Bucs To Work Out RB Today
March 25th, 2018
Tire-kicking.
Just because it is Sunday doesn’t mean the football operations of the Bucs is taking a pleasant March day off.
Per the fingertips of heavy metal headbanging Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Bucs are expected to work out free agent Benny Cunningham today at One Buc Palace.
Cunningham, 27, is more of a kick returner/receiving back than a running back. In his five-year career, Cunningham has only started three games on brutal teams. He actually has much more catches out of the backfield than carries and for his career, and averages 26.7 yards per kick return.
Currently, the Bucs return game is nothing to celebrate and, of course, there are all kinds of spots open for a job at running back.
March 25th, 2018 at 12:07 am
What the heck, its not like the Bucs are stocked with talent at the RB position…
March 25th, 2018 at 12:15 am
I want to submit a different comment. I never say anything, but I must say thank you to Joe for your dedication to the Bucs fan base. I read MANY of the comments some good some bad and with no point. But I don’t read a thank you much. I’m a diehard and stat geek and Joe has added a MASS to my repertoire. So thank you Joe! Go Bucs!!! IE Midnight posting about RB’s love it!
March 25th, 2018 at 12:19 am
Can’t wait for tmax to explain how Gerald McCoy is such a cancer he will stop Cunningham from returning kicks. Please Joes……..please stop the ignorance. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. That doesn’t mean he deserves a platform. Maybe we can get an “unfollow” button?
March 25th, 2018 at 12:20 am
This guy has crazy agility and shiftyness……..
He’s a very good third down back too
I hope they sign him to compete in camp
March 25th, 2018 at 12:21 am
Pfft, hopefully this isn’t who Licht/ Koetter have in mind for replacing Sims. 30 seconds of research shows that he averaged 2.1 yards per carry in 2017. As far as his kick returning abilities, he’s not anywhere near dynamic enough to justify a roster spot when he gives you virtually nothing as a running back. Hard pass.
March 25th, 2018 at 12:29 am
Yep, just checking on him. The more I think about everything we’ve done, the more sense its making to me that we go Nelson as our pick at 7 (if there). Then a RB….then DB. I’d still love a DE, especially trading down and landing Landry but the Nelson pick, combined with what we have now, would open holes for almost any reasonable young back to work with.
Im actually hoping thats what we do now.
Nelson
Guice/Sony/Chubb…..or trade down the 2nd pick and grab Penny.
March 25th, 2018 at 12:35 am
Safety Jesse Bates, if somehow we can land a trade and get back into the 3rd round.
March 25th, 2018 at 12:41 am
Give the man a shot but, Sequan Barkley can do it all.
March 25th, 2018 at 12:46 am
I just thought of a great idea. What if all of our reader responses had a “like” or “dislike”… .similar to Twitter. Your site is so perfect for fan interaction. You would get a real pulse on how fans feel on a certain comment/subject. Love what you guys have been doing. I am a huge fan of every article/ podcast/ every “read between the lines” statements that you guys put out. Dont feel the need to post this lol
March 25th, 2018 at 12:47 am
MadMax: I like your thinking but I do not know if Nelson will drop to # 7 unless there are 4 qbs taken early and then the Browns and Colts grab Chubb and the top RB….
March 25th, 2018 at 12:48 am
Don’t tease us like this Joe.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would have a shot at Benny Cunningham.
March 25th, 2018 at 12:56 am
I’m confused, why not bring in Demarco Murray for a visit? I know he was banged up last season, but the season before hat he crushed the competition. He is an all purpose RB. As much as I would like Saquon Barkley I just do not see us getting him or Bradley Chubb unless we make a strong push and trade another pick to move a few spots. We need a pass rusher badly, with Suh still on the market how dangerous would our D-line be with JPP, McCoy, and Suh? Whoever they put as the fourth lineman would be fine. Come on Licht!!!!
March 25th, 2018 at 1:02 am
@FortMD, thats what im seeing. I think a QB hungry team trades up to the Brown’s 4th and Nelson will still be there at 7. Its very possible. The Giants know they need to groom a QB for the future and they need a pass rusher. At #2, a top QB or pass rusher should be in their sights more than O line (or maybe even a RB like Barkley). We’ll see though….man I cant wait for the draft!
March 25th, 2018 at 2:12 am
Bennie Cunningham is FAST!
The Rams and Bears didn’t use him well.
He flashes in film. Go watch. He is so quick!
March 25th, 2018 at 2:14 am
Jacquizz got too swoll. Too thick. Too bulky.
Now, hes slow.
Jacquizz needs to go. Sorry bro.
March 25th, 2018 at 3:20 am
You can get running backs anywhere, it’s really not a big deal if they go into the preseason without anyone as the true lead back since someone will always let go a quality back. Also post draft teams will release more backs onto the market as they draft new ones AND the Bucs can still always trade for someone – for example let’s say CJ Anderson isn’t cut, I’m guessing at this point the Broncos would probably be willing to give him up for probably a 6 and give you back a 7. Meanwhile in the draft the Buc need to go corner, corner, safety, corner – they really shouldn’t be focusing on a RB early when they have Ryan Smith and Chris Conte starting.
March 25th, 2018 at 6:21 am
Weird fetishes on this Team
Licht OBSESSES over Kickers.
Koetter OBSESSES over kick returners.
I hope we sign Cunningham- So Koetter can focus on the other parts of the team.
March 25th, 2018 at 6:25 am
Bucs need an improved running game to open up their passing game. If Saquon Barkley is not there at 7 then definitely go with Nelson. If Nelson is not there, wait till the second round and choose between the 2nd tier running backs left on the board. Also bring in Cunningham seems like he has some juice.
March 25th, 2018 at 7:03 am
I’m happy with kicking the tires on him.
March 25th, 2018 at 7:11 am
Likely a Sims replacement….and we need a player like this….can’t hurt.
March 25th, 2018 at 7:29 am
YOU all don’t remember what he did to the Bucs on that thurs night game vs the Bucs I think it was2 years ago 102 yard kickoff return to the goal line sign the man cheaper an better than sims
March 25th, 2018 at 7:31 am
As long as its only as a returner Im fine with it. Imagine the fan outrage if they tried to spin Barber and Cunningham as the 2015 version of Martin and Sims lol.
March 25th, 2018 at 7:48 am
Nelson and Guice equals Christmas in April
March 25th, 2018 at 8:03 am
If we can trade back, get our third or add another second, be good with DB in round one, Hernandez round two if he falls and Penny or Chubb if they fall and Chad Thomas in the fourth (similar size to JPP), has the tools but not the consistency. Yeah let’s see what Benny can do, we might actually need a punt returner this year if the defense balls out.
March 25th, 2018 at 8:12 am
peep his highlight tape…kid looks kinda sick wit it…tape shows better than simms and quizz…he can replace them both from what it looks like…and deal with kick off duties…
the guy has good field vision…give him a shot…i can see the bucs with him, barber and an early draft class rb…
seems koetter might have to give quizz a hug and kiss and say goodbye
March 25th, 2018 at 8:31 am
We don’t need Bennie Cunningham. We need Bennie logan!
March 25th, 2018 at 8:32 am
Captain Tim,
How does Koetter obsess over kick returners?
He gives the job to a guy in J. Rodgers that has 0% chance of returning a kick-off for a TD
March 25th, 2018 at 8:38 am
Stop wasting time on the phone with Cunningham agent and get on the phone with Bashad breeland and Bennie Logan’s agents and bring them to Tampa. Hell.. Go after Suh while your at it! Call the bills gm work out a trade for a bunch of picks! Lol
March 25th, 2018 at 8:41 am
So he’s a poor man’s Sir Charles Sims?
March 25th, 2018 at 8:52 am
He is a down grade from Charles Sims. Sign Sims and J. Rodgers go. We still need to draft a RB but this guy is not an improvement from what we have.
March 25th, 2018 at 8:56 am
1st 2 draft picks addressed the secondary then go get that running back. For they could just go sign bashad breeland and get the running back even quicker
March 25th, 2018 at 9:26 am
Camp meat if he is signed.
A RB who is not a RB, and a KR who does not score.
March 25th, 2018 at 9:28 am
I agree please keep benny Cunningham FAR AWAY from 1 buccaneers place
March 25th, 2018 at 9:50 am
I just don’t understand why we didn’t go after a real running back for a one or two year deal like demarco Murray or Hyde. How come we always settle for guys like Cunningham that nobody wants? It’s a bucs life fellas.
March 25th, 2018 at 9:57 am
There would be only one reason not to trade down. And that would be if the stud left guard is on the board.
March 25th, 2018 at 10:01 am
Yeah from Notre dame… Or that studd DE from South Carolina or that stud RB from Penn state…. a fan can dream
March 25th, 2018 at 11:20 am
Hell workout Frank Gore he’s available, that dude would raise hell here. Indy is a joke
March 25th, 2018 at 11:30 am
^ Frank Gore signed with the Dolphins a little while ago
Adrian Peterson is still available and probably will still be available after the draft, but I think it’s obvious that Licht is planning to draft a RB so not signing one in free agency isn’t that big of a deal. We may bring Charles Simms back as a 3rd down back and draft a pounder like Nick Chubb in the 2nd round, or draft do-it-all Saquon in the first round and bring in a veteran pounder like Adrian Peterson after the draft … heck, we may even draft two RB’s, such as Rashaad Penny in the 3rd and Bo Scarborough in the 5th … I’m not worried.
Saquon/Peterson/Barber/Quizz
Chubb/Barber/Simms/Quizz
Michel/Scarborough/Barber/Quizz
Any of the above 3 RB corps would be a massive upgrade over what we’ve had for the past 2 years …
March 25th, 2018 at 11:53 am
@NFLNut
We need to sign Orleans Darkwa so that we don’t paint ourselves into a corner come draft night. No Guarantees the guys Licht might want in the draft will be there when he wants them to be.
March 25th, 2018 at 12:42 pm
I say get guice or both of the Georgia running backs. We missed our chance by not signing demarco Murray or or getting hyde. Now we have to fill that hole in the draft just like our secondary
March 25th, 2018 at 1:55 pm
Alan,
Doubt we’ll draft both UGA backs. I would rather have Sony Michel than Chubb but if we got one I couldn’t complain.
March 25th, 2018 at 2:48 pm
1st down a man can dream right? Lol
March 25th, 2018 at 4:00 pm
We have a bell cow RB…. RC would complement THE MAN!!!
We dont need no stinking RB in THIS draft….
Barber will live up to his name sake in TAMPA…
NO TO A RB IN THIS DRAFT…
LET IT PLAY JOE!!!!
Or give the man some love???
March 25th, 2018 at 10:54 pm
If you luck out and get Penny, who had more yards than any back including Chub or Michel, Penny also is a tremendous Kick returner, can catch passes out of the backfield, and at 220 pounds can also run well in traffic between the Tackles, you would not need Cunningham, but if Licht can get him cheap and he can block as a third down back, go for it. But one way or another we either need a top LT so we can slide Smith to LG, or we grab a LG no later than the second round. As for Chad Thomas, Miami Hurricanes’ Top DE, they led the country this year with 44 sacks, and he has good size and length and almost as fast as Chub and will likely still be available in the fourth round. After our DL Coach teaches him better techniques he has the potential to be similar to Chub.
March 25th, 2018 at 10:54 pm
He Aint no Doug Muscle Crampster thats for sure.
And if your gonna bet on Martin last year. You dam sure better bet on this KID!!!
I want ALL of the 12th Man to believe with me now… Payton Barber Is A Beast!!!
#PetersonToTheBucsALLDAY!!!!
March 26th, 2018 at 1:21 am
Why? is there really no one else out there?