The Buccaneers finally could need a run game.
The Buccaneers have been identified by one thing above all else for the better part of the past decade: throwing the football.
Tom Brady and Jameis Winston were gunslingers, often setting the pace for the rest of the league in total passing attempts or passes per game. This led to a lesser reliance on the run game, but all of that changes now.
No more Tom Brady leaves a void that will be hard for anyone to fill. As much as it’s hard to say it, Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask are the most likely starters in 2021, but there is still a chance that the Bucs make the right decision and make a blockbuster move to keep the franchise afloat.
Regardless, it will be next to impossible to find someone to fill the shoes that Brady wore so well, and it will be hard for any quarterback to survive in that system without some semblance of a rushing attack to share the load.
This is far from saying Tampa needs to establish the run, but guys like Gabbert aren’t 50-throws per game players. This style of play would lead to some of the worst football in franchise history, and finding a running back to shoulder some of the load is critical.
This will be a stark change in what the offense has been, but it will almost assuredly be what is necessary to keep this roster alive during one of the most difficult seasons in recent memory.
The Buccaneers should be able to find one decent back in the draft or in free agency, and this move has gone from being a need to a major priority in just a few short hours due to this news.
Throw the damn ball, but maybe sometimes run it now too.
Want to write about the Buccaneers? Apply below!