Tampa Bay Buccaneers listed with second-best odds to land two running backs at trade deadline
There are about 24 hours remaining - give or take - until the NFL Trade Deadline on Tuesday, November 1 at 4 p.m.
Action is expected to pick up as teams make trades to position themselves for a Super Bowl run or the future. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have yet to agree to a deal this season but it wouldn't be a surprise if the franchise kicks the tires on available edge rushers and running backs.
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The Buccaneers lost star pass-rusher Shaq Barrett for the season due to an Achilles injury that he suffered on Thursday night. On the other side of the ball, the offense is still averaging a league-worst 61.9 yards per game. With Leonard Fournette (3.4 YPC) and Rachaad White (3.0 YPC) struggling, it might be time to look for someone who can provide a boost in the backfield.
According to Bookies.com, Tampa Bay is listed with the second-best odds to land Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers and Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon at the deadline. The Buccaneers have a 16.7% chance (+500) to land Gordon and a 6.7% chance (+750) to acquire Akers.
The Rams have been public with their intentions to shop Akers but the team is comfortable retaining him if they can't find a landing spot. The third-year player is set to make just $1.1 million this year and $1.4 million in 2023 which means the Buccaneers could acquire him for a discount. He's been sidelined for the last two games and has totaled 51 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown as well as 2 catches for 18 yards this season.
Gordon was expected to play a large role with the Broncos following the season-ending injury to Javonte Williams. However, his playing time has been mostly sporadic after four total fumbles in Denver's first game. He hasn't fumbled since but Gordon has only recorded 75 carries for 263 yards with two touchdowns in eight appearances. He's only under contract for the remainder of this season at $2.485 million.
Tampa Bay will have to decide if investing in another running back is worth it compared to the team's other issues. The Buccaneers owe Fournette an average of $7 million per year during the life of his contract and spent a premium third-round pick to select White in April. With that being said, there's a low risk and high reward to acquiring Akers or Gordon.
With the team sitting on three consecutive losses and four defeats in its past six games, why not give something a shot?
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