By: Carter Brantley – Bucs Report
Special to Sports Talk Florida
In an offseason where change could have been the norm, the Buccaneers opted for continuity, a wise decision coming off an unexpectedly successful 2023 due to some players exceeding expectations, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
That begins, of course, with the quarterback, Baker Mayfield, but extends to right tackle Luke Goedeke and even to a certain extent running back Rachaad White and his elite pass catching ability.
The Bucs brought Baker back, as well as top target Mike Evans, and they drafted a hopefully elite center in Graham Barton.
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Last season the Bucs managed to put together a successful campaign based around the rejuvenation of Mayfield, and this year they’re looking for more stability around Baker, specifically in the run game and a third option.
I believe they’ve solved both problems, with the drafting of Barton and third-round steal Jalen McMillan.
J-Mac and Barton have both been given starting roles in this offense and are, in my estimation, poised for strong rookie seasons.
McMillan will benefit from the space given to him by Evans and Chris Godwin, while Barton can leverage his great size and footwork to anchor a middle of an offensive line that is strong on the outside with Goedeke and newly extended Tristan Wirfs.
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Of course, White was not good running the ball last year, even with the interior of the line being as shaky as it was, but I expect an offseason of reflection and work combined with some new faces in the position room and on that o-line to help ease the load will catapult him into being at least acceptable as a back.
Rachaad has shown flashes of vision and explosiveness via his elite pass catching and YAC ability, especially in screens.
Perhaps he just needs the confidence of having some bruisers in the interior and an offensive coordinator who’s willing to think outside the box to give him running room.
Enter Sean McVay disciple, Liam Coen. We’ve all seen the Rams create elite run games out of weak offensive lines and meh running backs, so why can’t a former member of that staff do that with White?
And if the Bucs are even only slightly below-average running the ball, that’ll provide such a huge boost to the group that it could become a borderline elite offense.
So that’s my bold prediction. This offense becomes one of the more fun groups in football, and they flirt with top-5 production.
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