The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rushing attack should be a force to be reckoned with in the 2017 season.
On Thursday, Bonnie Mott of BucsWire.com wrote a piece that questioned who will carry the load in regards to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running game. In what was a well-written piece, Mott said the following.
"Now that Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead running back Doug Martin will miss the first three games of the season as he serves his suspension for the use of performance enhancing substances, Jacquizz Rodgers, Charles Sims and rookie Jeremy McNichols are slated to take over in his absence. The question is, who will carry the bulk of the workload as he remains sidelined, and will they be able to a solid running game this year?"
To start, I’ll attempt to answer the first part of the question. While Martin is suspended, I think that Rodgers will get the bulk of the carries. He was Tampa Bay’s leading rusher last season in terms of yards, rushing the ball 129 times for 560 yards and two touchdowns.
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The part of October was particularly kind to him as he rushed for 100 yards in back-to-back games. The first instance came against the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football (101 yards on 30 carries), and he followed that performance with a stellar game against the San Francisco 49ers (26 carries, 154 yards)
Should Rodgers need to come out of the game for any reason, Charles Sims should be the next in line to take over. Sims rushed the ball 51 times for 149 yards and a touchdown last season. This is the type of opportunity that Sims needs. With Martin out for an extended period of time, Sims can really get into a groove or rhythm. Athletes are built on consistency and routines. Sims can accomplish both here.
Per the most recent depth chart from Ourlads.com, Sims is penciled in at the No. 2 running back slot behind Martin.
In response to the second part of the question, my answer would be yes. They have three running backs that can produce while Martin is gone. They probably are not going to put up superstar numbers, but they have the talent to get the job done. Once Martin is back, that will just add another weapon for them on the ground.
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While it may take them a bit to figure out where everyone fits in when Martin returns, Tampa Bay should be able to continue their production on the ground. With the backups getting ample playing time in Martin’s absence and assuming Martin can get back to old form, they should have no problem building, at the least, a solid running game that can sustain drives and gain those tough yards. They have the depth and talent to do so.