There’s no denying the talent Rachaad White possesses, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ running back rarely gets the adoration he deserves - mostly because he has played on some of the worst rushing offenses in the league over the course of his career.
But that’s not White’s fault. He’s been great in spite of the team’s overall failures, coming off a season where the team was the worst in the league in running the ball but he had nearly 1,000 rushing yards on his own. Quite simply, he can’t do it all by himself.
That’s why Jason Licht and the Bucs invested so much into revamping the interior of the offensive line. For as great as offensive coordinator Dave Canales was at times last year, his stubbornness to run the ball up the middle behind poor blocking was often a detriment to not only White, but to the offense as a whole. It stalled drives, killed momentum, and hurt White’s ability to get in rhythm. Now, things have begun to shift.
Signing Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta started things off, but investing a first round pick in Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton is what showed that the Bucs were committed to not just protecting Baker Mayfield, but setting White up for success. Last year’s 3.6 yards per carry could have been much better had it not been for poor blocking, untimely run calls, and hesitation behind the line.
Now, White has the confidence needed in his offensive line to clear a path and let him get to the second level of the defense - but it doesn’t end there.
The addition of Bucky Irving and emergence of Sean Tucker is going to pay huge dividends for not just the team’s overall rushing production, but for White’s individual success. Chase Edmonds, who will miss this season with a knee injury, was in and out in 2023 due to injury issues. Sean Tucker was coming off an injury and wasn’t the player the Bucs expected him to be. Ke’Shawn Vaughn was invisible and subsequently cut from the team during the season. The run game truly was a one man show.
Now with Irving and a much improved Tucker in the mix, Rachaad is going to get a few more opportunities to sit on the side and rest rather than being the only back that can produce - and while that may seem counterintuitive to production, it actually isn’t. White’s quickness and burst in open space are some of his best attributes, so the fresher he is late in games against a tired defense, the more productive he will be to gain chunk yards and have explosive plays. That’s either going to help the Bucs run out the clock or ice games in the fourth quarter.
White accounted for 75.5% of carries from the running back group last season. If he’s going to be healthy and effective late into the year, that number has to come down. If it’s in more of the 60-65% range, White is still going to be a 1,000 yard rusher with another 500-plus receiving yards - but then you have contributions from Irving and Tucker as well that will improve the overall success of the offense while elevating White’s status as one of the league’s best and most versatile running backs.
Only Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey had more carries than White did last season, but White was still fourth among running backs in total yards from scrimmage with 1,539 - trailing Christian McCaffrey (2,023), Breece Hall (1,585), and James Cook (1,567).
All signs point to Rachaad White having the breakout season that he seemed to be on the cusp of last year, and if there was a time for him to get it done it’s right now.
There’s no denying the talent Rachaad White possesses, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ running back rarely gets the adoration he deserves - mostly because he has played on some of the worst rushing offenses in the league over the course of his career.
But that’s not White’s fault. He’s been great in spite of the team’s overall failures, coming off a season where the team was the worst in the league in running the ball but he had nearly 1,000 rushing yards on his own. Quite simply, he can’t do it all by himself.
That’s why Jason Licht and the Bucs invested so much into revamping the interior of the offensive line. For as great as offensive coordinator Dave Canales was at times last year, his stubbornness to run the ball up the middle behind poor blocking was often a detriment to not only White, but to the offense as a whole. It stalled drives, killed momentum, and hurt White’s ability to get in rhythm. Now, things have begun to shift.
Signing Ben Bredeson and Sua Opeta started things off, but investing a first round pick in Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton is what showed that the Bucs were committed to not just protecting Baker Mayfield, but setting White up for success. Last year’s 3.6 yards per carry could have been much better had it not been for poor blocking, untimely run calls, and hesitation behind the line.
Now, White has the confidence needed in his offensive line to clear a path and let him get to the second level of the defense - but it doesn’t end there.
The addition of Bucky Irving and emergence of Sean Tucker is going to pay huge dividends for not just the team’s overall rushing production, but for White’s individual success. Chase Edmonds, who will miss this season with a knee injury, was in and out in 2023 due to injury issues. Sean Tucker was coming off an injury and wasn’t the player the Bucs expected him to be. Ke’Shawn Vaughn was invisible and subsequently cut from the team during the season. The run game truly was a one man show.
Now with Irving and a much improved Tucker in the mix, Rachaad is going to get a few more opportunities to sit on the side and rest rather than being the only back that can produce - and while that may seem counterintuitive to production, it actually isn’t. White’s quickness and burst in open space are some of his best attributes, so the fresher he is late in games against a tired defense, the more productive he will be to gain chunk yards and have explosive plays. That’s either going to help the Bucs run out the clock or ice games in the fourth quarter.
White accounted for 75.5% of carries from the running back group last season. If he’s going to be healthy and effective late into the year, that number has to come down. If it’s in more of the 60-65% range, White is still going to be a 1,000 yard rusher with another 500-plus receiving yards - but then you have contributions from Irving and Tucker as well that will improve the overall success of the offense while elevating White’s status as one of the league’s best and most versatile running backs.
Only Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey had more carries than White did last season, but White was still fourth among running backs in total yards from scrimmage with 1,539 - trailing Christian McCaffrey (2,023), Breece Hall (1,585), and James Cook (1,567).
All signs point to Rachaad White having the breakout season that he seemed to be on the cusp of last year, and if there was a time for him to get it done it’s right now.
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