Last season the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did something we haven’t seen them do in years. The league’s worst rushing attack transformed into a top unit thanks in large part to the effort of rookie Bucky Irving, who took the league by storm and was an unfortunate snub for Rookie of the Year.
Bucky rightfully got the lion’s share of the attention and praise — as well as carries — but it wasn’t a one-man show. Rachaad White quietly had 1,000 scrimmage yards last season and was a key part of what helped finally turn things around.
Sean Tucker was also a nice surprise, as the training camp darling from a year ago finally popped the way fans were hoping to see last season. He had a tremendous game in Week 6 against the Saints where he scored twice and finished with 192 total yards in a performance that announced him as a potential key piece for the future.
Folks seem to have gotten ahead of themselves on Tucker taking over, though.
It’s not a report, despite what has been circulated about the blurb, but fantasy football expert Matthew Berry is reading the tea leaves and believes that Tucker could edge into the RB2 role sooner rather than later. Naturally, that raises questions about White’s future with the team and whether he’ll be moved this offseason.
"’He has the talent to be a No. 1 RB in this league,’ said a team source. The issue is just that he’s stuck behind Bucky Irving," wrote Berry. "Reading between the lines of the conversation, I came away thinking they love Irving, they love Tucker and aren’t as enthusiastic about Rachaad White. I bet Tucker overtakes White for the RB 2 role sooner than later."
It’s not the first time we’ve heard White’s name tossed out as an expendable piece this offseason, and that’s noise that seems to be getting louder rather than quieting down.
Trading Rachaad White this offseason doesn’t make any sense for the Buccaneers
Simply put, it makes almost no sense for the Bucs to move White. It’s great for conversation and trade fodder, but unless Tampa Bay gets blown away with an offer for him a deal shouldn’t be made.
While it’s true that White is entering the final year of his rookie contract, trading him to get ahead of losing him for nothing is loser’s mentality. For the first time in two years the Buccaneers finally had a stable backfield and blowing that up right away is foolish. Perhaps White doesn’t make as big of an impact as Irving but he doesn’t have to in order for Tampa Bay to keep building on its success from a year ago.
Tucker is also unproven, despite the fantastic sample size we’ve seen from him, and it feels a little early to put all of the eggs into his basket as White’s replacement. The Bucs could trade White for picks and draft a rookie to replace him, but that seems like an unnecessary step to take when what the team has now is working.
If the Bucs shopped White there would be interest, especially from a team like the Kansas City Chiefs who want a veteran back to pair with Isaiah Pacheco. They’re in a similar spot in that his rookie deal is up next year too but they’re not scrambling to find a replacement now; trading for White would be complimentary to what the Chiefs have not a resetting of the balance.
That’s the mentality the Bucs need to take into this situation. White might be entering his final year in Tampa Bay but the team isn’t better without him on the roster. A three-headed monster of Irving, Tucker, and White out of the backfield gives Josh Grizzard a ton of talent to work with and sets the offense up for success.
Anything can happen and trading White seems to be more on the table than it initially seemed earlier this offseason. That doesn’t, however, make it a good idea.
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