The Bucs And Zack Moss
October 19th, 2023
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
Joe knows Zack Moss very well because he’s the guy who stopped what appeared to be Leonard “Playoff Lenny” Fournette’s imminent signing to the Indianapolis Colts in September.
With stud Colts running back Jonathan Taylor in a contract dispute and not playing, the Colts appeared desperate to sign another RB to help their rookie starting quarterback. Fournette was wanted by many Colts fans and rumored to be on his way.
But then Moss got the rock and hasn’t looked back. The fourth-year runner is well known in the fantasy football community after breaking out this season for 466 yards on 96 carries, with 4 touchdowns and an average of 4.9 yards per carry.
(Fun fact: Moss, 25, was the first running back selected in the 2020 NFL Draft after the Bucs picked running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn. Moss went to the Bills but was traded to the Colts midway through the 2022 season.)
Taylor, however, is back in the Colts lineup and expected to become a workhorse back again. The leaves Moss in a contract year and the Colts just lost their rookie QB Anthony Richardson for the season.
Joe doesn’t think that even wacky Colts owner Jim Irsay thinks his team is going anywhere meaningful this season with a 3-3 record in the mighty AFC. So perhaps he’d be willing to dump Moss to the Bucs to build for the future?
NFL.com running backs guru Maurice Jones-Drew the former Pro Bowler, also is thinking that way. He wrote that he sees Moss as a strong trade option for the Bucs, whom he calls “thin” at running back.
Entering this season, Jones-Drew ranked Rachaad White as the No. 24 starting running back in the league. Joe wishes White was that good.
Regarding Moss, Joe is all in favor of trading for a hot and inexpensive running back, even if it costs the Bucs a fourth-round draft pick and Moss doesn’t stick around next season.
Maybe Bucco Bruce Arians could earn some of his consultant money and call his old pal Irsay to help broker a deal.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:14 pm
Biggest dissapointments so far this year. Rachaad White. Ryan Neal. Robert Hainsey. Jamaal Dean.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:18 pm
We can give him a hamburger on Tuesday (Tuesday of next league year, that is)
October 19th, 2023 at 1:25 pm
TRADE FOR HENRY! A battering ram like that in the playoffs can be invaluable!
October 19th, 2023 at 1:29 pm
Hainsey gets no respect…thrust into duty before he was NFL ready and led team to playoff game. Im not sure what the guy has to do to win over fans from Jensen, who seems to be taking the injury settlement/retire route.
Per PFF: Hainsey finished the season with a 66.6 PFF grade, with a 72.6 pass blocking grade and a 60.9 run defense mark. He had just two penalties all year and wasn’t credited with a single sack allowed.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:31 pm
I also think Antonio Gibson from Washington would be a good option as well.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:33 pm
Hainsey IS a good pass blocker, but as yet hasn’t shown any ability to move the pile on 3rd and 1
October 19th, 2023 at 1:37 pm
It sounds like the Bucs are going to be tied to every free agent, disgruntled, expensive, or underutilized running back out there. The front office can be very stubborn with certain kinds of decisions but then generous with others, such as paying players and coaches not to play and coach. Unless White is injured or gets -2 yards for 15 carries in the next game, I don’t see Licht moving on.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Buc U, you gotta throw jts in on your group of players listed above. It just wouldn’t be complete!
October 19th, 2023 at 1:51 pm
C’mon Jason, make a move. Can’t stand pat with White and Vaughn, you need a horse not a couple of pony’s.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:51 pm
@BucU
I wouldn’t call Hainsey a disappointment, by no means, even more I think he is having an respectable season.
And to be honest with you, I am not disappointed with Rashad White and Dean, basically because I was never contended with them either….
October 19th, 2023 at 1:52 pm
Moss won’t fare any better if the line can’t block.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:53 pm
I wouldn’t mind getting moss. Downside is being a Utes fan I know Moss well. He can’t stay healthy. But it seems that the kind of RB’s Tampa likes.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:14 pm
Moss won’t fare any better if the line can’t block.
Exactly. I live in Buffalo. Moss was slagged as a bust almost his entire time here. The fan base had the same sentiments towards him as the Bucs fanbase towards Vaughn. Moss gets traded to a team with a better track record in the run-blocking department and suddenly the view on him shifts.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:33 pm
Maybe Bucco Bruce Arians could earn some of his consultant money and call his old pal Irsay to help broker a deal.
Nice try, but old Irsay is a hard-nosed A$$hole.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:38 pm
Is Arians even in the state of Florida?
October 19th, 2023 at 2:42 pm
@Donut – all you pointed out was by PFF standards Hainsey is a below average starting pass protector and borderline back up/camp meat run blocker. 59 and below means the player should be replaced and not even serviceable as a back up (which starts at 60).
October 19th, 2023 at 2:53 pm
Hainsey is a smart player but he’s not strong enough for the NFL. The perfect backup. Just not a starter.
October 19th, 2023 at 3:05 pm
Zach Moss? Meh. Zach Moss aaaaand Quentin Nelson? OK!!
October 19th, 2023 at 3:18 pm
Have you watched the games? He’s running through wide open holes.
What makes you think because a guy can run through a gaping hole that he’s going to do anything when there is no hole?
It’s just unbelievable to me how people watch these games, and think the issue is every running back that we put back there. Be it White, Fournette, Vaughn, Tucker, all of them are the issue, and if we just trade for a guy who was considered a bust a few weeks ago, that will turn it around…
October 19th, 2023 at 3:22 pm
SlyPirate Says:
October 19th, 2023 at 2:53 pm
Hainsey is a smart player but he’s not strong enough for the NFL. The perfect backup. Just not a starter.
——-
Hainsey is a solid pass protecting center, you know, because this team was literally built to pass the ball.
Also on film, I don’t see Hainsey as not being strong enough, he’s just not a road grader. The one who stands out as not being strong enough is Cody, which you expect from a rookie from a small school.
So, again, here’s an idea… don’t run behind them all the time. Nothing says we need to run it up the gut, they can run off tackle, do sweeps, screens, all sorts of stuff that actually takes advantage of the team strengths.
But Bowles still thinks it’s 1972, and you run by running up the gut.
October 19th, 2023 at 3:28 pm
And Quentin Nelson?!
October 19th, 2023 at 3:36 pm
Hainsey isnt a good starting center in the nfl. I think he could be a decent guard. Its a very underrated skill to snap a ball accurately, while immediately defending yourself from a 300 lb monster. Until they fix the problem at center/point of attack, it doesnt matter who the rb is.
October 19th, 2023 at 3:56 pm
Seems like good NFL RB’s are a dying breed. Who knew?
There are very few good ones, it seems. Some have a good year or two, then they are kaput. The majority never reach the good status, they are kaput from the start, lol
October 19th, 2023 at 4:11 pm
Whatever happened to Ronnie Brown?
October 19th, 2023 at 5:21 pm
We need a new center.
Not running backs.
October 19th, 2023 at 6:03 pm
@ BucU
I agree with your list of disappointments.
October 19th, 2023 at 6:08 pm
Zack Moss would be a welcome addition to this team as long as we don’t have to give up much compensation.
As long as I don’t see Sneak Vaughn back on the field I’m fine.
October 19th, 2023 at 7:19 pm
moss is a scrub and will get bounced back like a ping pong ball if he tries to run it up the guy…
with our middle 3 being our middle 3 on the line, we need a real horse like a derrick henry or a hard running ronald jones to push thru the limited space given to them by the inside o-linemen
October 19th, 2023 at 7:28 pm
up the gut***
October 19th, 2023 at 8:40 pm
Rod my understanding is out Wrs don’t block well enough to run outside. During the PR game cast they kept talking about why Philly and the Lions are able to run outside the hashes so well compared to the Bucs. The Wr blocking and lack thereof kept coming up. Godwin is the exception. I’m not claiming its 100% correct I’m just saying people who know more about football are saying it’s the case.
October 19th, 2023 at 9:32 pm
Stanglassman – As you said, Godwin is considered a top tier blocker, and Evans is a good blocker. Also, even if the WRs aren’t good blockers, there’s a way to fix that, just have them run go routes and do a RB pass – even if you don’t throw the ball, that will make them back off. I don’t buy that WR’s not blocking makes or breaks the run game, that’s my opinion in any case. Where WRs can make a big difference is down the field blocking – it’s one of the things Keyshawn did really well – but right now they’re rarely getting out of the backfield without needing to break a tackle.
But my solution is to just stop running the ball just to run the ball. If it’s not working, then don’t do it. Use the screen game and the short passing game, that will, eventually, open up the run game so long as you’re not Leftwich and just run the same exact play in the same exact scenario over and over again.
I will give Canales a lot of credit in that he’s using the playaction game – which should, in theory, help. But I think they need to just change up the calls a bit and try some different things.
With all that said, this is still an offensive line with 4 of the 5 guys playing in a different position than last year – so there’s plenty of room for growth still. In any case, watching the film, I don’t know how anyone can think the RBs are the issue. I just don’t see it.
October 19th, 2023 at 11:42 pm
That’s what I’ve been saying. The Rbs are not the issue. It’s penetration in the interior of the Oline. The Joes are getting real defensive about those of us that are saying it’s not a RB issue. But I do like Z. Moss. I’d like to see the Bucs trade for him for some experienced depth. I think a 4th is a bit high. Maybe swapping a 4 for a 6th/Moss would be a fair trade.
I agree and do expect this team to show improvement in a lot of areas as the season goes on. Mainly OL run blocking, OC play calling and the defense needs to consistently well for 60 mins. I couldn’t be in more happy with Luke’s play so far this year. Not many fans thought he’d be such a solid RT. Having two young studs at Tackle is huge. I can’t think of any Bucs team with better bookends at tackle.
October 20th, 2023 at 2:06 am
Can we get him for free?
Keep trying though Joe. It has gotten kind of entertaining to me.
Go Bucs!
October 20th, 2023 at 5:37 am
Zack would be a very nice add and definitely better and tougher runner than what we have now.
October 20th, 2023 at 8:22 am
The Bucs need a RB like Pacheco from KC. He can create his own holes through tough running. Too bad he’s on a passing team because he is an unbelievable talent.
October 20th, 2023 at 10:35 am
Antonio Gibson is alright he is definitely better than white but has fumbling issues so I say hard pass…but Zach moss come on to tampa brother we need those angry runs asap…we can trade white and sneak for a pack of cigarettes..
October 20th, 2023 at 12:33 pm
I think it’s too late to trade for a running back especially if there’s a chance he may not resign. Look how long it’s taking the backs who had a full offseason to catch on. How many games before he slides up the depth chart. Licht is too stubborn to give on his draft pick