Now that he has a firm grasp of the Bucs starting running back job thanks to Leonard Fournette’s release this offseason, Rachaad White needs to have better grasp of the football. Tampa Bay’s third-round pick last year had a promising rookie season with three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing), but also had three fumbles.
That’s a high number for a running back, especially one with just 190 touches, including 11 kick returns. White’s first fumble in the regular season came on the opening kickoff against Kansas City in Week 4. He later fumbled the ball on offense in back-to-back games versus New Orleans and at San Francisco later in the year.
Tennessee running back Derrick Henry led all running backs in the league with six fumbles in 2022, but had 382 total touches (349 carries, 33 receptions) last year.
Speaking to the media at the NFL Annual Meeting, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles has high hopes for White this year, but says the Arizona State product has to clean up his fumbles.
“Just get better – we talked about him becoming a more complete back,” Bowles said of White. “I know the ball went on the ground a few too many times that we talked about and aware of him holding on to the football, number one. Taking care of the football, and then with the new offense, I look for him to continue to accelerate and get better in all phases to become a complete, three-down back.”
White talked about his fumbles in an exclusive interview with Pewter Report this offseason.
“Yeah, for sure – it’s tough. At the end of the day, football is football,” White said. “My whole college career, I never fumbled the football. You’ve just got to come in here, and you’ve got to adjust. Obviously, on some of the plays that I fumbled the ball on, you just learn from it.
“You’re just eager, I was eagerly trying to make more plays and do more for the team as well as just help me get on the field more. Just certain things I had to understand and learn not to force anything – that things happen, and that grows over time.”
White ran for 481 yards and one touchdown on 129 carries (3.7 avg.) while catching 50 passes for 292 yards and a pair of scores during his rookie season in Tampa Bay.
Rachaad White Is Eager To Work With New Bucs RBs Coach Skip Peete
In addition to his three fumbles during the season, White also fumbled once in the preseason at Tennessee. While he was eager to make plays last year, which led to some turnovers, White is eager to learn from new running backs coach Skip Peete. Coaching running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard last year, Peete’s running backs in Dallas didn’t have a single fumble.
“Coach Peete’s track record proves itself,” White said. “Guys like that, Tony and Zeke, guys that didn’t fumble the ball at all last year. I already carry that in my head, but to have Coach Peete keep harping on that is going to be great.”
White is not only going to embrace more carries and catches this season as Tampa Bay’s starter, he’s also going to embrace Peete’s coaching style. The 60-year old veteran coach has been instructing running backs for three decades.
“The initial conversation that we had went great, went well,” White said. “I like Coach Peete. Just over the phone, I could tell even though he’s a seasoned, older guy, he’s got a lot of swag. I could just hear it and tell how the way he talks and how he comes off.
“Yeah, I’m ready to learn, we talked about that a lot. I’m always open and know I’ve got to get better and I’ve got to learn. I don’t know it all. I’m not perfect. I don’t have it all figured out. That’s the biggest thing when my mindset is like that, and you’ve got a coach like Skip Peete. The same thing with his track record and the guys he’s had. You’re just eager to learn and eager to get better. I’m in great hands.”
The Bucs are hoping Peete can help White have some more secure hands in 2023.
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