Buccaneers predicted to bench veteran starter in favor of rising rookie
In what has been a disastrous start to the season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a list of complaints from fans, analysts, and keyboard warriors alike has continued to mount. Naturally, most of those complaints have been accompanied by suggestions for specific changes that need to be made.
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One of the most popular complaints coming out of Bucs nation has been centered around the underwhelming performance of the team's starting running back, Leonard Fournette.
And for good reason.
Fournette, who signed a 3-year contract worth a total of $21 million with the Buccaneers this offseason, is averaging a measly 45 rushing yards per game as the team's lead back.
Arguably worse than his lack of production has been the tentative approach Fournette has displayed when running the football. The analytics say he's been bad, but the eye test says he's been even worse. Contrary to his previous two seasons in Tampa, for some reason Fournette has shown an affinity for stalling in the backfield, tap dancing around, as opposed to hitting the hole with the aggressive, punishing, downhill approach that made him the 4th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft coming out of LSU.
Meanwhile, rookie running back, Rachaad White — who to the dismay of Fournette, is finally starting to get more touches — has clearly shown more burst, and a willingness to attack the gaps in the defense when provided the opportunity. Not to mention, White's greatest perceived strength coming into the league was his pass-catching ability.
One of the best NCAA talent evaluators in the business, and current CFB/NFL Draft Analyst for Fantasy Pros, Thor Nystrom, discussed why he had Rachaad White as his 4th rated running back coming into the 2022 draft on the Bucs Banter Podcast.
There's no doubt that handing the reins over to Rachaad White would add another explosive element to the Buccaneers' passing attack, while at the same time, providing a potential upgrade to the run game.
It's not just fans who foresee a potential change coming at the running back position for the Bucs, though.
Greg Auman is one of the most respected beat reporters in Tampa Bay, and it appears as if he — like so many others who follow the team — expects the Bucs' coaching staff to finally give Rachaad White a chance to supplant Leonard Fournette on the depth chart.
In a recent piece for The Athletic, Auman explained his prediction in more detail:
"Leonard Fournette has disappointed this season. His 3.3-yard average is the worst in the NFL in any of the last three seasons for anyone with as many carries as he has. He doesn’t have a run longer than 17 yards, after runs of 46 and 47 yards in his first two seasons in Tampa, and rookie Rachaad White is slowly taking more and more reps at his expense."
Auman also highlighted the financial implications that could play a role in making this sort of decision.
"If you’re going to have the worst rushing attack in the NFL, you might as well do it inexpensively. Fournette has eight games to prove he’s worth keeping around next season."
It's worth noting that the instability along the interior of the Buccaneers' offensive line hasn't done any favors for Fournette, or the Buccaneers' rushing attack in general. The poor play of rookie left guard, Luke Goedeke, created a major weakness in what should be an otherwise solid unit. With his replacement, Nick Leverett, proving to be much more capable than Goedeke in his most recent start vs. the Rams, you can expect that side of the offensive line to be somewhat improved from what we saw throughout the team's first 7 games.
For the sake of the Buccaneers' rushing attack this season, and Leonard Fournette's career, let's hope these changes to the offensive line provide a cleaner path for the Buccaneers' running backs to follow — no matter who gets the carries.
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