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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waited until after the NFL draft to bolster their running back room, but the team was able to make a major addition by signing undrafted free agent Sean Tucker. The impressive running back is coming off back-to-back 1,000 rushing yards seasons at Syracuse. Tucker announced he was joining the Bucs with a viral Twitter post following the draft.
Despite going undrafted, Tampa Bay appears to think highly of Tucker as the franchise signed the running back to a lucrative deal by undrafted free agent standards. The Buccaneers already inked Tucker to a contract with $155,000 of guaranteed money , per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which indicates the deal likely has a chance for the new NFL running back to earn even more money.
“Undrafted Syracuse RB Sean Tucker got $155,000 guaranteed from the Bucs, per source,” Fowler tweeted on April 30, 2023. “Good opportunity with a team that could have drafted a running back but didn’t.”
New Bucs RB Sean Tucker Has the ‘Vision & Burst of an Explosive One-cut Runner’
Tucker’s best season came in 2021 when the running back posted 1,496 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 20 receptions for 255 receiving yards along with 2 TDs through the air. The former Syracuse rusher followed it up with 206 rushes for 1,060 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022.
Heading into the draft, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had Tucker rated as his No. 17 ranked running back with a fifth-to-sixth round grade. Brugler noted that Tucker’s strengths include having the “vision and burst of an explosive one-cut runner.”
“Tucker displays the patience and instincts for inside/outside zone and is able to quickly clear holes with his block anticipation and north-south acceleration,” Brugler wrote in his pre-draft profile of Tucker. “However, he doesn’t generate maximum power through his lower half, which tends to limit his yards after contact.
“Overall, Tucker isn’t the most creative or elusive with the ball in his hands, but he has the vision and burst of an explosive one-cut runner and adds value in the passing game. If healthy, he projects best as a change-of-pace back in a zone-running scheme.”
NFL Teams Were Concerned About Sean Tucker’s Heart Condition: Report
Tucker’s slide during the NFL draft could have been health related given it is hard to argue with the running back’s collegiate production. There is skepticism about Tucker’s NFL future with one scout telling Go Long’s Bob McGinn that a heart condition could end his football career.
“Has the size (5-9, 207) and the speed to be a third-round pick,” McGinn wrote on April 22. “Because of an ongoing heart issue that was revealed at the combine, his football future is in jeopardy. ‘This sounds like it’s not going away,’ said one team executive. ‘Essentially, he could be done.'”
Assuming his health checks out, Tucker has a chance to not only make the final roster but contribute in Tampa during his rookie season. The Bucs opted not to draft a running back despite releasing Leonard Fournette earlier this offseason. Tucker will be battling veterans like Chase Edmonds and Ke’Shawn Vaughn to earn snaps behind projected RB1 Rachaad White.
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