The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be a very different team in 2023.
Tom Brady is no longer in town, and ineffective RB Leonard Fournette won’t be part of the equation either.
With that in mind, new starter Rachaad White has pretty high expectations for his second year in the league, his first as a starter:
“My expectation is to really do my job,” White said, via NFL.com. “I know the guy (GM) Jason Licht wants me to be, but really just be myself. Go out, have fun, relax. Obviously, the Bucs haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher in about eight years. So of course I want to upstage that.”
Rachaad White believes the Buccaneers have a “great opportunity” in the NFC South and wants to “outshine” 1000 rushing yardshttps://t.co/8d4y4OTwEI pic.twitter.com/EnJF191Spq
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) June 30, 2023
White was impressive in limited action in his rookie season, recording 481 yards on just 129 carries and adding 290 receiving yards on 50 catches.
Now, he’s looking to do what no Bucs RB has done since Doug Martin in 2015 by passing the 1,000-yard mark.
Unsurprisingly, the Bucs had trouble getting everything going last season, as they had Brady under center and one of the most ineffective offensive lines in the game.
They had a disappointing average of 76.9 rushing yards per game, the lowest in the league.
That’s expected to change this season, but White can’t rest on his laurels and will have no competition for tags, having brought in Chase Edmonds in free agency, and he’s an experienced running back who could end up taking his starting job. .
As for the quarterback situation, there’s still no clear favorite between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask, but it’s clear that neither of them are even close to Brady.
Regardless of that, White still has more than confidence in his team’s ability to take care of business in the NFC South, as they have plenty of playmakers on both ends of the field.
It will be easier said than done, but you have a chance.
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