The Licht House. White hasn’t played all preseason and the Bucs’ running game has been ugly. So Joe’s thinking that if White doesn’t look good tonight, the Bucs might get nervous and pounce on a running back after teams make cuts, or they’ll just flat out bring in a free agent.
Yes, you can find effective running backs that way. That’s how the Bucs scored then-rookie LeGarrette Blount, who hammered away for 1,000 yards in 13 games that season.
Joe also looks back at Bobby Rainey, who the Bucs picked up on waivers early in the 2013 season. Say what you want about undersized Rainey, he was somewhat effective behind poor offensive lines.
Rainey ran for 956 yards on 236 carries in a Bucs uniform (4.1 yards per carry) with six rushing touchdowns. Joe suspects many Bucs fans would do cartwheels of White had numbers like that this season.
Joe’s not saying White will get replaced if he gets eight carries tonight and doesn’t look impressive. Don’t be ridiculous. But the Bucs must improve running the ball this season to be successful. So Joe is confident general manager Jason Licht won’t be good with the status woe at running back if the Bucs crank out a third consecutive bad preseason night of rushing.
August 26th, 2023 at 10:40 am
It’s not the running back.
August 26th, 2023 at 10:52 am
I think it’s a more important game for Vaughn. White, Edmonds, Tucker and a veteran waiver pickup might have him unemployed by this time next week or sooner.
August 26th, 2023 at 11:02 am
“status woe.” Good one, Joe.
August 26th, 2023 at 11:03 am
Hope he has had enough rest.
August 26th, 2023 at 11:03 am
White, Tucker, Edmonds and Brown represents solid talent in our RB stable. (Not sure if Vaughn will even make the team…)
If the OLine can open some holes the Bucs will be just fine running the ball in 2023.
August 26th, 2023 at 11:20 am
1st play, run up the middle. Bets?
August 26th, 2023 at 11:28 am
How can it be an important night for White? Remember joe it’s just a worthless preseason game!
August 26th, 2023 at 11:29 am
Still don’t understand why so many are down on Vaughn. Last year he only got 17 carries in 15 games for 53 yards, a paltry 3.1 YPC (he tallied a grand total of 37 offensive snaps … wow). But almost all of his carries were in situations where the defense KNEW we were gonna run. And no, we won’t mention trying to run behind our 2022 OLine in situations like that.
I think that 2021 provides a better look at what Ke’Shawn could do this year. He got 36 carries in 12 games for 180 yards, a pretty respectable 5.0 YPC (and that was with only 111 offensive snaps). Kinda sounds like he’s the Kyle Trask of the RB group. Put Ke’Shawn behind a decent run-blocking OLine, and he can get you 3-5 yards fairly consistently I’d suspect. Probably average between 4.0 – 4.5 YPC on the season, but probably won’t break any really big ones. Reminds me a lot of Earnest Graham.
August 26th, 2023 at 11:30 am
Important night for offensive line. Let’s see if they are not on roller skates getting pushed into the backfield.
August 26th, 2023 at 11:33 am
Still banging that drum for Kareem Hunt!
August 26th, 2023 at 11:38 am
I keep hearing play action. For play action to work, there must be the threat of a running game, otherwise forget about it. This year’s offense will live or die with the running game.
August 26th, 2023 at 11:52 am
DR – Vaughn has done nothing I am aware of through camp and 2 pre-season games that would suggest he should be kept.
Our two UDFAs Tucker and Brown have both outplayed Vaughn thus far – as has Edmonds.
We probably only keep 3 RBs on the initial 53 man roster which should be White, Edmonds and Tucker with Brown and perhaps Laird to the practice squad.
I just have a sneaking suspicion that “Sneak” will not be here next week unless he has a monster game tonight. He may not even play.
If you don’t see Vaughn getting opportunities (and looking good) in the Ravens game – then he is as good as gone.
August 26th, 2023 at 11:58 am
Canales would say the back up Running Backs are all the ‘Real Deal’. At least that seems like his go to line.
Starters are set and will be the same going into week 1 regardless of how they play. Evans drops every ball tonight. He still starts. Baker throws two picks. No change. As far as running backs there is always going to be substitutions even if you have a stud. Thunder (Najee Harris) has a Lightning at Pittsburgh.
I don’t think of having a Great Running Back but a Great Running Attack.
Failure to have that and the only thing attacking will be the opposing Defense and that will make for very disappointing Sunday Afternoon’s.
August 26th, 2023 at 12:08 pm
Sean Tucker is picking up steam in fantasy talks. Apparently there was a report he was splitting first team reps and some people have run with it.
August 26th, 2023 at 12:21 pm
@ Pick
I agree. It’s just not Vaughn’s performance last season. The dude has had three seasons and a preseason to show us he belongs in the NFL and has done nothing.
It’s not like Vaughn is a rookie still.
I don’t believe he will make the 53 man roster either and the Bucs will add another running back off the waiver wire after they move Jenson to IR…
August 26th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
I just hope Bowels “go to line” of “We’ve got to get better..” doesn’t rub off on Canales through every darn week. He has been SO positive–I just am dreading hearing it every week.
August 26th, 2023 at 12:30 pm
We Bucs fans aren’t asking for much, just have a average running game.
August 26th, 2023 at 12:41 pm
Not Just For R.White But for our Starters on both sides of the ball…. We were not good enough to Rest players and I believe tonight will prove we should have been playing all 3 games because clearly we don’t know how to practice by ourselves…we needed real reps.. but I hope they can show something because if we don’t….it will be a long season and that’s that.
August 26th, 2023 at 12:53 pm
I hope White has a great game tonight and a breakout season as well. But everyone including my mom, who doesn’t watch football, knows our first play is going to be White up the middle. I agree we need to establish the run game if we’re going to win. And if it’s incomplete we’re second and long. That all makes perfect sense. But what does White up the middle on the first play really get us? Second and nine or God help us, tackled for a loss. If I’m the pitcher and I know 100% you’re not going to swing at the first pitch, I’m throwing a fastball down the middle to get ahead of you. Okay so run it up the middle tonight but next week, why not play action the Vikings on first down? Why run the one play that everyone knows is coming? I mean there’s no need for signals if your going to do that, just have Wolford hold up a big sign that says, WHITE UP THE MIDDLE.
August 26th, 2023 at 1:06 pm
Rachaad White is going to be a stud, he should get at least 1200 yards this year, and another 600 yards or so via the air.
The kid’s college tape is great, and in the rare situation where he wasn’t running up the middle on 1st down under Leftwich, he generally looked good if he had any sort of blocking.
His college tape shows a patient runner, with fantastic stop and go ability, very much in the mold of a young Le’Veon Bell.
I think he’s going to have a big year — assuming Mayfield can at least be adequate at QB and defenses don’t completely ignore the pass and stack the line to stop the run.
While I’m down on this team in general, White is a guy who I think is going to have a big year. If not, Ronnie Brown is always in the background ready to carry the load.
August 26th, 2023 at 1:08 pm
As for tonight I don’t care at all about what happens or how he looks. In fact I’m a bit disappointed he’s even playing. RB’s don’t really need reps like the rest of the team, and even though I’m not as high on Tucker as others, I’d rather see him and Brown out there and just sit White AND Vaughn. I would, however, like to see Edmonds play a bit.
August 26th, 2023 at 1:18 pm
Vaughn has no vision-if the hole isn’t there he is kaput. Oline in 2021 was good hence the 5.0 ypc. Oline dtermines success in running game , unless the RB is all world, and none of ours are. Licht better add experienced depth at Oline or we are in big trouble.
August 26th, 2023 at 4:59 pm
Don’t tell me it’s raining Says
play is going to be White up the middle
Here we are on opposites sides of the coin again.
I think it will be a roll out or quick pass. I think I heard Canales say that he likes the idea of running on second down for 7 and make 3rd manageable.
Maybe he feels if he can’t get one on 1st he will shoot for 7 on second.
August 27th, 2023 at 3:49 am
Important Night
for Rachaad White
needs big game
can’t go lame