Buccaneers: Can Ke’Shawn Vaughn recover after rookie slip?
By Rob Leeds
Should the Buccaneers expect Ke’Shawn Vaughn to turn the corner?
Day two running back draft picks for the Buccaneers in recent years are cursed. Ronald Jones had a horrible rookie season with limited snaps and production, and while Ke’Shawn Vaughn was better, neither back ever lived up to their expectations in year one.
If you had Ke’Shawn Vaughn on your draft board for the Buccaneers in the third round, kudos to you. While we’re at it, maybe you can also give us the lottery numbers and help society out more with your clairvoyant powers.
Vaughn came as a surprise, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t be a fit. The Buccaneers reached on a player they thought would be a great fit in the offense. Vaughn had the potential to take over for Ronald Jones if the franchise lost faith in their starting back, and his efficiency in college led many to believe that he could, at worst, be an excellent change of pace back for the offense.
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Unfortunately for the rookie, a weak training camp and the addition of LeSean McCoy and Leonard Fournette virtually destroyed any chance of seeing the field. Vaughn never played more than 20 snaps on offense until week 16 versus Detroit, and while his rookie stats finished better than Jones’, his future is still in question.
At this point, the Bucs have no choice but to re-sign Leonard Fournette. Playoff Lenny was a considerable part of the postseason success, even if he wasn’t great during the regular season. Jones will stay the lead man after a great third season, and McCoy is likely out the door after playing a limited role in the playoffs.
As it stands, Vaughn should be the third back on the roster with a chance to earn third-down duties, but the Bucs are also eyeing a running back in the draft. Even if the Buccaneers take a late-round option that is only to be used in the passing game, Vaughn gets relegated back to the fourth spot and off the field for most of the season.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn and the Buccaneers can still make this work
The best-case scenario for all parties is that the Bucs wait for Ke’Shawn Vaughn to develop. Tampa Bay doesn’t have to use him a ton in year two, but they will already have a cheap option on their roster for a post-Fournette team if that ever happens. Vaughn, Jones, and a 2021 rookie should be a great backfield in 2022, and the Bucs should be set up perfectly if they continue to let #30 grow.
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In his limited reps, Vaughn showed great vision and put together a decent rookie tape, and the Buccaneers should continue developing him so he can take over a larger share of the touches in 2021.
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