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Can he bounce back?
Defense, defense, defense. Damn, the Bucs have holes all over the defensive side of the ball.
Still, are other folks are like Joe thinking there’s probably too much faith in the current crop of Bucs running backs?
Last year Bucky Irving was not the Bucs’ best back, sadly. Yeah, he missed a bunch of games. But when he was on the field, he didn’t produce like he did the year before.
So Joe isn’t sure if the Bucs will get 2024 Bucky or 2025 Bucky next season.
Sean Tucker has limitations, specifically pass protection. While harping on this irks a lot of Bucs fans (Joe included), it’s hard to use a guy who defenses know cannot block. That often telegraphs to a defense that a run is coming, or it gets your quarterback hit.
This is why Joe is big on Tyler Allgeier as a free agent signing. It’s also why Joe would be very, very hard-pressed to pass on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love if he was sitting there at No. 15 when the Bucs are on the draft clock.
This Love is a Bijan Robinson clone. Imagine what Robinson would do for the Bucs’ offense? And, oh yeah, the very same guy who groomed Robinson with the Dixie Chicks is now running the Bucs’ offense. Well, now.
But yeah, with only Bucky and Tucker (who is a restricted free agent) with any meaningful experience, it wouldn’t shock Joe if one way or another Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht adds a running back this soon.
The free agency dinner bell rings on Monday, March 9.