Here Is A Reason To Draft A WR Or RB
April 22nd, 2024
Could use another weapon.
Joe understands some folks cringe when Joe makes the point the Bucs should select a wide receiver at No. 26 Thursday night.
And heaven help the free world if Joe ever types a discouraging word about the Bucs’ version of Jim Brown, Rachaad White.
The following stat surprised Joe but it tells the tale of a Bucs offense that was too punchless in games last year. Yes, it’s hard to believe an offense with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and White (who is elite catching the ball out of the backfield — just don’t let him run much) is in need of a boost. But one could sure make that point.
The Bucs were middle of the pack in the NFL in drives that ended in a punt or a turnover. This comes by way of handicapper turned stathead Warren Sharp.
This would be fine if the Bucs had a lockdown defense like the 2002 Bucs. They aren’t that.
Look, for a defense not to have an edge rusher, the Bucs weren’t bad last year. Let Joe repeat: For not having a dangerous edge rush (it’s hard to imagine a defense being good without an edge rush but the Bucs may have pulled that off).
So to compensate, the Bucs must score points. Hard to score points if you are punting. And it’s hard to avoid punting when you begin a drive with a run up the middle for nothing.
Now to be fair, part of this — maybe a big part — was former Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales’ vivid imagination that White and his terrible YAC per run were the equivalent of Marshawn Lynch. So yeah, when you have a subpar back trying to run up the middle for bupkis, that’s going to drag your offense down.
It is going to be fun to see how new offensive coordinator Liam Coen fares.
% of drives ending in a punt or turnover
70% – NE
69% – CAR
68%
67%
66% – NYJ, NYG
65%
64%
63%
62%
61% – CLE
60% – LV
59% – WAS
58% – LAC, PIT, ATL, MIN, TEN
57%
56% – DEN
55% – TB, CHI, HOU, CIN
54% – ARI, JAX
53% – KC
52%
51% – NO, IND, SEA
50% – DET, MIA
49% – PHI
48% – GB,…— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 22, 2024
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:10 pm
Big Uglies solve the third down problem.
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:25 pm
Whew! For a minute there I didn’t think you would be able to work and edge rusher into an article about WRs and RBs. Silly me.
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:26 pm
Draft two IOL and a very good back who can RUN the ball and make people miss. Stop running up the middle where our OL was weakest. There’s no Alstott or Czonka or Jim Brown in the draft. If we can be at least average running the ball, the play action game will open up and pass blocking will be easier.
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:28 pm
NO – its a reason to draft talented OLine players (plural).
When you are predictable with your run game play calling like Canales was most of last season – and all 3 of your interior OLinemen are rated among the worst at each of their respective positions – your run game is gonna suck – and thus your offense faces too many 3rd and 8 situations.
Being middle of the pack in the “drives ending in punt or turnover” category is actually an accomplishment considering the above paragraph.
Fix the OLine Jason Licht!
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:35 pm
No Gronk
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:41 pm
When you have a year where you are best in turnovers then that leaves a lot of punts.
When you run on first down for Bupkis and follow it up with to bad passes/drops then you can’t lay it all at the feet if White and Canales.
How about finishing drives? Red Zone TD’s of less than 50% and less than 30% at Home. How about spreading that over the 11 on the field at the time and the field General?
When it comes to having a 28% TD success rate at Home with 40% of the seats filled by Visiting team is more profitable than 12000 empty seats.
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:42 pm
Wonder how much responsibility Mayfield carries for the punchless at times offense?
April 22nd, 2024 at 3:44 pm
Posters here would rather draft 3 straight O-linemen starting with a center at 26. Trade back and pick up another one if possible.
We need big uglies but they can be found in the 3rd and 4th
April 22nd, 2024 at 4:18 pm
Braelon Allen R3, Powers-Johnson R1. 3rd and 3 turns into 1st and 10. Get your Brasswell, Trice or Cooper R2
April 22nd, 2024 at 4:22 pm
One way to negate a poor pass rush is to score and keep the ball away from your’opponents offense.
5 of our last 7 top picks have been a defensive front 7 player. It’s time to help the offense……..past time.
April 22nd, 2024 at 4:22 pm
Many Baker cultists complain about Baker not having enough time to throw. I would imagine fixing the o line would be a priority in this draft.
I would agree it’s important to protect the qb. However this team needs more playmakers in multiple positions such as pass rusher, another wideout option, tight end, and corner. We need a heavy hard nose LeGarrett Blount type running back to be the Thunder to White’s lightning.
I honestly don’t care who get drafted where. This value talk is dumb especially when the person you want is right there waiting on a phone call. Just improve the team with the players you want. Jason Licht has done a great job at this unlike prior Bucs’ gm. No gm is batting a 100% with their picks.
April 22nd, 2024 at 4:22 pm
One more reason to take interior O-line in the first round, much as I know that saying that makes the Joes want to puke. We don’t need a better RB, and our WR core is fine. We need an interior O-line that can get push and doesn’t collapse when bullrushed up the middle during pass-pro.
April 22nd, 2024 at 4:29 pm
We absolutely need to draft a starting #3 Wide receiver early in the draft. Even though this draft is deep at receiver they will be flying off the shelf in round one and the first half of round two. The top 15 receivers will probably be gone by the time we pick at #57 in the second round. Being that we will be playing mostly in three receiver sets this year we need a starter not a role player or developmental player. Palmer is not a #3.
April 22nd, 2024 at 4:36 pm
Or a lineman or a tight end or a fullback or a this or that.
April 22nd, 2024 at 4:40 pm
It’s been 11 years since we used a 1st round pick on a receiver. Waaaaay past time.
April 22nd, 2024 at 4:52 pm
Get mccaffrey he’s got the nfl lineage, pedigree, and if we gotta reach, reach. What the heck mañg?
April 22nd, 2024 at 4:55 pm
RB at #26 – Inder no circumstance. Same with CB.
WR at #26 – Only if top 3 edge rushers are gone, top IOL (JPJ, Barton, Frazier) are gone and Bucs can’t trade back to rd 2. Thomas and Legette seem like good picks.
April 22nd, 2024 at 5:35 pm
“And heaven help the free world if Joe ever types a discouraging word about the Bucs’ version of Jim Brown, Rachaad White”
Dude let the strawman (due to people disagreeing with you on drafting a center in the first) go. I am a regular here and never seen ANYONE claim White was a hall of fame running back.
Thar said I do think we need to pick up a receiver. Too many decent looking one in this draft not to. first round? depends on whose available both in regard to wide receivers and other positions
April 22nd, 2024 at 5:57 pm
So what I find is assuming that Joe brought up Lynch. See we all get so caught up in player’s names because they are popular for some plays or how they interact with the media. Look at Lynch’s 12 years in the league. He averaged 4.2 yards a carry. Did you know that only four of those years…. He averaged 4.3 yards or more. But yeah, White sucks! Go figure lol
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:05 pm
If Ad Mitchell’s there take em
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:11 pm
Draft huge Running back
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:26 pm
I forgot to mention that White averaged 4.1 yards a carry on the last ten games of the regular season. Without adding up the receiving yards. Well White sucks. He’s definitely not Lynch.
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:31 pm
And for a guy that sucks…. White actually averaged 4.7 yards in the postseason. Yeah the kid sucks!
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:31 pm
Like McCaffery.. Drafting a guy with his name is like drafting a Mathews. They know how to play football. If Mcaffery still around in round 3, have to take him or trade up to get him.
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:33 pm
Go look at the picture from the article on this site titled:
Rachaad White: No Solo Tackles
April 15th, 2024
There you will see Robert Hainsey’s ole’ matador blocking technique the Cleveland Browns defender destroyed him and met White in the backfield.
That picture sums up perfectly Hainsey’s capability.
How can you expect any running back to be successful when the DT is meeting them in the A-Gap because of the atrocious play of the center?
How does a top WR or RB in this draft solve that recurring problem in the Bucs run game?
The Bucs need a new day 1, plug and play starter at center in this year’s draft.
They must draft JPJ, Barton or Frazier if they are there.
Hainsey gives up the A gap like a Mark Grace Slump Buster does after last call at the night club.
I really loved watching Hainsey give up the A-Gap on our last offensive play of the season in the playoff game against Detroit when allow Detroit’s #70 to pressure and hit Baker Mayfield in about 2 seconds.
How does a top WR or RB in this draft solve that recurring problem in the Bucs pass protection?
I wonder if Robert Hainsey’s atrocious play at center on that game tieing drive had an ANY impact on the outcome of that game, because some people say centers have no impact on game winning/tieing drives.
SMH
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:37 pm
So has White reached his ceiling? I highly doubt it. I think he gets too much hate on the YPC thing Joe likes to spit out. The Kid got better last year with a weak IOL. Please show me where I’m wrong. You have a RB that can run and catch. I’ll agree that we we need a short yardage RB that can push forward a few yards, but I think we will be fine at RB1 with an IOL upgrade.
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:43 pm
I’ve went back and watched the games and I’m telling you I have to agree with Joe. I’ve seen holes open and White didn’t hit them and I’ve seen where Baker had more than 3 seconds to throw the ball and holds on the ball to long. But what people do is if the o line does give up a sack in the game then everyone focus on that one sack and say our o line is terrible. Fun fact Jamies was hit 104 times in 2019 and he was the second most stacked quarterback in the NFL that year and the only thing people said was he can’t read defenses or he holds on the ball to long. Now the 32 ranked rushing game was brought up and Jamies didn’t have Wirs or Gronk blocking for him just stating the facts!!
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:45 pm
Blocking for him
April 22nd, 2024 at 6:49 pm
White has bad vision he misses holes a lot sometimes if he would just make one move to the inside or outside he would pick up more yards. But people gives him excuses and blame the o line now the o line can improve but their not as bad as people say they are.
April 22nd, 2024 at 7:45 pm
It’s always a great day on this site when Joe and Oneilbuc agree.
Personally, I like this version of the Bucs, we win division titles and super bowl with noodle arm QB’s who do not turn the ball over.
April 22nd, 2024 at 8:44 pm
Mitchell or one of the other top 4 WR would be fine by me. Godwin is a FA next year. Evans isn’t getting younger. Start grooming the next #1 now.
April 22nd, 2024 at 9:16 pm
This is a point that is terribly overlooked.
April 22nd, 2024 at 9:17 pm
As a runner, perhaps. His yards-per-carry is virtually identical from when he had Byron Leftwich calling plays. So it’s fair to argue that what we have seen from White as a runner is what we will get.
April 22nd, 2024 at 9:56 pm
I wouldn’t mind at all if they drafted a wr in the first round. Mike is getting old and Godwin is at the end of his contract and if you want to put hope in palmer oof kinda tough sale for me. The bucs can draft oline after the first round edge looks to be nothing but projects where the bucs are picking in the first might as well wait on that too.
April 22nd, 2024 at 10:00 pm
Doubt they resign Godwin after his contract is done.
April 22nd, 2024 at 10:04 pm
Meybe, just Meybe, an improved offensive line will improve the running game.
I know some people(ahem) are really happy blaming the poor rushing offense on Rachaad White.
But dont explain why we were 32nd when All pro Leonard Fournette was our back.
Fix the line, get a running game, and that alone will greatly improve our passing game.
I noticed all the mock draft have come around, and have us drafting Center,Guard, Linebacker, and DE in a top picks- in one order or another.
Almost everyone(ahem) now has put in some time, and see the obvious.
I think we should draft either a back or WR in the late rounds.
But to keep this team in the playoffs- we fix the lines first.
April 22nd, 2024 at 11:16 pm
There is a two word answer as to the Bucs offensive performance the last season.
Todd’s Bowels.
Performance on the field is a product of the philosophy which leads to the coaching and game planning.
You want offense?
Jason needs to tell Todd we are gonna run it Liam’s way – and meanwhile, Toad, hire a real defensive coordinator that can actually call schemes his guys know how to execute regularly and at a high level.
Randy Moss and Jerry Rice in their primes added to Todd’s bag of muddle would yield the same.
Believe what he’s done, not what he says he wants to do.
April 23rd, 2024 at 6:25 pm
Our team is built to air it out. So air it out.
April 23rd, 2024 at 10:30 pm
Dave pear is Java from the old old red board bucs forum, I’m convinced. Same old tropes.
April 24th, 2024 at 9:53 am
Bucs already HAD their third best wide receiver David Moore! Could have signed him cheap in free agency and didn’t, so Canales snagged him for the Panthers. He had everything you want, speed, moves, sure hands and in limited duty was a highlight reel. Definitely draft the McCaffrey kid if there’s any way possible, triple threat! Then focus on the O-line big time!! Rashad white is great catching the ball, on screens, or split out just have to get him the ball in space. Can’t keep running him straight up the middle on plain vanilla run plays with a mediocre offensive line.. slamming him into a wall is a good way to get him injured. I’m hoping we upgrade the O line in the draft, and I have high hopes for the new OC to finally see some creativity in the Run game. (Ps, where was all the “Zone blocking” scheme that Canales was supposed to bring last year, to help for our deficiencies on the O-line, I never saw it.) Still need a legit Edge rusher!!???
April 24th, 2024 at 10:00 am
Final thought on David Moore, and letting him go: We play the Panthers twice, hope he doesn’t burn us in those games. I wish the kid the best and a great breakout year, just NOT in the 2 games against the Bucs!!