With the development of the new quarterback-heavy era of the NFL, there has been less emphasis put on the running back position. While this was inevitable, it is still somewhat upsetting to see the decline of running back in the offensive scheme. The “three yards and a cloud of dust” is a thing of the past.
There have been plenty of talented backs that have come through and play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and while they may have deserved to be on this list, for a variety of different reasons, they didn’t make the cut.
Here are a couple of those names:
Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman was a very important piece to the Buccaneers Super Bowl run during the ’02-’03 season. He was a good combo with Mike Alstott that year, but one of the main reasons why he didn’t make the list is because he was never truly a “Buccaneer”
In the year before the Super Bowl run, Pittman was playing with the Arizona Cardinals, where he spent his first four seasons. He did spend the majority of his career in Tampa, where he rushed for over 3,300 yards.
While he may have deserved to be on the list, there were too many other players that were more deserving, but he was definitely worth mentioning in this conversation.
Carnell “Cadillac” Williams
Cadillac Williams was an absolute stud at Auburn, as well as his first season in the NFL. He was selected 5th overall in the 2005 Draft and he immediately had an impact on the team.
In his rookie campaign, Cadillac won the Rookie of the Year by rushing for 1,178 yards and six touchdowns. Williams was everything the Buccaneers dreamed of in his rookie year, but unfortunately, the injury bug got the better of him.
In his third and fourth seasons, he played a total of 10 games and only rushed for 441 yards and seven touchdowns.
Cadillac Williams should have made this list because he should have been the best running back in the league for many years, but nobody can predict injuries.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 running-backs in Buccaneers’ history!