Were The Bucs Looking For A Coach?
August 7th, 2023
“Rachaad, see the goal line? Run there.”
Man, the Bucs must really love Rachaad White and Sneak Vaughn.
Joe thinks Vaughn may be having the best camp as far as running the ball. None of the running backs are having practices where any one of them makes you forget Warrick Dunn.
But consistently, Vaughn seems to be having a better camp. The rest? Meh.
Many folks across the NFL universe had a hard time squaring how the Bucs had the worst running attack in the game last year, yet didn’t go out and get a running back, especially in a running back-rich draft. Joe was among them.
But yeah, the Bucs did get a running back. And he’s not exactly a threat to put a team on his back and win games.
Speaking after practice this morning, Bucs coach Todd Bowles crowed about the “professionalism” of Chase Edmonds. And it seems the Bucs are hoping that trait rubs off on others.
“Even when he was hurt in the spring, his professionalism, how he prepares and how he talks to guys and teaches guys is outstanding,” Bowles said. “He is a very good football player. We really like everything he brings to the table.
“He is teaching those guys how to be pros – running, cuts [and] just talking the game with Rachaad [White], talking the game with ‘Sneak’ and talking the game with Sean [Tucker]. He has been very instrumental in that way.”
It smells like to Joe that the Bucs signed an expensive running backs coach.
We will see if Edmonds and his professionalism and teaching skills help mold White into a top-shelf running back.
Think about it: Your head coach and offensive coordinator brag how they are going old school NFL to run the ball. Yet the projected RB1 was woeful runninglast year and Edmonds, the “big” signing at running back, totaled less than 250 yards on the ground in 2022.
This is one reason some folks think the Bucs are low-key tanking.
August 7th, 2023 at 4:02 pm
Vaughn has always been a good running back, but couldn’t find the field due to other reasons (ball security, blocking, catching, etc.). I have read reports that his catching is improved, more natural and fluid, etc. so that is a good sign he may see more playing time this year.As for White, we haven’t seen his best yet, so I am hopeful he does shine once the games start to count.
August 7th, 2023 at 4:02 pm
Think about it this way: Running back is not a position a lot of teams are investing in right now. For us to “add” to the position, we would’ve had to either make a splash free agent signing–an expensive proposition when we’re in cap hell–or draft for it. I’m guess that draft didn’t fall that way for us.
So, knowing that White showed promise and Sneak has never really gotten a chance (but has looked good when he has), the Bucs decided to get a cheap vet and sign and draft for the offensive line.
It really does make the most sense, especially with the Bucs cap situation.
August 7th, 2023 at 4:11 pm
Preseason Starters Announced
Game 1: Mayfield (Pitt)
Game 2: Trask (Jets)
August 7th, 2023 at 4:37 pm
Joe you’re not wrong! But it’s still getting old! #DepartmentofRedundancyDepartment
August 7th, 2023 at 4:42 pm
I feel like he may steal some goal line Carrie’s
August 7th, 2023 at 5:18 pm
So far Vaughn has been below mediocre.
When given the chance in past preseason games he has been ineffective and has fumbled a few times…
He got the chance to play in 2021 and was listed on the injury report with bruised ribs after just one game.
If he is going to be somebody in the NFL he better step it up quickly.
I’m going to hold my opinion of Vaughn until after this preseason. But so far I am highly unimpressed…
August 7th, 2023 at 5:27 pm
I don’t remember a time where we have no idea if we are good or bad, or even mediocre, recently we knew we were pretty good, the previous 10 years we had a pretty good idea we were mediocre to bad, I’d like to be optimistic that the multiple question marks, HC, OC, OL, QB, RB, EDGE especially, will bounce our way, but history is definitely not on our side, at least we will have a pretty good idea what this season will look like after the 1st 4 games
August 7th, 2023 at 5:48 pm
Joe keeps harping on the fact that the Bucs didn’t draft a RB….
Yet continues with this narrative to ignore the fact that we got a RB who was rated by most as a Day 2 selection – a guy who runs a 4.3ish 40 and was very productive in College – FOR FREE. Not for a 2nd or 3rd rd draft pick… For FREE!
Talking about Sean Tucker of course….
Our RB room has LOTS of talent. Young talent. Fresh legs!
Sure these guys are mostly ‘unproven’ and therefore the questions about their abilities persist.
But the Bucs are confident in this RB group and so am I.
White will gain at least 1100-1200 yards on the ground if he stays healthy and the group will get close to 2000 yards rushing this year is my guess…
A lot depends on the OLine which has plenty of question marks too – but again the Bucs are confident in their reworked OLine and so am I.
August 7th, 2023 at 6:35 pm
Great point Joseph Simmons, also look at the RBs in KC and Buf nothing impressive
August 7th, 2023 at 6:50 pm
The Bucs have a good RB’s Coach in Skip Peete, and if Vaughn is more than a JAG this year, especially catching the ball (he had Ronald Jones hands in games), Peete deserves a hefty raise.
August 7th, 2023 at 6:54 pm
Mike Says:
August 7th, 2023 at 4:02 pm
Vaughn has always been a good running back, but couldn’t find the field due to other reasons (ball security, blocking, catching, etc.).
^^^^^^^^^^
Mike: What you listed are all key aspects of being a good RB. So no, so far he hasn’t been a good RB, IMHO.
August 7th, 2023 at 7:04 pm
Joe … ‘This is one reason some folks think the Bucs are low-key tanking.’
Please stop with this ‘low-key tanking’ Joe. We have no money & chose to put what little we did have into defense (re-signing Dean & Gholston, plus adding Gaines & Neal), as well as a little into offense (adding Mayfield & Feiler). That’s what NOT HAVING MONEY looks like. Personally I think we’ve done an awesome job thus far of attempting to dig out from the bottom of the well.
August 7th, 2023 at 7:22 pm
@ DR
I agree.
If the Bucs win the NFC South our GM should win NFL GM of the year award…
Our salary cap and roster was kind of a mess after the 2022 season.
August 7th, 2023 at 7:25 pm
@ Joe in Mich
I agree 100%.
Being an NFL running back requires more than just running with the ball.
Pass protection, receiving and securing the football are just as important…
This is why I don’t like Sneak Vaughn as our RB2.
August 7th, 2023 at 7:49 pm
Anyone on here praising sneak as a good rb can quit with the nonsense.
August 7th, 2023 at 9:03 pm
Guess you missed Joe’s analysis of the running backs in this story. And Joe has been to *every* practice this summer. Joe thinks he’s seen Tucker have one nice run. One!
But Joe will also give the kid a pass since he hasn’t practiced any football since he played in Syracuse’s last game.
August 7th, 2023 at 9:04 pm
Please explain how the salary cap prevents a team from drafting at a need position.
August 7th, 2023 at 9:05 pm
(Ahem.) 🙂
August 7th, 2023 at 9:48 pm
Yawn… OMG the drama
August 7th, 2023 at 9:56 pm
Antonine Smith carried the ball 100 times for Buffalo in 2000. In 2001 he was traded, carried the ball 287 times for 1157 yards, and got a Super Bowl Ring.
Edmonds got drafted by Arizona the last year of the Josh Rosen dumpster fire and diid not get used much. Just because he isn’t turning his nose at 10 million a year or refusing to play if you don’t change the deal he agreed to does not make him a bad running back.
Bucs drafted a running back at 38 in 2018. In addition to Shaquan Barkley, Nick Chubbs and Rojo I am sure Bucs Management looked at Edmonds. Especially when he ran 257 for 1858 yards as a Junior. Had he not been injured his Senior year he probably would have been drafted higher than the 4 th round.
In my opinion he is a Great Addition
August 7th, 2023 at 10:56 pm
None of the running backs are having practices where any one of them makes you forget Warrick Dunn.
___________
Why not compare him to The Muscle Hamster?
After all, Dougie averaged the same ypc and actually had a higher ypg average even including a very bad final year with the Raiders.
Dunn was good/very good for us, but surely not the ultimate measuring stick for performance.
I know he’s your original spark for the site but he wasn’t THAT good Joe.
August 8th, 2023 at 3:22 am
Low key tanking? Does that also mean playing with the cards we are dealt?
What money could purchase what back out there? We are in salary cap purgatory and we have to ball with what we got. I don’t see how being savvy and acquiring the requisite talent to possibly win our division is low key tanking.
We all know this organization sacrificed the future for the now and won us a damn Super Bowl in possibly the shïttiest year of the century. This is the future being sacrificed. We are the bloody lamb and we have to suffer through some time to build this team into a contender again. We may get lucky on some draft picks but we’ve seen that the draft is the only way to build a franchise.
August 8th, 2023 at 3:25 am
Sean Sullivan was correct in his prediction for our 2023 draft pick. I think Licht wanted Gibbs from Bama and he unexpectedly was picked early.
August 8th, 2023 at 3:33 am
Joe Says:
August 7th, 2023 at 9:04 pm
Please stop with this ‘low-key tanking’ Joe. We have no money & chose to put what little we did have into defense
Please explain how the salary cap prevents a team from drafting at a need position.
Obviously they didn’t see it as a position of need! I will say you can’t fault Joe for bringing up a NATIONAL narrative. He is just saying that based off of a previous article where he explained who said it. I agree and am impressed with what they did from salary cap purgatory, All coaches hate the word rebuild because it doesn’t involve them unless management said it, and hired you to do it.
August 8th, 2023 at 3:37 am
Also, I think Bowles accidentally gave away who our RBs will be in his presser.
He said Edmonds has been helping White, Sneak and Sean.
Thats pretty telling.
They have worked Tucker in more and more and it really doesn’t matter what he has done YET.
No doubt in my mind he has what it takes to be special. Will he “work” hard enough is my question?
August 8th, 2023 at 3:59 am
Agreed, Marine Buc.
August 8th, 2023 at 5:41 am
Yada yada yada Joe we get it. Your convinced that we could not run last season only because we did not have a top end running back. Many thought we did have one… Lenny!
Not so fast! Find out how many times he and White were hit at or behind the line of scrimmage and you might have a clue. The blocking scheme was man and we sucked at it. Mano y Mano and our guys had nothing.
Also every school kid knew what we were gonna do on first down last year so we had defenses licking their chops for TFLs. We were running into stacked boxes alot last year.
Leftnut and our decimated O line were the much bigger reason Joe and why you refuse to accept that is beyond me. A few and I do mean a few limited contact running plays in camp mean nothing. We simply do not know anything about our current players because of the ineptness of last year. Too few runs in camp IMO.
Go Bucs!
Go Bucs!
August 8th, 2023 at 11:49 am
Seattle hasn’t had an RB worth remembering. They come from nowhere and they get injured as quickly as they emerge, only to be replaced by another nobody. They continue to be one of the better rushing teams this year.
I think they are betting heavily on scheme and scheme fit to improve the position this year, along with a gameplan where we don’t just run straight into defenses that know we are running