As the season progresses, one thing that is becoming abundantly clear is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might not have the right pieces in place to truly contend in the NFC.
There's still plenty of season left for the team to figure things out, but the run game continuing to lay duds -- and look worse than it did last year -- is a source of frustration tha thas fans demanding change. Rachaad White has failed to use the opportunity as RB1 to shine and the offensive line has let the room down in every imaginable way.
Last year the Bucs ranked dead last in the league with 3.4 yards per carry, which is a stat that has gone down a year later. If it weren't for the complete incompetence of Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders, the Bucs would once again have the league's worst rushing attack.
The NFL Trade Deadline is just a few days away and it's not just Bucs fans who think the team might make a move to fix things.
Buccaneers could be 'sneaky' team at trade deadline
While going over teams that could have sneaky intrigue at the trade deadline, ESPN insider Dan Graziano mentioned the Buccaneers and the need to fix the run game as something to watch.
"I do think Tampa Bay would look to upgrade at running back. Rachaad White hasn't been what they'd hoped in terms of taking the No. 1 job and running away with it. And it doesn't feel like Ke'Shawn Vaughn is the answer. They did open the 21-day practice window for Chase Edmonds, so maybe they can solve the problem internally," Graziano said.
This isn't the first time we've heard the Bucs tossed into running back trade rumors. They were pretty consistently mentioned alongside Jonathan Taylor and were even talked about as a potential landing spot for Saqoun Barkley. Derrick Henry is the latest popular name to be linked to the Bucs, especially given how the Titans appear to be in sell mode.
Rationale used then still remains true, as the Bucs run game has not improved and the team is scrambling for answers. The activation of Chase Edmonds might be something the team counts as an acquisition, as he's set to return on Thursday after being placed on IR earlier in the year.
It's a chicken-and-egg situation, though, as adding a running back doesn't fix the issues up front.