Running Back: Need or not?

[Chas]

I hear a great many people talk about Blount not being able to be in on 3rd down... about opposing teams knowing to key run if he is in the game...

Given a look at his stats it would appear that he got better from 2010 to 2011 in that respect, but is it good enough?

2011:
rushing: 184 781 4.2
receiving: 15 148 9.9

2010:
rushing: 201 1,007 5.0
receiving: 5 14 2.8

He had four fumbles in 2010 and five in 2012 with three lost in both years.

Certainly his receiving improved statistically.

I think looking at the situational stats might reveal some better clarity in the discussion as well.

Looking at those one of my concerns is the lack of production in the first half in 2011. In 2010 he averaged 5.4yds per carry in the 1st half of games and in 2011 that was a pedestrian 3.5yds per carry. The numbers are better in the second half, but in a great many games teams were focused on the pass since the Buccaneers were trailing in most games.

For my part I was happy with what I saw on the field with the passing game, but I still have issues with the fact that he looks tentative to hit the hole. Dude is a monster... and I would think hitting the hole hard would spring a few more yards from him than the lateral movement.

I would like to see some other option than Lumpkin though... the team really did not have any other threat. Getting the team back to WD40 type options would be ideal IMHO.

[MadMac]

Running Back: Need or not?

Oh gawd, yes! With Graham's status unceratin and Lumpkin barely good enough to play Arena League ball, this position is a definite need for upgrading. Namely -- we need some speed.....and more depth.

I'm not giving up on Blount -- dude is a bruiser who has produced well. His sudden fumbling can be coached away -- geez, even Alstott once had three fumbles in a single game. I like him. But the Bucs could use a good change-of-pace speed back (give me LaMichael James!) who can take it to the house anywhere from the field. The team should definitely use a decent draft pick for a good RB.

All IMHO, of course.

[NNUD28]

Definite need we need some speed in the backfield to go along with Blount

[General Grant]

Bring caddy back and draft lamichael. Done.

Or drafting Richardson would most def help... But Claiborne is a bigger need @ 5

[QuebecBucsfan]

Absolutely a need. Blount would be so much better with a good change of pace RB. He's not complete enough to be a featured RB

[rook]

We need an upgrade. Bringing Caddy is fine for depth but the Bucs need a Sproles style speedster that can block as well. One of the reasons why WD 40 worked is that both guys could protect the QB and catch passes. Alstott and Pittman were a pretty good tandem as well.

I would like to see Blouunt learn how to block. The guy is big enough to lay a hurting on someone coming in. When Caddy first came in the NFL, he was a terrible blocker on third down. By 2009, it became one of his strengths as a RB. Caddy was able to pick up that skill despite two consecutive seasons of torn ACLs in 2007 and 2008. And Caddy was not the good receiver in his rookie season as he is now. Blount has been healthy. There is no excuse for him not picking up these skills.

[The Rich McKay Conspiracy]

There's absolutely no question. RB, DB, and LB are the Bucs 3 priorities.

[TPA-BUCS]

Yes, we need a speedy type back who can get open in the passing game........LaMichael James or Rainey, etc.

Bringing back Caddy, I don't see happening. If they work with Blount this offseason with blocking and catching, it will boost our playbook and screw other teams with defense planning.

We have some other needs and it's all on D.

[NNUD28]

There's absolutely no question. RB, DB, and LB are the Bucs 3 priorities.

A fast receiver that can catch the ball would be nice also we need to stretch the field every now and again

[SF]

A fast receiver that can catch the ball would be nice also we need to stretch the field every now and again

Jaquez Green?

Oh wait, you said someone who could catch.

Speaking of green, several years ago, some dumbass here claimed Green would be in teh top ten among all receivers in the NFL in yardage when he went to Washington to play in the Spurrier debacle. If I remember correctly, Green was so bad in Washington he finished the season in Detroit, about 1,100 yards short of the top ten.

Now that I think of it, that welching piece of snook never paid that bet either.

[ufofreek]

No way a RB @ 5. Every RB is one hit from being out of the NFL. The only positions that warrant that high a selection are QB, OT, DT, DE and CB. That is why if Kahil falls to us a 5, grab him. If he is not availble then CB. We don't need a QB and there is not a DT or DE worthy of a 5 in this draft. Get our speed RB in 3 or 4.

[jspaldin]

Scary thing is, every need or not type thread actually has a good arguement for it. I think the shortlist is what positions are the Bucs not in a need situation.

[grudensgrimace]

No way a RB @ 5. Every RB is one hit from being out of the NFL. The only positions that warrant that high a selection are QB, OT, DT, DE and CB.

Every RB is one hit away from being out of the NFL, but other football positions are exempt from that rule??

Try telling that to Joe Theismann:

Theismann's career ended on November 18, 1985 when he suffered a comminuted compound fracture of his leg while being sacked by New York Giants linebackers Lawrence Taylor

Or offensive lineman Mike Utley:

Utley was an offensive lineman with the Detroit Lions, picked in the third round of the 1989 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Utley became the starting right guard for the Lions. He started the first five games, but was injured in the fifth game against the Minnesota Vikings. Utley was put on injured reserve for the rest of the year.

In his third year, Utley started every game and was the full time right guard until a paralysis injury forced him to retire. An injury to his sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae occurred in a game against the LA Rams on November 17, 1991. Although he would later learn he was largely paralyzed from the chest down.

Or linebacker Reggie Brown:

Brown was selected 17th overall by the Detroit Lions in the 1996 NFL Draft. He had a rather short career, playing only 32 games.

In his final game, Brown suffered a spinal cord contusion while assisting on a tackle of New York Jets halfback Adrian Murrell in the closing game of 1997 season.

We took Gaines Adams with the #4 overall pick in the '07 draft because that was our biggest need. We passed on Adrian Peterson, who went #7 to Minnesota. A good move?

I'm not saying you always take running backs high, but when there's a special, complete back, and you don't have one currently on your roster, you don't write them off simply because they could be injured by one play -- anyone could. Or, they could turn out to have a defective heart. Shit happens.

[Bucaroo Bonzai]

We need another RB capable of starting, but we should hit FA (Caddy maybe) AND later rounds of the draft. The team has too many more immediate needs.

[The Rich McKay Conspiracy]

A fast receiver that can catch the ball would be nice also we need to stretch the field every now and again

Sure, lots of things would be nice. But the Bucs have so many needs that they won't fill them all this year. I'm much more willing to go one more year with Williams and Benn under new leadership than I am Lumpkin, Quincy Black, or EJ Biggers.

[TPA-BUCS]

Sure, lots of things would be nice. But the Bucs have so many needs that they won't fill them all this year. I'm much more willing to go one more year with Williams and Benn under new leadership than I am Lumpkin, Quincy Black, or EJ Biggers.

I couldn't agree more!

[Capt. Rino]

I would say the only positions we are not "in need" are the kicking game and possibly QB.

[RaheemDream]

We need RBs. We need everything actually. That GM we've had running the team has us so well stocked, we're thin at every position, and in some cases, so uncompetitive as to be fodder for the laughing stockade. I wonder if he'll ask Schiano for some input as to what makes a good NFL football player.

[orangeman]

Draft a RB? Yes

Not sold completely on Blount. Runs through arm tackles and likes to jump over low tacklers, but I would like to see him lower his shoulders and hit the hole. You know, really mow someone over. For the most part, I would rather have a back that could do it all.

Positions we don't need? Kicker and Punter of course.

[Gulf Shore Steve]

We need an upgrade. Bringing Caddy is fine for depth but the Bucs need a Sproles style speedster that can block as well. One of the reasons why WD 40 worked is that both guys could protect the QB and catch passes. Alstott and Pittman were a pretty good tandem as well.

I would like to see Blouunt learn how to block. The guy is big enough to lay a hurting on someone coming in. When Caddy first came in the NFL, he was a terrible blocker on third down. By 2009, it became one of his strengths as a RB. Caddy was able to pick up that skill despite two consecutive seasons of torn ACLs in 2007 and 2008. And Caddy was not the good receiver in his rookie season as he is now. Blount has been healthy. There is no excuse for him not picking up these skills.

Blount plays the game too high to be an effective pass protector. He can get away with it running the ball but not pass protecting.

[talbuc]

Am I the only one that thinks we need to find someone who makes Sucker Punch a backup? In my opinion, he's not a starter on a serious team. What I'd like to see is him playing the Brandon Jacobs role to Trent Richardson's or Doug Martin's Ahmad Bradshaw. SP doesn't run decisive enough for a guy who's as big as he is, can't block, and doesn't offer much in the passing game. Why are we discussing finding a compliment when we should be looking for an upgrade?

[Sgballer55]

We need a change of pace back to compliment Blount. We need speed, which we lack in all positions, from WR, to CB's….

[NYCBucsFan]

Am I the only one that thinks we need to find someone who makes Sucker Punch a backup? In my opinion, he's not a starter on a serious team. What I'd like to see is him playing the Brandon Jacobs role to Trent Richardson's or Doug Martin's Ahmad Bradshaw. SP doesn't run decisive enough for a guy who's as big as he is, can't block, and doesn't offer much in the passing game. Why are we discussing finding a compliment when we should be looking for an upgrade?

Thousand percent agree Talbuc, been tootin that horn since Brandon Jacobs was a zygote. Definitely before your mock in 83 when I coulda went to state.

[SF]

Am I the only one that thinks we need to find someone who makes Sucker Punch a backup?

Nope. He had some great runs against mediocre competition his first year, which made appear to be a great answer. Considering he was signed off the street, we got our money's worth. His hesitancy and jump, stop, look approach to finding a hole needs a lot of coaching. He oes so much wrong fundamentally and makes up for it with strength and tackle braking ability in the open field. That formula has a really short shelf life.

[BringBackBucBall]

Am I the only one that thinks we need to find someone who makes Sucker Punch a backup? In my opinion, he's not a starter on a serious team. What I'd like to see is him playing the Brandon Jacobs role to Trent Richardson's or Doug Martin's Ahmad Bradshaw. SP doesn't run decisive enough for a guy who's as big as he is, can't block, and doesn't offer much in the passing game. Why are we discussing finding a compliment when we should be looking for an upgrade?

No. You're definitely not the only one. I like your Trent Richardson take, I was dying for someone to mention his name in this thread. Should the bucs clear out room for a free agent RB and draft a RB? Yes. The unique advantage I see for the bucs is this year's draft should be pretty deep for RB. The Bucs don't have to overreach for the position but the position should be targeted.