Tag: Bucs running back

What should the Bucs do with the 45th pick in Round 2?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers found their offensive tackle in Tristan Wirfs. Now, they could turn to a running back in round two.

The Bucs fulfilled their round-one goal in last night’s NFL draft, coming away with one of this year’s top tackles in Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs. The athletic big man will be tasked with helping to protect Tom Brady, who now has his favorite target Rob Gronkowski to throw to.

But, if the Bucs are really going all-in on a championship run with Brady, then they’d be wise to use their pick in round two (No. 45 overall) on a running back. Only one back went in the first round and that was LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire, going No. 32 to the Chiefs.

Tampa Bay could be in a position to draft Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, Georgia’s D’Andre Swift or Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor. Brady needs more help than just Ronald Jones in the backfield. The Bucs finding the right running back would be the NFL’s version of Thanos finding the last infinity stone. I don’t think they’ll trade up to get one like they did tonight for Wirfs, who was the last remaining big tackle still on the board when the Bucs took him. Still, I expect Tampa Bay to go running back at 45 before turning their attention to defense in round three. It should be another exciting few rounds tonight.

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Mel Kiper’s favorite running back prospect is one that may be heading to the Bucs

Mel Kiper of ESPN named this running back as his favorite prospect ahead of next week’s NFL draft.

Most draft experts agree that the position of need the Buccaneers should look to address first in next week’s NFL draft is offensive tackle. The right side of the Bucs’ O-line was a major problem last year, and former quarterback Jameis Winston was sacked 47 times.

The Bucs can’t afford to let newly-signed quarterback Tom Brady take a beating like that, especially since he will be 43 when the 2020 season rolls around. Plus, Brady was only sacked 27 times last year in New England with the Patriots.

But offensive tackle isn’t the only upgrade the Bucs need to make on offense. Running back is also a major area of need, too, for Tampa Bay, especially after Peyton Barber left in free agency. Fortunately, there’s some depth to this year’s class of running backs, meaning Tampa Bay could find a solid one on Day 2 or 3 of the draft.

So, which back would be a good fit?

While some have Georgia running back D’Andre Swift as the best fit in Tampa Bay, some mock drafts, including our own, like Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins, who rushed for 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. Turns out, Mel Kiper over at ESPN pegged Dobbins as his favorite running back prospect ahead of the draft.

Per Kiper:

“I just love the way Dobbins runs. He’s ferocious. He hits holes hard, and he has some breakaway ability. Dobbins, my second-ranked back in this class, ran for 2,003 yards last season, breaking the Ohio State single-season record. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry. He looked much more explosive than he did in 2018, when he averaged 4.6 yards per carry in a disappointing sophomore season.”

Kiper predicts Dobbins to come off the board in the first half of Round 2. And, wouldn’t you know it, the Bucs hold the 45th overall pick. The stars seemed perfectly aligned to make this dream a reality.

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Former NFC South rival Devonta Freeman could be good fit for Buccaneers

The Bucs might be wise to bring in versatile former Atlanta Falcons tailback Devonta Freeman to bolster the backfield behind Ronald Jones.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans definitely are familiar with Devonta Freeman, who was recently released by the Atlanta Falcons, as the Buccaneers have seen a lot of Freeman over the past six seasons in the NFC South.

If the Buccaneers are looking to add depth at running back by bringing in a veteran who would ultimately be cheaper than a free agent such as Melvin Gordon, Freeman could be a good fit. Head coach Bruce Arians believes in Ronald Jones, who became the starting tailback last year in his second pro season, and I certainly wouldn’t anticipate the Buccaneers just giving up on Jones. But running back by committee might be the best option for Arians’ team. With Freeman, 28, showing signs of wear and tear over the past couple seasons, his asking price likely would be significantly less than Gordon, who is two years younger.

During his six seasons with the Falcons, Freeman rushed for 3,972 yards and caught 257 passes for 2,015 yards. Like Gordon, Freeman would provide a legitimate receiving threat out of the backfield for a team that sent wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to the Pro Bowl.

Although Freeman averaged just 3.6 yards per carry last season with the Falcons, he caught 59 passes for 410 yards. He caught four touchdown passes in 2019 and rushed for two more touchdowns.

Brady is reportedly going to earn upward of $30 million per year, and is still work to be done on the roster, such as re-signing free agent Ndamukong Suh. In the meantime, Freeman could be an affordable option to bolster the backfield behind Brady.