Running Back
Through about one week of free agency, the biggest remaining question for the Bucs appears to be in the backfield. There’s still a lot of mystery with Doug Martin, though he is reportedly out of rehab. He has three games left on his four-game suspension, which was given as a result of a drug policy violation. Tampa Bay hasn’t committed to him as its running back for 2017, so there appears to be a possible need at the position.
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The Bucs re-signed Jacquizz Rodgers last week, but presumably not as their starter. Charles Sims is still on the roster as well, though he isn’t a surefire starter either. So, where does Licht go from here? Adrian Peterson made headlines earlier this year by naming the Bucs as one of the teams he would like to play for should he become a free agent. He’s now a free agent, but the chatter surrounding him has died down quite a bit. There doesn’t even appear to be much interest coming from Tampa Bay at all. Jamaal Charles and Latavius Murray are out there too, but again, the team hasn’t expressed interest in them either (openly, at least).
Do the Bucs look for a running back in the draft? Are they open to trading up for Dalvin Cook or Leonard Fournette? Or do they sit back and select a running back in the later rounds? It seems pretty mysterious at this point in the offseason, but there’s clearly a need in the backfield. Whether they choose to fill it with Martin, a free agent or a rookie remains to be seen.