Todd Bowles: Bucky Irving Has “Rare” Ability
May 10th, 2024
Starting(?) running back Rachaad White.
Joe wrote about the starting running backs competition yesterday, and Todd Bowles reinforced the premise today.
There is returning RB1 Rachaad White and the rookie, fourth-round pick Bucky Irving. Sure, veteran Chase Edmonds could revert to the form that once got him a fat contract with the Dolphins, but that’s unlikely.
It’s White and Irving, who has the eye of his new head coach.
“He can stick his foot in the ground and run the ball. More importantly, he can make the first guy miss more often than not,” Bowles said of Irving today at Bucs rookie minicamp. “And, you know, that’s a rare trait to have in this ballgame, especially when, you know, so many guys can tackle well and get to the ball real fast. To make the first guy miss and potentially have big-play ability, that’s something that we didn’t have a lot of last year.”
When head coaches use terms like “rare” and “big-play ability,” that’s usually code for “we need to get this guy on the field.”
Of course, Irving has everything to prove. But if he can man up in preseason and in joint practices against the Jaguars and Dolphins, then he’s got a great shot to battle White for the most handoffs taken this season.
May 10th, 2024 at 3:21 pm
He gives off Greg Pruitt vibes…..
May 10th, 2024 at 3:36 pm
I’m hoping they can be 1A and 1B! White was clearly overused last season and needs somebody to share the load. Their games are different and each brings assets to the table.
Imagine both of them in the backfield at the same time. Yeah White doesn’t block well enough but he could keep the D honest with Bucky lining up as well.
Whatever the Bucs simply cannot afford to beat up White through the entire season like last year. Two running backs splitting the duty is not rare in the NFL.
May 10th, 2024 at 3:38 pm
Sounds good.
May 10th, 2024 at 4:04 pm
Long way to the 1St game of the season.
Everything revolves around how the OL comes together, including the defense.
I am not a betting man but if they start the season without losing major players I am absolutely confident that they will be playing much improved football
May 10th, 2024 at 4:06 pm
Bucky’s playing time will be related to his pass pro. He will be a great complement to White, if the Bucs want to run it for only 3 yards, then run White. If we want more than three yards, run Bucky.
May 10th, 2024 at 4:10 pm
No matter what they say people that frequent this site only hear what they want to hear! Rachaad White’s snaps don’t matter cause he doesn’t run hard like most backs in the league. He only wants to catch the ball in space and pretending to be a running back with the hopes to not get hurt but most fools don’t see that!He is a slot receiver pretending to be a RB. He’s not even built like a running back but fantasy football fans don’t see that. If his title was WR nobody would care about how many snaps he’s in the game Boy oh boy he has y’all fooled
May 10th, 2024 at 4:12 pm
I predict Bucky Irving will be the Bucs RB1 starting week 1 and will be a stud RB in the league.
May 10th, 2024 at 4:20 pm
Both in the backfield sounds promising to me.
May 10th, 2024 at 4:26 pm
Everyone seems to get hyped up about the rookies in the Spring and its’ underwear football. Come the Fall though when the bullets start flying, gets a lot harder for the new guys to unseat the king.
Rachaad White may only sport a 3.7 YPC career average rushing the ball, but he’s given us 34 games in 2 years (plus the playoffs) & over 2,300 combined rushing & receiving yards. He might’ve been even productive than that had our OLine blocked a little better & our OCs used him a little more creatively. Got a feeling Rachaad will take a big step forward this year.
May 10th, 2024 at 4:29 pm
If we can have a tandem with White & Irving then hopefully we will have one with Otton & Durham
May 10th, 2024 at 4:30 pm
Whites running stats were stunned running behind a poor offensive line, I don’t even want to remember how often our running backs were met behind the LOS .
It’s ALL about a improved offense line in 2024
Simple as that!
May 10th, 2024 at 4:41 pm
Let’s be honest, he had the ability in college.
Whether he has that ability at the NFL level remains to be seen. And there’s no way Bowles or anyone else knows that answer yet, after 1 day of rookie minicamp lol.
May 10th, 2024 at 4:42 pm
Agree SB! You get better blocking up front and White (and Irving and whoever else) are all going to look remarkably better. There was simply no push from the interior of the line on most plays last year.
May 10th, 2024 at 5:27 pm
Irving will be a nice addition come next season and I know the analytic guys probably don’t love Mr. White, I just want to say, rewatch all of a
Last seas on s offensive highlights when Mr. White is envolved. Dude gives his all per play and has, imo, really good field vision and feel. Interior offensive line last season just didn’t have the juice needed all the time. Watch what he does when healthy and we got dudes On the IOL. Can’t wait for this next season. Hopefully Liam stays around for the right reasons for the next three years and Baker and company get to really go like Goff and company in Detroit. Success will be had.
May 10th, 2024 at 5:33 pm
As far as White’s “stats’ go let’s remember who was scheming and play calling for him. Canales took most of the season to begin removing his rookie jitters and start calling some decent games.
I obviously do not know but still can’t avoid getting the sense that Coen is far more experienced and confident than Canales was last year.
May 10th, 2024 at 5:56 pm
He can make the first guy miss? Wait, is that still allowed? I’m so confused.
May 10th, 2024 at 6:21 pm
WilieG Says:
May 10th, 2024 at 5:56 pm
He can make the first guy miss? Wait, is that still allowed? I’m so confused.
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Making a defender miss is now a 20 yard penalty. New rule I heard.
May 10th, 2024 at 7:08 pm
I like the idea of both in the backfield and white going in motion to be the slot receiver he be. Especially when playing the eagles where he is sure to burn Devon white for a big play
May 10th, 2024 at 8:39 pm
Wish the Bucs would do a little bit of training camp in California
May 10th, 2024 at 10:01 pm
The Bucs handed out participation awards to the o line last year because at times that’s all they seem to do and if White had heart he’d be able to make guys miss and run thru arm tackles. Hopefully Irving can pick up some of that slack. Doug Martin used to be met in the backfield quite often and he still ran for over 1500 yards.
May 11th, 2024 at 4:46 am
Great reminder about Doug Martin!
Bucky should do well and I am pulling for him.
Bucky, Bucky, Bucky! We can hear the cheers already. Go Bucs.
Off subject – We need a Bucees in Tampa Bay. Just think of the marketing strategies with our own Bucs and Bucky!
May 11th, 2024 at 10:12 am
remember “run rojo run”…
we might be yelling “run bucky run” this year
May 11th, 2024 at 11:00 am
ROJO should be signed to league minimum prove it deal and that right now.
ROJO is faster than both by a huge margin and hits the hole hard.
Bucky played in the PAC 12 and faced a bunch of nobodies all year.
May 12th, 2024 at 8:24 am
The Bucs are desperately trying to motivate White who seems to drink a little too much of his own koolaid. It’s year 3 and position coaches are discussing how they stay on White about hitting the hole with authority…at some point you are who you are. Raheem said it best, we’ll tolerate you until we can replace you.
May 12th, 2024 at 9:08 am
Your observation is right on point Bobby. As a fan the Bucs won’t invest clearly an upgrade in talent to the room thou ( that’s the frustrating part) Blake Corum, Johnathan Brooks. or Trey Benson!!! Extremely undersized Bucky Irvin was rated the worst pass protection back in all of college football so when are the Bucs gonna get serious about the position??? The Lions last season refused to let Jahmyr Gibbs get past them and Montgomery is a WAYYY better back than Rachaad White could ever dream of being! We all know the Niners found a way to get MaCaffery so if the Bucs want to compete at the top of the NFC screw analytics ITS FOOTBALL and elite RBs matter🏈☠️🚩
May 12th, 2024 at 11:36 am
White will start an become a pro bowl player.