Five Days To Get A Running Back
October 26th, 2023
“I tell you what man, if them Bucs don’t get a dang ol’ running back, they’re going to throw the season away, man. Ew-wee, what a shame!”
Watching Rachaad White try to run the ball is enough to make Jeff Boomhauer quit stuttering.
The trade deadline is Tuesday afternoon, Halloween. And Joe fears if the Bucs don’t make a move for a running back, this season will die on the vine.
The NFC South is lousy. It’s there for the taking. But the Bucs’ run game is so terrible, it’s dragging the team down to the point the Bucs would be hard-pressed to string together a few wins in a row to take over the division lead.
Joe isn’t lobbying for a star, though Joe knows fans are pining for Derrick Henry or Zach Moss. Joe isn’t sure either is in play, though Moss would be a nice pickup.
Shoot, just a capable guy would be a big addition. Joe has thrown out names of running backs with trash teams that might be in firesale mode like Javonte Williams of Denver and D’Onta Foreman of the Bears.
Joe is wondering if Rams running back Kyren Williams might be an interesting trade target. He’s averaging 4.7 yards a carry with six touchdowns. The 2022 fifth-round pick would also be salary cap friendly.
The Rams are already a game behind the second-place Seahawks in the NFC West and two games behind the 49ers. Joe isn’t sure they have a legitimate shot at the postseason.
Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales runs a similar offense to Sean McVay’s so the learning curve for Williams would be shallower.
Yes, Williams played with Baker Mayfield last season.
The Bucs’ run game is so unnerving that the team has to go out and get a running back if it is serious about winning games and making the playoffs, that’s all there is to it.
Not getting a running back and claiming the team has a goal of the playoffs is simply virtue signaling and cannot be taken seriously.
October 26th, 2023 at 5:10 am
Welp…without a move for a running back in five short days then I guess the Bucs can pin their hopes on Chase Edmonds and Sean Tucker….yikes!
October 26th, 2023 at 5:14 am
Love the countdown, it is definitely huge for the Buc’s to get a competent RB1!
a decent to good back would improve the offensive line run blocking as well.
It sucks White didn’t work out i thought he was going to be good but it didn’t happen. White will still be a good third down back that can contribute but Buc’s need a stud RB1 no doubt.
October 26th, 2023 at 6:10 am
Williams is on week 2 of injured reserve at the moment, not sure how that affects a trade, but he’d be out for at least another 2 weeks. Zach Moss is having a beastly year right now and is definitely helping the Colts, plus Irsay would ask for Mike Evans or Godwin or something out of the question in return. D’onta Foreman had a 3 td game so his price went up. All these guys are going to be steep, I would imagine since we need it bad and other teams know it. I am hoping for a move too, but I just don’t see it happening.
October 26th, 2023 at 6:12 am
I believe we are all in agreement that White is a 3rd down back, but with our interior line in the shape it is, adding a RB now is fools gold.
If we were serious about running the ball consistently we would have made much different choices in FA and the draft.
It would take Barry Sanders or maybe Marshall Faulk to be successful with the current group of run blockers
And to the earlier comment on why we never run outside, it because we have no TE’s that can seal the edge consistently so we end up in tight formations when running most of the time. It’s a dead giveaway to the other team and they run blitz or stunt to the strong side nearly every time
One RB is not going to fix this mess, but we can all hope for something I suppose
October 26th, 2023 at 6:20 am
I think if a new RB1 made us a superbowl contender than go get one but it won’t. So why waste the draft capital on a running back? Time for a new coaching staff and QB1.
October 26th, 2023 at 6:30 am
Love the JBF strategy Joe of trying to shame Jason Licht into trading for a RB by running article after article on the subject, BUT … not gonna work. Jason is still counting pennies not dollars, and isn’t willing to part with any picks to get a short-term rental that almost surely wouldn’t solve the rushing problem by himself. This is just Year 1 of trying to dig out of the hole that we dug in 2020-2022.
Got a feeling that the Glazers are taking a longer-term view of this than any of us are. Winning the weak NFC South would be nice to show improvement (get our youngsters some quality experience), but realistically we’re not going anyplace even if we do win it. We’re probably 2 years out (at best) of making any SB runs.
October 26th, 2023 at 6:44 am
Sorry DR , but that is a defeatist attitude that I cannot succumb to with the squad at 3-3. Mike Evans is more than likely in his last year as a Buc , as much as it pains me to say that, and same for Devin White.
A quality RB such as Ronald Jones II could be signed for pro rated league minimum of 1.08 mill and immediately inject some verve and hard through the hole running that we desperately need into Canales offense.
Buffalo certainly does not look like a juggernaut and a victory tonight to go 4-3 would be huge as we both know that 9-8 or 8-9 likely wins the division. Once you are in the playoffs anything can happen as the Texas Rangers have shown.
October 26th, 2023 at 6:48 am
Agree with you Joe, it is as bad as watching Maybefield trying to connect on a deep pass.
October 26th, 2023 at 6:48 am
If Licht wants to upgrade the running game he needs to pick up two guards, a center, two tight ends, and a RB. I am not sure if you are actually watching the games if you think ANY RB would perform well behind this run blocking.
October 26th, 2023 at 7:02 am
It’s going to be one of those familiar lean years. Hang on.
October 26th, 2023 at 7:05 am
Bucs need to be sellers NOT buyers. Wheels are about to fall off this regime and team.
October 26th, 2023 at 7:11 am
As 1BUC76 have written above, 1 RB isn’t going to fix the Bucs running game. Unless we can coax Barry Sanders or someone comparable out of retirement. Unless our GM can find some help at the Dollar Store I doubt he’ll make a big acquisition.
Jason Licht is intent on building another Super Bowl team but it wasn’t going to happen in one season given the situation the team is in with the salary cap. And using draft capital to rent a RB might help some in the short term but will not help build a team that can take us back to the promised land.
October 26th, 2023 at 7:28 am
Our RB situation could be better.
Yet, I feel that every time Joe runs one of these articles, he needs to point out that our center is serious so inept at run blocking, we need an upgrade there first.
Sad thing is that there is not a good center prospect this coming class. At least allegedly.
October 26th, 2023 at 7:51 am
Teams are playing the run because we can’t throw the ball. We have decent pass protection. The receivers can’t get open “I doubt that” or the QB for what ever reason can’t get them the ball. Until the team can throw it they won’t run it. Not with these horses.
October 26th, 2023 at 7:56 am
Wow who knew we’d be pining for Dalvin Cook, besides everybody? Ronald Jones or some other hungriesh free agent would be fine at this point.
October 26th, 2023 at 8:16 am
A BIG TIME TRADE
For
A
Center!!!!
October 26th, 2023 at 8:27 am
There has been a lot of talk about the running game with some blaming it on the backs and others on the offensive line.
I looked into the advanced stats because I wanted to figure out how often our backs were being blown up in the back field because we have all seen those plays every game.
Yards before contact
White – 2.1
McCaffrey – 2.5
Moss – 2.6
Swift – 3.5
Etienne – 2.2
Henry – 2.3
Foreman – 3.5
K Williams – 3.4
J Williams – 1.9
Looking at YBC I think is the best measure and shows that there are other RBs getting the same or less space from their offensive line who are doing more. If the Bucs are looking for a RB to trade for then Javonte Williams seems like the best target from the players mentioned above.
October 26th, 2023 at 8:35 am
Nobody is pining for Cook his stats are worse than White’s
October 26th, 2023 at 8:35 am
“The Bucs run game is so unnerving that the team has to go out and get a running back if it is serious about winning games and making the playoffs, that’s all there is to it.”
What kind of backwards logic is that? According to ESPN, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line has THE WORST run block win rate percentage (63%) in the NFL and Joe still thinks getting a new running back will fix our problems running the football?! You can’t make this sh#! up folks
October 26th, 2023 at 8:47 am
Chase is back running game solved
October 26th, 2023 at 8:49 am
Please stop blaming Rachaad White for the Bucs rushing problems. Vaughn has not faired any better when given opportunities. There are no holes to run through. Watching White run after receptions tells me he’s a capable rusher. The issue is either the blocking scheme or that run blocking is not a strength of the current starting linemen. Maybe a bit of both. Calling for the Bucs to trade for Derrick Henry or any of the other RBs that have been suggested would be a waste of valuable draft capitol.
October 26th, 2023 at 8:50 am
They are signaling run by the player package.
October 26th, 2023 at 8:55 am
K-Bassuka: Please educate yourself on Baker’s ability to throw the deep ball. It’s called YouTube my friend.
October 26th, 2023 at 8:58 am
Perhaps we should post a wanted ad; Wanted RB1. Must be able to make the first 2 guys miss in the backfield.
October 26th, 2023 at 9:15 am
Since76: I’d say it’s more receivers can’t get open because our run game is such a non-threat, defenses can drop more guys into coverage.
October 26th, 2023 at 9:30 am
We definitely need an upgrade at center but I hope to see an improvement with flier being out because he stinks. Then maybe we might have some improvement with the run.
October 26th, 2023 at 9:32 am
Virtue signaling? What kind of pansy azz, millennial term is this? How about this instead.
“Not getting a running back and claiming the team has a goal of the playoffs is simply selling snake oil to the Buc faithful.
Sometimes “less is more” too much icing on the cake ruins the party. Keep it simple for us dumb dumb Buc fans.
October 26th, 2023 at 9:44 am
Cody Mauch is currently ranked #75 out of 80 guards in the NFL.
Replace him with Leverett and see if the run game improves.
It couldn’t get much worse…
October 26th, 2023 at 10:00 am
Joe, Kyren Williams is currently on injured reserve, but he is a very good back. I doubt the Rams trade him. He is their starter when healthy. If Bowles is serious about keeping his job, I would think he would be advocating for a running back. Derrick Henry makes sense as a one year (half year really) rental. He would definitely be an improvement.
For next season, the Bucs need to go all in on improving the run game. Like in 2018 and 2019, the Bucs realized the secondary was horrible and they invested six high draft picks on defensive backs, and in 2020 we picked Whitehead. We can make a similar investment in the run game. We don’t need to draft six running backs, but we do need to pick up two or three through the draft and free agency and likewise with guards and a center. Those changes can be done in one off season, and that would be on top of any natural improvement we get out of Mauch. I am not ready to give on on Hainsey either. Last year he was supposed to challenge for a guard position and got thrust into the center position when Jensen went down. The same thing happened this year. Maybe Hainsey isn’t a center, but rather a guard. At any rate, the Bucs need to invest in a running game next year, but this year,
a band aid (Henry or Zach Moss) might be enough for a playoff run in 2023.
October 26th, 2023 at 10:05 am
So much for the culture of winning brought in by TB12. If the Bucs brass allows this team to circle the drain again there probably won’t be another TB12 to save them next time. This team still has a lot of championship players. They need to take advantage of this goodwill that they got from the GOAT. If they allow us to go back to the den of depression we are in serious trouble. Do your job Licht, get us a quality RB
October 26th, 2023 at 10:11 am
That culture came to an end in San Francisco last year.
October 26th, 2023 at 10:12 am
If he’s on injured reserve he cannot be traded.
October 26th, 2023 at 10:21 am
Jack Clark Says:
October 26th, 2023 at 8:35 am
“The Bucs run game is so unnerving that the team has to go out and get a running back if it is serious about winning games and making the playoffs, that’s all there is to it.”
What kind of backwards logic is that? According to ESPN, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line has THE WORST run block win rate percentage (63%) in the NFL and Joe still thinks getting a new running back will fix our problems running the football?! You can’t make this sh#! up folks
^^^^^^^^
63%? You said it was ZERO just yesterday. 🙄
October 26th, 2023 at 10:23 am
Thank you for admitting you were wrong, Jack Clark. Admitting it is your first step.
October 26th, 2023 at 10:29 am
You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometime you just might find you get what you need.
October 26th, 2023 at 10:38 am
Derrick Henry won’t be able to run behind the bucs oline lmao.
October 26th, 2023 at 10:41 am
Don’t do it!
October 26th, 2023 at 10:41 am
Joe always wants Running Backs. It’s kind of tradition, lol.
October 26th, 2023 at 10:45 am
Marine Buc Says
“Cody Mauch…”
Personally, I think he just needs time to develop. But short term, you have a point. Maybe having someone else start will fire him up to be better…or give him time to work on weaknesses.
For what it is worth, Ryan Jensen went several seasons without being good enough to start…and he turned out to be great for us until the injury bug hit.
Mauch could be that kind of guy.
October 26th, 2023 at 10:49 am
The Bucs offensive line and starting QB are the issue.
We don’t even know if all those runs up the middle are they called plays, or if Mayfield changed plays at the line.
I do get why some runs up the middle are called…but not nearly as many as they call.
So far as RBs having patience…I wouldn’t behind that line either.
The offensive line should at least be good at run blocking by now. The offensive line coach is NOT getting it done.
October 26th, 2023 at 11:17 am
Joe in Michigan Says:
October 26th, 2023 at 10:21 am
63%? You said it was ZERO just yesterday. 🙄
^^^^^
Fake news
October 26th, 2023 at 11:54 am
Richard You may be right. But during the game I see open receivers. I just can’t believe Evans who is open even if he’s not and Godwin can’t get open. If they are not getting open as often as it seems this offensive system is hot garbage in my opinion. Mayfield needs to trust his receivers. Give them a chance.
October 26th, 2023 at 12:01 pm
Glaring holes at rb and center on this team. You are not likely to get a starting center that can contribute via deadline trade. RB is the easier way to go. You are not being serious if you are looking to have a fire sale and stocking for next season after 6 games in. Licht, Bowles, and Canales are not playing for next season. Do yourself a favor if you are invested in this franchise drafting a saviour quarterback-Dont. The quarterback is not the biggest liability on this team. Its like field of dreams for this franchise. If you construct a talented roster, a GOAT will show up.
October 26th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Why did we draft Mauch if we are just going to run up the middle, should of got a mauler. Don’t understand why you would draft such an athletic guard and not pull him on tosses and counters
October 26th, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Derrick Henry is on a downward slide, his yards after contact numbers are declining year after year. He is also going to need a new contract next year, no thanks to trading away draft picks for a player we only control for half a season
October 26th, 2023 at 1:50 pm
The problem is the Offense, period. New coach, QB, Oline, and players (rookies, etc.) have GOT to get on the same page. It’s game 7 which I’m not listening to tonight. I would like to know if Canales gets that this Offense is receiver heavy. He can use the runs as DECOYS. If a fan can listen and figure it out, a coach sure can. Getting some old worn out RB won’t fix the problem, and Licht has enough salary cap headaches.