Breaking News: Ambitious Trade Strategy Poised to Elevate Buccaneers’ Ground Game
Despite having the NFL’s worst rushing offense in 2023, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers remained confident that things would improve in 2024. However, through the first three games of the 2024 season, the situation hasn’t changed much. Heading into their Week 4 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 29, the Buccaneers rank 27th in rushing.
To revive their running game and aim for a fourth consecutive NFC South title, bold moves are needed—one being a trade involving running back Rachaad White and making rookie Bucky Irving the featured back. White may still hold value to teams in greater need of a running back, like the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, or Dallas Cowboys, as the Nov. 5 trade deadline approaches.
White’s major issue has been his yards per carry. Despite focusing on improving this metric in the offseason, he averaged 3.65 yards per carry in his first two seasons and only 2.1 yards per carry through the first three games of 2024. In contrast, rookie Bucky Irving has 154 rushing yards, averaging 6.2 yards per carry on 25 attempts, while White has managed only 66 yards on 31 carries. Tampa Bay has only one rushing touchdown this season, scored by quarterback Baker Mayfield in Week 2 against Detroit.
White acknowledged his inefficiency during offseason workouts, stating, “Right now, I’m not where I want to be in my career yards per carry-wise… efficient running backs average at least 4.0-4.1 (yards per carry) and above.”
Meanwhile, Irving, a fourth-round draft pick in 2024, is showing promise as a potential lead back. He had two consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons at Oregon and contributed significantly in the passing game. According to the Over the Cap trade calculator, trading White for a 2025 draft pick would benefit Tampa Bay financially.
White, drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, is in the third year of his four-year rookie contract. Tampa Bay’s Director of Player Personnel, Mike Biehl, expressed high hopes for Irving, noting that the team expected him to be selected earlier in the draft and liked his attitude and character, fitting the mold of players they were targeting.
