Bucs working again Rachaad White isn’t shy about his and the workforce’s expectations for 2024. White appeared on Tuesday’s version of the Wealthy Eisen Present, with objectives and expectations serving as the first level of dialog. After a 9-8, NFC South-winning 2023 season, White is able to see his workforce take the subsequent step ahead this fall.
“Once I simply take a look at our roster and our workforce, I identical to how we match up towards a variety of groups and each sport,” the third-year working again informed Wealthy Eisen. “It simply comes right down to our playmakers and us being locked in that day, any given Sunday, for us to win.
“I used to be listening in on a name, I don’t know who he was, however that’s good that they consider (the 49ers) are going to go 15-2 and issues like that. I imply, our workforce and I consider that we’re gonna go like 13-4 or 12-5 and issues like that.”
💻 @Chaad_1
The @Buccaneers working again talked objectives coming into his third #NFL season and what the workforce’s mindset is after successful a playoff sport in 2023:#WeAreTheKrewe pic.twitter.com/RpwcG2ZLOS
— Wealthy Eisen Present (@RichEisenShow) July 9, 2024
White was referencing a caller on Tuesday’s present who mentioned San Francisco would win 15 video games in 2024. The defending NFC champions are nonetheless the category of the convention, but when White’s perception and expectations are to come back to fruition, the Bucs shall be proper up there close to the highest of the NFC themselves.
Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photograph by: USA Right this moment
There was a time within the not-so-distant previous when predicting a season with double-digit wins for the Bucs was primarily based largely on blind hope and never a variety of cause. However when Tom Brady arrived in 2020, he not solely led Tampa Bay to its second-ever Tremendous Bowl. He additionally helped change the tradition.
The Bucs have the longest lively playoff look streak within the NFC, and after staying afloat after Brady’s departure and three-peating as division champions final 12 months, seeing Todd Bowles and Co. take the subsequent step up and cross into double-digit wins in 2024 isn’t the wildest prediction.
Now, one caller on Monday’s episode of the Wealthy Eisen Present possibly went a little bit overboard when he mentioned Tampa Bay would go 17-0 after which win the Tremendous Bowl, making it a 20-0 good season. However when Rachaad White was requested about that prediction, he took it as a possibility to make an announcement, and the assertion was that occasions have modified in Tampa Bay.
“That’s our objective, man. That’s our objective. We noticed how we completed off on the finish of the season, man, so it’s nothing however good vibrations, good vibes coming on this 12 months,” White mentioned. “And that’s what we feed off of. Like I mentioned, we, the Bucs have been a slept-on workforce for years. We’ve had our trials and tribulations — clearly I’m gonna say ‘we’ now as a result of I’m right here and I do know the historical past of it. However occasions have modified.
“Now it’s time for us to take that subsequent step. Like I mentioned, I received eight video games my rookie 12 months and received 9 final 12 months. It’s time to take that step to get properly over that and never simply barely make the playoffs and barely win the division. (We have to) win the division how I do know we should always win the division.”
Rachaad White Discusses His Private Targets For 2024
Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
Eisen requested Rachaad White what his objectives had been for the 2024 season, however in true Rachaad White vogue, he talked about his workforce and what he can do to assist it win earlier than moving into any specifics on his private targets are for the brand new season.
“The most important objective, clearly, we need to win. I received eight video games my rookie 12 months, 9 video games final 12 months,” White mentioned. “We’re at the least attempting to [add three more to] that whole this 12 months. I’m on the lookout for us to win at the least 12 or 13 video games. Clearly, lots of people aren’t. However it’s what it’s. I do know my workforce and what I consider in.”
When he shifted towards explaining his personal objectives, White centered rather a lot on his want to reverse a development that has been troubling the Bucs for years now. He desires to get the run sport out of the depths of the league.
“My objective is to simply to do no matter I can to assist the workforce win. We’ve been final (in speeding) — or twenty fifth to final — the previous 5 or 6 years, even with the Tremendous Bowl,” White mentioned. “In the case of speeding, Tampa Bay has been down unhealthy. My objective and what I anticipate me to do is flip that round and us to be high 10 to high 15, high 12 on the minimal.”
During the last eight seasons, Tampa Bay has completed twenty fourth, twenty seventh, twenty ninth, twenty fourth, twenty ninth, twenty sixth, thirty second (lifeless final) and thirty second (lifeless final once more) in speeding. The 2015 season was the final time the Bucs had been within the high half of the league in speeding (they had been fifth with 135.1 yards per sport), and that was additionally the final time the franchise had a 1,000-yard rusher (Doug Martin completed with 1,402 yards). White desires to alter that in 2024.
Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photograph by: Cliff Welch/PR
“After which clearly there’s not been a 1,000-yard rusher in like, what, 9 years,” he mentioned. “Clearly I used to be 10 yards in need of that final 12 months. So I’m gonna ensure I’m not close by in need of that this 12 months and go properly over that 1,000 yards. After which the scrimmage yards are simply gonna converse for themselves simply because I’ve at all times been good catching the ball and with the ability to run routes out of the backfield.
“I obtained Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, we obtained J-Mac (Jalen McMillan), we obtained Trey Palmer… I’ve obtained a variety of guys with a variety of velocity on the surface they usually do what they do for themselves. So a bunch of them dump offs, I’m out in area and I’m taking myself over a variety of defenders any day of the week.”
White’s 1,542 all-purpose yards in 2023 was the fourth-most amongst NFL working backs, and he’ll look to construct on that this season. His first profession 1,000-yard season and one other 500-600 receiving yards might go a great distance in reviving the run sport and taking the Bucs offense to the subsequent degree. And the offense reaching that subsequent degree may get Tampa Bay to the 12 or 13 wins White is envisioning because the workforce takes the subsequent step this season.
