The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rushing attack improved dramatically under offensive coordinator Liam Coen, going from the 31st-ranked ground game in 2023 all the way to third last season.
Yet, this jump in rushing production didn’t come courtesy of a career year Rachaad White — who appeared to be increasingly phased out of the offense as the season progressed.
This has one ESPN Analyst feeling like the Bucs could move on from Rachaad White this offseason.
Rachaad White Named as Potential Cap Casualty This Offseason
Rachaad White was penciled in by many who follow the NFL as the leading back of the Buccaneers entering the 2024 NFL season after his 1,539 total yards and nine scores over his 336 total touches in 2023. Unfortunately for the Arizona State product, his reduced role last year has ESPN Analyst Aaron Schatz thinking the Bucs could cut White this offseason.
Schatz said, “The Buccaneers enter free agency with only $2.2 million in cap space. They need to make some room and one way to do it is to say goodbye to White. The running back is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so the Buccaneers can cut him for $3.3 million in cap savings with less than $250,000 in dead money.”
Some might think saving $3.3 million dollars on the salary cap isn’t going to make a huge impact, but the Bucs are trying to work out a deal with WR Chris Godwin — who is expected to be one of the most sought-after wide receivers on the open market this offseason. This means every dollar could matter when the organization is attempting to keep their starting wideout duo of Godwin and Mike Evans intact.
Schatz added, “White is still a useful player, but he gradually lost the No. 1 spot to Bucky Irving in 2024. White had positive rushing yards over expected, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, but he was far behind Irving. (White had 0.34 RYOE per carry, while Irving was at 0.94.) White was an excellent receiving back, ranking fifth in total receiving value by my DYAR metric, but Irving was eighth. The Buccaneers need to save money somewhere, and this is where it wouldn’t hurt too much.”
White wasn’t terrible by any stretch of the imagination in 2024, where his 4.3 yards per carry was actually a career-high by a wide margin. Yet, Schatz correctly points out that Bucky Irving was the more efficient ball carrier on a per-touch basis last year.
You can pick almost any statistical or advanced analytics running back data point from last season and quickly conclude that Irving simply outplayed White last year. Since Irving is entering only his second season in the NFL in 2025, it does make White feel a bit expendable on this roster entering the final year of his rookie deal.
