In the latest edition of trade speculation which started all the way back when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Bucky Irving last year, there is now another chapter in what has become the Rachaad White trade (saga?).
It seems like we hear new chatter on a weekly basis, and this time it's coming from Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport, who brought up the popular White trade fodder once more.
"The issue for White is that while he averaged a career-high 4.3 yards per carry last year and topped 1,000 total yards, he also ceded lead-back duties to rookie Bucky Irving, who eclipsed 1,100 yards on the ground and averaged a whopping 5.4 yards per tote," wrote Davenport.
Even Bucky Irving doesn't want to see the Buccaneers trade Rachaad White
This has been well-established, but just a few weeks ago even, Irving went on record telling Kay Adams that he believes the Bucs have a great one-two punch and White shouldn't be going anywhere.
Irving's sentiments should ring true enough for the Buccaneers not to make a move. It's understandable that White is in a contract year. It's understandable that he lost touches to Irving.
However, the two of them functioned so well as a duo that the Buccaneers ended the 2024 campaign as the NFL's no. 4 rushing team, averaging just under 150 yards per game on the ground. Do we think that was by accident?
Do we think that was 100 percent based off of Irving's emergence?
We'll never know what would have happened if Irving had been the only guy as a rookie, but my assumption is that the Bucs would not have finished as high as they did in terms of running the football.
White's presence as a pass catchers is too good to ignore. And, while Irving can also catch the football, it's White's change of pace in the open field which makes him so lethal. You have the bowling ball that is Irving, but White's speed and breakaway potential in open space is a necessary component of this offense.
Tampa Bay needs to allow White to play out his rookie contract and, if they opt to let him go in free agency next year, so be it. But, for the sake of a run this season, White has to stay.