Buccaneers: 3 newcomers to watch in the preseason opener
By Rob Leeds
Giovani Bernard should show off his hands with the Buccaneers tonight
Giovani Bernard was the only significant outside free agent to join the Buccaneers this offseason. The coaching staff took the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to their free agent signings, so it makes sense not to see many new faces from this avenue.
Regardless, the one area of the Buccaneer offense last season that was broken was in the running back room.
Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette did not do enough in the passing game. Dropped passes and missed opportunities were the main narratives surrounding the Buccaneer backfield last season through the air, and having that deficiency in a Tom Brady offense is a mistake.
Brady has played some of his best football with a competent pass-catcher in the backfield with him. The Bucs couldn’t get James White, but Giovani Bernard is good enough in his own right.
The Buccaneer offense now has the best wide receiver corps in the NFL and one of the best pass-catching backs of the last decade, so seeing how Bernard fits with the team will be a huge focal point for the game tonight.