Tom Brady “wasn’t himself” last season, as former coach Bruce Arians pointed out recently. But it didn’t help that the Bucs couldn’t run the ball.
Tampa Bay ranked 32nd in rushing, averaging only 76.9 yards per game.
New offensive coordinator Dave Canales said during his introductory press conference that “balance is critical.”
The Bucs have Leonard Fournette, Rachaad White and Ke'Shawn Vaughn under contract for next season at the position.
White, a third-round draft pick, had 179 touches for 771 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie. His only 100-yard game came against Seahawks when he ran 22 times for 105 yards.
That gave Canales, who came from the Seahawks, got a close-up view of White’s potential.
“Oh yeah, what shocked me about that was the toughness in the style that he ran because I saw him as this versatile guy who you could run routes with him out of the backfield, split him out wide and do some things like that, plus the run game,” Canales said. “But then you see his attitude in person in Germany, just see the style that he ran downhill, he was aggressive. The violence that he played with and you go, ‘Wow, this guy could be special.’ He’s got some great skillset that really fits into our system.”