The injury bug has bitten the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running backs, and a free agent option could improve the outlook for the season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have experienced a resurgence in their run game. So far this season, the Bucs have two individual 100-yard rushers in Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette, and at this rate, one of these two could break 1,000 yards in a single season for the first time since 2015.
After the excellent start to the season, the Buccaneer run game could be in jeopardy after a slew of injuries has cut the number of available backs from five to two in a single week.
Leonard Fournette went into the week four game on the injury list without an end in sight, and LeSean McCoy and Kenjon Barner both left the matchup with the Chargers as well with various injuries that could span several weeks. If these injuries persist, the Bucs could only have two running backs on their roster for an unspecified period.
The best case for the Buccaneers at this point is to find an additional running back to plug some of the holes for the time being. This free agent may not see the field in week five versus Chicago, but they could help out in the event of injuries throughout the rest of the season.
Tampa Bay doesn’t have a ton of money to spend for now, but they will need more than two running backs on their roster as soon as possible, and these cheap options could be a great fit.