Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Subverting a losing culture (part two)

What do the Buccaneers need from their running backs?

While my high school statistics teacher would call this correlation and not causation, the Buccaneers would likely be wise to follow the lead of these teams and focus on finding and cultivating a back that is able to catch as well as they can run. While most of these dual threat backs were already stellar in college, Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones both were never receivers in college, and that translates into their game in the NFL.

With the inconsistency on the Buccaneer offensive line and with Jameis’ ability to extend plays on the ground, a competent pass catching back would be very effective on the Buccaneer offense. Departing running back Jacquizz Rodgers was the primary pass catching back last season and had 38 receptions for 304 yards. He was never the runner to be a featured back, but his receiving skills were a step in the right direction.

As far as the players that are remaining are concerned, Andre Ellington, a former Bruce Arians running back, will likely serve this role as Peyton Barber is not a big receiving back, and Ronald Jones had a terrible rookie campaign both on the ground and through the air. While reports form Jason Licht and the Bucs front office have been that Rojo has improved in all facets of his game, it is still unlikely that he would be a 3rd down back or a player with a high volume of catches.

While players like Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey are able to run routes similar to that of a receiver, the Bucs running backs won’t be required to go this in depth with their receiving skills. Being able to serve as a competent check down or as a receiver in the flats goes a long way in improving the confidence of a quarterback, which Jameis definitely needs.

To be clear, the Buccaneers running backs do not have to have 50 catches in a season for Bruce Arians’ offense to succeed, but it is a formula that is starting to be utilized on successful teams throughout the league. While neither of the Buccaneers primary backs are known for their receiving skills, it is something that they can learn that would surely help the future of the franchise.

After these quarterback and running back critiques, the Buccaneers’ offense is certainly a bright spot for the team, and Petyon Barber and Ronald Jones will be solid backs that simply have to be utilized more. While the Bucs’ offensive line is not great, that problem is likely more attributed to the front office and Jason Licht, which will be discussed in the next part of the series.