The Bucs’ Best Back
April 26th, 2015
Yes, the other day running back Bobby Rainey signed the offer sheet Tampa Bay put in front of him weeks ago.
But how will the Bucs use him?
Rainey is diverse. He can catch, run, and some believe he can be a strong returner.
Typing for Buccaneers.com, Joe Kania types ways the Bucs could intelligently utilize Rainey.
Rainey has rushed for 100 yards on three different occasion during his two seasons with the Buccaneers. In Week 2 against the Rams, he carried the ball 22 times for 144 yards. The pervious season, he ran for 163 yards and 127 yards in Weeks 9 and 12, respectively. Rainey is expected to compete for carries in the Bucs’ backfield in 2015.
Joe is confident Rainey is the team’s best back right now and should be used accordingly. But Joe knows Rainey is not Lovie Smith’s kind of guy.
Rainey found himself in the penthouse of Lovie’s outhouse due to fumbling. But the last time Rainey put the ball on the ground was in the wood-shedding the Dixie Chicks stomped on the Bucs back in September. So pardon Joe if he thinks that fumbling was just an excuse to bench Rainey.
Until or unless Chosen Son Charles Sims outplays Rainey, the guy who should carry the mail is Rainey.
April 26th, 2015 at 9:04 am
Somewhere in Port Richey there is a George smiling….
April 26th, 2015 at 9:09 am
I’m gald Dominik grabbed Rainey off waivers. He is clearly a better player than 3rd round Sims. As for better than Doug Martin, no Joe can’t go there, Doug when healthy, is out best back and it isn’t close.
April 26th, 2015 at 9:10 am
Bill Parcells is not a fan of Winston.
#DP #HGH #PEDs #MushBrainRetard
April 26th, 2015 at 9:13 am
Doug Martin is a top RB when used properly.
#DP #HGH #PEDs #MushBrainRetard
April 26th, 2015 at 9:18 am
I think this boils down to how much control Koetter really has over the offense. If he’s only given parameters, without interference of personnel usage, Rainey has a chance to make more of name for himself, especially if he can hold on to the ball.
If Lovie/Licht are not only telling Koetter the type of offense to run, but also setting his depth chart, and for rotational type positions (i.e. RB) telling him how much playing time each player should get, then Rainey (and for that matter Koetter) isn’t likely to get a fair shake.
April 26th, 2015 at 9:31 am
It’s very difficult to evaluate any Offensive player with Arroyo as OC….add the awful Oline and RBs are even more difficult.
I never understood why we didn’t use James more….he always seemed to run harder and gain yardage.
Don’t give up and declare Sims a bust so easily….he was injured, missed camp and most of the season….was a rookie and ran in Arroyo’s offense.
April 26th, 2015 at 9:32 am
I’ve been saying for a long time that Rainey is the best back on this roster. Martin doesn’t make people miss, you can’t have an NFL career like that.
April 26th, 2015 at 9:41 am
I know it has been run into the ground and is glaringly obvious that the O line needs upgrading. All of the Bucs present RB’s are capable given an improved line, these coaches will work to fix that shortly.
April 26th, 2015 at 9:47 am
Yes! What Buc37 said.
April 26th, 2015 at 9:58 am
I love would argue Charles Sims has that ability to be our best back. Matt Forte like.
April 26th, 2015 at 9:58 am
just play your best player at the positions, regardless of if you drafted him(c.sims) or signed them(j. mccown). what did he fumble like twice last year. with the team being so bad, i dont think those few fumbles really made much difference. let rainey spin this year bucs plz
April 26th, 2015 at 10:19 am
Couldn’t agree more. Rainey is and has been the best back on this team since he got here!! High stepping. Breaking tackles. Small and cunning. Running with enthusiasm. He looks like he is having fun. Then Martin comes in and just runs into the wall and falls down. Then McCown does something stupid again and we punt it 25 yards downfield.
I would like to see more of James too. He could be better than Rainey for all we know too. He’s looked exceptional in his limited reps. I don’t get his lack of use either.
Martin and Sims have both performed less that Rainey and James but have gotten more love.
April 26th, 2015 at 10:28 am
You are SO right on this one joe!
April 26th, 2015 at 10:33 am
@JOE
So pardon Joe if he thinks that fumbling was just an excuse to bench Rainey.
Easy to pardon Joe. But it begs the question what was Lovie’s motivation for disliking Rainey if not fumbles? Perhaps because he’s a little guy? Is he poor at picking up blitzes and blocking? Hard to think it would be anything personal so I’m just curious about which deficiency in Rainey’s game bothers Lovie the most.
April 26th, 2015 at 10:34 am
Rianey is the best all around back on this roster, but I would bet my money on Mike James having more 100 yards rushing games than any back on the team in terms of being an up the gut yards after contact runner. Problem is he is not the best pass catcher or at least hasn’t shown it and I’m not sure how he is with blocking. Rainy is a good little back!
April 26th, 2015 at 10:44 am
This sounds like Ernest Graham/Caddy story all over again. Draft a RB first round, get one good season than a nobody takes his spot and the nobody ends up better than the 1st rounder.
April 26th, 2015 at 11:17 am
Mike James should be featured more this season they need to give him the rock and let him do his thing.
April 26th, 2015 at 12:38 pm
Sorry Joe but I saw a few runs from Martin that made me think he still has that tremendous burst he had his rookie season which means if he had some holes to run through he would tear some defenses up. Get him back into catching the ball and he’s an all around back again.
April 26th, 2015 at 12:47 pm
Martins vision was terrible last year while Raineys was exceptional Id rather see more of James than Martin too
April 26th, 2015 at 1:17 pm
I have watched plenty of games that Sims played in, and I can see why they drafted him.
So far, he has yet to show it here. But if he ever does, look out.
April 26th, 2015 at 2:13 pm
I agree Martin vision as a runner was bad. He keeps running into his lineman and not get far. But on the same play, the is a big gap near by. He remind me of Caddy right now. Great rookie year followed by horrible vision and constantly running into the o line back.
This happened when the o line blocked well and not so well. The best running back take what the defense give them and exploit gaps when the play didn’t go as planned.
April 26th, 2015 at 5:44 pm
Hard to say what we have in Simms at this point, the sample size is pretty small. Rainey isn’t much more than a change of pace back in reality, but to his credit, he can create holes for himself so he is certainly worth the roster spot. Martin has been garbage since he was drafted, I know, “what about his rookie year….yadayadayada.” His vision sucks and he cant anticipate where the hole will be. I’ve been calling him out on this since the 2nd game of his career when he was stealing carries from Blount. Mike James is wasting a roster space unless he can contribute on special teams.
My opinion is they should take what they can get for Martin, I’m sure he isn’t worth more than a 5th rounder or a throw in on a trade-up opportunity in the middle rounds. Draft someone like David Johnson in the 4th round if he’s available, not likely, and cut Mike James.
April 26th, 2015 at 7:12 pm
Yea joe lets just fumble the ball in the fourth quarter agian. Dont even get me started on Asj vs the vikings
April 26th, 2015 at 9:25 pm
After the Blowout loss to Atlanta lovie and licht met up talked about it and it began the tanking!!!! chase for the #1 pick began. We won and it looks like L&L will be around forever.