Let’s speak about Rachaad White, lets?
The extra thrilling intervals of the Bucs offseason are over with, as pre-draft scouting, free company, the NFL Draft, OTAs and mini-camps are over. Meaning it’s time to settle in for what feels just like the longest of waits earlier than coaching camp will get underway in late July.
The canine days of the NFL offseason are all about storylines for the upcoming season. Media and followers alike spend the times of June and July passing the time with discourse surrounding all kinds of rankings, in addition to the large tales which are certain to come back up when the season begins in September.
So, with that in thoughts, the concept right here is to slim in on a number of the Bucs’ greatest stars and go player-by-player to dive into the large storylines which are in retailer for the 2024 season. After beginning with quarterback Baker Mayfield and persevering with with broad receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, we proceed in the present day with working again Rachaad White.
Bucs Storylines: Rachaad White
Listed below are three huge storylines surrounding Bucs working again Rachaad White in 2024:
Can Rachaad White Lead The Cost To Revive The Bucs Run Sport?
Bucs RB Rachaad White – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Tampa Bay’s run sport hasn’t completed within the prime half of the league since 2015, when it ranked fifth (135.1 yards per sport). That was due to a 1,402-yard season from Doug Martin, in addition to a 529-yard marketing campaign for Charles Sims (keep in mind him?). Within the years since 2015, Tampa Bay has completed twenty fourth, twenty seventh, twenty ninth, twenty fourth, twenty ninth, twenty sixth, thirty second (lifeless final) and thirty second (lifeless final once more). So for White because the Bucs’ RB1, it’s largely on his shoulders to revitalize the crew’s dashing assault in 2024.
Underneath Dave Canales final yr, Tampa Bay was cussed with the run sport. It was painful early on, however whereas it admittedly by no means reached elite ranges, it improved because the season went on. White averaged greater than 4 yards per carry in 4 straight video games from Nov. 26-Dec. 17 and almost obtained there once more within the final two common season video games, going for 3.8 and three.9 yards per carry in these two video games, respectively.
There have been a few 100-yard dashing video games alongside the way in which, and that resulted within the second-year working again ending simply shy of 1,000 dashing yards, as he totaled 990 on 272 carries (3.6 avg.).
White confirmed extra encouraging indicators for the run sport within the playoffs, working 18 occasions for 72 yards (4.0 avg.) towards the Eagles and going for 55 yards on 9 carries (6.1 avg.) towards the Lions.
With new offensive coordinator Liam Coen coming on this offseason, White could possibly be in for an enormous bounce in dashing effectivity and total effectiveness. Coming from the Sean McVay system, Coen will implement loads of movement and pre-snap motion out of 11 personnel, and that might give the third-year working again extra of an opportunity to reap the benefits of his prowess in house.
If all of it comes collectively the way in which Coen and head coach Todd Bowles are envisioning, White can be main the cost for a run sport revival in 2024. It’s not as if the Bucs must be fifth in dashing like they have been in 2015. A major enchancment that will get them out of the depths of the NFL (and ideally into the highest half of the league) will work. That may take some stress off quarterback Baker Mayfield and assist the Tampa Bay offense as a complete because it appears to be even higher than it was in 2023.
What Will The 1-2 Punch Of Rachaad White And Bucky Irving Look Like?
Bucs RB Rachaad White and RBs coach Skip Peete – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Bettering the run sport received’t be fully on Rachaad White in 2024. Tampa Bay drafted Oregon working again Bucky Irving within the fourth spherical of this yr’s draft, and he’s anticipated to be the opposite half of the Bucs’ 1-2 punch within the backfield.
That might result in a lighter workload for White, and that’s not a foul factor. He carried the ball 272 occasions in 2023 and caught 64 passes for a complete of 336 touches. It was one thing of a miracle that he managed to play all 19 of the crew’s video games with such a heavy workload. With Irving within the combine and veteran Chase Edmonds again — however because the crew’s RB3 this time — Liam Coen has some choices inside his backfield.
White continues to be the starter, in fact. However having Irving within the backfield is a profit to the offense in a few methods. There’s the easy undeniable fact that the Bucs added one other playmaker to the offense who can break tackles and make individuals miss. However what comes with that may be a probability to assist White keep more energizing legs, and that advantages each him and the offense as a result of the more energizing he’s, the more practical he’ll presumably be each within the run sport and as a move catcher.
What the cut up appears like between White and Irving (and Edmonds, to a lesser extent) can be an fascinating storyline to observe all through the season. Tampa Bay hasn’t had an efficient 1-2 punch in its backfield for fairly a very long time, as even the duo of Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette throughout the 2020 Tremendous Bowl season by no means appeared to be rolling on the identical time.
If Coen and his employees can strike the proper stability with White and Irving in 2024, it’d very properly assist contribute to that aforementioned run sport revival the Bucs are searching for.
Can Rachaad White’s Ascension Proceed In 2024?
Bucs RB Rachaad White – Picture by: USA At the moment
Because the Bucs went on their four-game successful streak final December and in the end received 5 of their final six video games to three-peat as NFC South champions, White was proper in the midst of the offense’s resurgence. It wasn’t all the time within the run sport, however that’s when his dual-threat capability actually got here in helpful. By the top of 2023, in truth, Rachaad White was one of many higher dual-threat working backs within the league.
White’s 1,542 all-purpose yards in 2023 have been the fourth-most amongst working backs within the NFL, trailing solely Buffalo’s James Cook dinner (1,567), New York’s Breece Corridor (1,585) and San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey (2,023). Cook dinner and McCaffrey have been Professional Bowlers, and Corridor was one of many Professional Bowl Video games’ greatest snubs.
Even with a gradual begin as Tampa Bay grew into Dave Canales’ offense — White went over 60 yards dashing simply twice within the first 10 video games — the 2022 third-round was proper there with these prime all-purpose backs by the top of the season. He had seven video games with 100-plus complete yards and three extra with 99, 98 and 93 yards, respectively. There have been loads of areas that might’ve been higher for him, however the arrow was definitely pointing up by the top of the season.
So the large query for White in 2024 can be whether or not he can proceed the ascension that started within the latter phases of 2023 and into the playoffs. A few of it should rely on how a lot Bucky Irving cuts into his workload, but when staying recent can be certain that White retains racking up yards the way in which he did late final season and surpasses his landing complete of 9 (six dashing, three receiving), maybe he’ll work his manner into the dialog for his first Professional Bowl choice.
