TAMPA, Fla. — While all eyes have been on the quarterback battle between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the early highlights of the wide receivers, running backs have been left out of the spotlight. But running the ball will likely play a bigger role in coordinator Dave Canales’ offense in 2023. There’s a new commitment to a more balanced run-pass offense that should help this group bounce back from the league’s worst rushing attack.
As for how many of those players will stay when it comes to the final selection stage, the past two years have left four running backs on the initial 53-man roster, and in 2020 and 2019, three running backs were left on the starting 53-man roster. It became. In terms of carry distribution, Leonard Fournette and Rashard White split 55.1% to 37.8% in total rushing and 56.6% to 36.2% in receptions last year, as White has now passed Fournette. Ta. He played the role of a starter. This year, White should get roughly 66-70% of the touches as he is currently the RB1.
Ratchard White
White enjoyed a breakout game in Week 10 of last season, becoming the starter and hasn’t looked back. He can play in a variety of offensive schemes, but his transition to a wide zone scheme closely mimics the one he played at Arizona State. This scheme requires cutback ability, patience, and vision to identify and explode holes.
White rushed for 481 yards on 129 carries last year, averaging 3.7 yards per rush against a struggling offensive line. White had two fumbles during the regular season, so he could take a step forward from that as well as ball security. Bucs running backs coach Skip Pete will be helpful in that department as the Dallas Cowboys running backs had zero fumbles last season.
“He’s a real natural,” Canales said of White. “Run game, pass game, pass protection, routes, everything he does. He’s really a natural at catching the ball with both hands. I think he’s going to be great. My role, and our role as a staff. It’s just about making sure he takes advantage of all the skill sets he brings.”
The Bucs’ current No. 2 has been solid rather than flashy, running a 4.51 at the NFL Combine, but he hasn’t had much of a chance to play behind Fournette, White, and Ronald Jones in his first three years. I haven’t gotten it. He has 79 total rushes in 19 games, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Whoever takes this backup role, he could get roughly 23-25% of the touches. This is how Canales’ old team, the Seattle Seahawks, used to split it between Rashard Penny and Kenneth Walker III when both were healthy.
Vaughn is a one-cut runner and could benefit from a move to a zone scheme, but a scenario where a player like Sean Tucker overtakes him as RB2 with a strong preseason thanks to his track speed Is it possible? Chase Edmonds’ receiving ability could also be a factor, but it does give Bourne more opportunities as a receiver than before.
“The great thing is that [Vaughn] That means he has enough experience now with any running style and really understands what it’s designed to do,” Canales said. “He has patience where he needs patience. He hits quickly where he needs it. He’s exciting.”
chase edmonds
Edmonds is a third-down running back. Coach Todd Bowles called Edmonds a “jack of all trades in terms of running, catching, pass blocking and being able to play on special teams,” and said Edmonds “completely understands the game.” According to ESPN Statistics and Information, his pass block win percentage since 2018 is 78.9%, and he has 5.0 total sacks.
“I coached against him and just watched him play over the years while he was there,” Canales said. “He’s lightning in a bottle. He’s a cannonball. He can do as much as a lot of our slot receivers, so he’s a really dangerous asset for us.”
Edmonds has bounced around the league since his time at Fordham, including stints with the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos last year, with modest results. He acknowledged that the two-year, $12 million contract he signed in Miami gave him some edge, but he signed a one-year, veteran-minimum contract worth $1.08 million in Tampa.
Sean Tucker
In three seasons at Syracuse, Tucker rushed for 3,182 yards on 589 carries, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and scoring 27 rushing touchdowns. He also had 622 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns, leading ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper to declare him his “favorite running back” in the 2023 draft class.
Tucker was diagnosed with a heart condition at the NFL Combine and went undrafted, missing rookie camp and mandatory minicamp. He previously ran the 40-yard dash in the 4.3 to 4.4 range, he said.
“He has a different gear,” Canales said. “He’s probably the fastest player in this room. There’s something really sudden about him.”
If you look at his college tape, you can see that in addition to his ability to explode with one cut, he has very good vision and a keen understanding of what’s going on at the second level, which is why Canales It is a place where you can make your plans a success.
Tucker said of the system, “It gives you more field and options, especially for me. You can run more field, you have space. That creates opportunities, and for running backs it’s a mistake. That’s absolutely desirable,” he said.
A walk-on at the University of California, Laird rushed for 1,127 yards on 961 carries in two seasons as a starter. He signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent and appeared in 37 games for the Dolphins from 2019-21, then spent the 2022 season on the Bucks’ practice squad.
Pete particularly praised Laird’s run skills, balance, pass protection and special teams ability.
“Patrick Laird does everything right,” Canales said. “He tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Hey, I had this concept and this route in the spring, is this what you want? This is what the picture looked like.’ ‘Yes, that’s right. ” Something like that. So he’s at the top of them all. ”
ronnie brown jr.
The 6-foot, 190-pound rookie was signed by the Bucs as an undrafted free agent out of Shepard and is currently the No. 6 running back. In his four seasons at the Division II school, he recorded 3,041 rushing yards, 1,158 receiving yards, and 41 touchdowns, leading the Rams to back-to-back division titles.
He has an upright running style, but has good vision and is very elusive. Of course, jumping into contention is going to be a big question he has to answer at the next level. It’s unlikely that he will make as many defenders miss as the college highlight that caught Canales’ eye. Expectations are high for him in the preseason.
“He had a lot of carry at Shepherd. … He has a personality as well. He brings a lot of good juice to the room,” Canales said.