Buccaneers running back Rachaad White is coming off a fine season as a receiving back, but he still hasn’t been able to quite figure things out as a pure runner.
His stats (both under-the-hood and actual production) speak to someone who can thrive in a niche role, perfect as a compliment to Bucky Irving, but with his cap number reaching over $3 million for the 2025 season, it could be a situation where the Bucs decide to cut ties to spend that money on a position of higher need.
With a running back class as deep as this year’s, that could turn out to be a wise decision, and we’ll get right into some undervalued players the Bucs could target either later in the draft or as undrafted free agents.
Donovan Edwards – Michigan
After essentially losing his starting role to teammate Kalel Mullings, Edwards fell off many people’s radar as a draft prospect, and perhaps for good reason.
His vision and speed don’t speak to someone who can make it as an elite elusive back (like, say, Bucky Irving), and he doesn’t have the power of a lot of elite between-the-tackles guys.
But, he does possess some fascinating dual-threat ability, and that could be exactly what the Bucs are looking for out of a late-round back.
He is also solid in pass protection, in addition to being a fun, explosive runner with enough acceleration to make big plays interesting.
Having Bucky Irving as your starting back and Edwards and Sean Tucker as your backups is a very good running back room, and Edwards will be far cheaper than Rachaad White, as he’s expected to be a 6th-round-or-later pick.
Raheim Sanders – South Carolina
A very different player than both White and Edwards, Sanders is known for being an absolute tank.
He’s 6’0, and over 200 pounds, and has some really fun big-play ability due to his ability to see the field well and hit holes with both patience and decisiveness.
Where Sanders lacks is in the pass game; don’t expect him to be Rachaad White out there in the pass game, as he doesn’t have much in terms of YAC-ability.
But, with Sean Tucker flirting a bit with being a fun pass catcher and Bucky Irving having the potential to be utilized a good bit more in the pass game, Sanders could shoulder some of the carries for the Bucs and become a fun wrecking ball to pair with Tucker.
Trevor Etienne – Georgia
A bit more of a good in-between when compared to Sanders and Edwards, Etienne is still pretty powerful as a runner, but not as much as Sanders.
He’s also fun in the pass game, but not as proven in his route-running or pass protection as Edwards.
For the Bucs though, Etienne’s big upside and youth could make for an enticing replacement for White, especially as Etienne is projected to fall pretty far in the draft, with some even saying he could fall out of the draft entirely.
It’s safer to say Etienne probably gets selected in the 7th at least, but if the Buccaneers are out of the draft and Etienne is available, that could motivate them to move on from White and sign Etienne as an UDFA, making them an especially attractive spot with a real path to making their roster, something not every team could offer Etienne or any other UDFA.
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Why are people talking about Ra White possibly being traded or cut? This is a ludicrous idea, and one that I seriously doubt the team is even considering. This is 100% concocted horseshit.
Ra White is not making a lot of money, and the money he’s making is certainly worth it for a versatile all-around contributor. And Bucky isn’t the biggest guy. He can’t be a bellcow. You realize they want to be a running team, and you don’t unload your 2nd back. You gotta be 3 deep on a run by committee team that is committed to the ground game.
Jeezus. Do better.
Who comes up with this shit?
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