For nearly a decade, the Buccaneers sought a running back who could be a dangerous offensive weapon and a reliable ball carrier. Rachaad White is as close as they have gotten in a long time.
White’s 1,539 yards from scrimmage in 2023 is the most recorded by any Bucs player since Doug Martin in 2015. He managed to do this despite running behind one of the worst run-blocking offensive lines in the league, limiting him to a mere 990 rush yards for just 3.6 yards per attempt.
Overall, the Bucs averaged -0.166 EPA per play when running down, sixth-worst in the NFL, with a league-worst 32% success rate. White is not wholly without blame, as he recorded -110 rush yards over expected, among the worst in the NFL per Next Gen Stats. A pure running back Rachaad White is not.
Instead, White found his calling as a versatile weapon, recording the third-most receiving yards (549), third-most yards per reception (9.6) and the third-highest catch rate (91.4%) among all running backs (minimum 45 targets).
Suffice to say, Rachaad White is entering the 2024 offseason as the incumbent starter in Tampa Bay. That is not likely to change.
However, White’s ascendence does not preclude the addition of more help. White may be a victim of his own success, recording 336 total touches, second-most of any NFL player behind only Christian McCaffrey. That level of work is rarely sustainable and is more likely to shorten White’s career.
The Bucs had little choice but to lean heavily on White as the rest of their running backs were simply unreliable. Chase Edmonds had his moments as the change-of-pace back, but his history of injuries continued in Tampa Bay. Edmonds missed four games despite taking just 63 touches in 2023.
After Edmonds, the Bucs had next to no production at running back. 2020 third-rounder Ke’Shawn Vaughn played his way out of Tampa Bay thanks both to his unwillingness to ride the pine and his total ineffectiveness, averaging 1.8 yards per carry last season.
Undrafted rookie Sean Tucker flashed in training camp, but after averaging 1.5 yards through Week 3, he did not touch the ball for the rest of the season.
The Bucs can ill-afford to go another season hoping that White can power through one of the heaviest workloads in the NFL or that Edmonds and Tucker will provide sufficient depth. More talent is needed.
The draft is the most obvious answer to Tampa Bay’s depth issues. The Bucs need a back who can take some of the grittier carries from White, who thrives in space but struggles with chaotic between-the-tackles running. Washington’s Dillon Johnson and Notre Dame’s Audric Estime are bigger, more powerful backs known for toughness and hard-nosed running, a perfect complement to White’s finesse and speed.
At 5’8 and 195 pounds, Southern Miss RB Frank Gore Jr. would be less thunder to White’s lightning and more of a second bolt across the sky. Gore Jr. has excellent movement skills and was one of the hardest running backs to bring down in college football last year, breaking 67 tackles.
The Bucs are less likely to rely on a veteran to be White’s principal backup, but they could still explore the free-agent market. Damien Harris was a non-factor in Buffalo last year, but his success in New England was not so long ago to be completely forgotten. Harris’ 15 touchdowns in 2021 are a testament to his ability to get tough yards even against a stacked line.
The Bucs could also look at former Packers RB A.J. Dillon, who did not pan out the way Green Bay hoped after taking him in the second round of the 2020 draft. Nevertheless, he was a versatile piece of the Packers offense behind starter Aaron Jones, averaging 8.9 yards per reception in his NFL career.
Regardless of who the Bucs add to the running back room, the real key to improving the run game is improving the offensive line. Such an undertaking does not manifest overnight, so the Bucs still need to pair line upgrades with help for Rachaad White this offseason.
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