The Philadelphia Eagles need a running back and have a connection to Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenneth Gainwell. The Bucs are sitting at 0-4 and appear to be regretting their decision to pay Gainwell in free agency. It would make sense for the two sides to come together on a trade, according to Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report.
Knox notes that the Bucs can clear a lot of cap space, particularly in 2027 if they move on from Gainwell before the trade deadline.
“Gainwell signed a two-year, $14 million deal in the offseason to back up Bucs starter Bucky Irving,” wrote Knox. “The Buccaneers would save just $2 million in 2026 cap space by trading the 27-year-old, but they could clear his 2027 $7 million cap hit from the books while getting a reasonable return.”
Gainwell has 107 snaps this season while Irving has 158.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Could Trade Kenneth Gainwell
Despite a smaller difference in snap counts, there is a big difference in actual usage on the field. Irving was on the field for 63 snaps when the Bucs handed the ball off. Gainwell is only on the field for 26 snaps on running downs.
When the Bucs are passing the football, Gainwell plays more. He has 81 snaps on passing downs. Meanwhile, Irving has 95. The split is closer.
Irving has 56 rushes for 241 yards, while Gainwell is at 13 rushes for 26 yards. Gainwell is providing next to nothing on the ground.
He does have 12 targets to Irving’s 14. Still, he is averaging the same yards per route run as Irving. So, while he is specializing as a passing down back, his not providing much value on passing downs.
Tampa Bay will likely have a new coaching staff at this time next year. They might not even want Gainwell. He is providing so little to Tampa Bay already this year. Their best move might be to cut ties and save the money for next season.
Philadelphia Eagles Could Trade for Gainwell
Gainwell had his best season with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. However, he was drafted by the Eagles in the 2021 NFL Draft. Gainwell spent his first four seasons with the Eagles. He had 280 rushing attempts for 1,748 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground. He also added 102 receptions for 721 yards in his four years with the Eagles.
Saquon Barkley has a hamstring injury that is going to sideline him for the next couple of weeks. Their other backup, Tank Bigsby, is going to miss time with an injury as well. Will Shipley is the backup, but he has just 59 rushing yards in his entire career. He has 15 rushes for 51 yards this season.
With his inexperience, it would make sense for the team to look for some trusted depth. As things stand, they do not have a backup behind Shipley. Due to his contract and lack of production, it would not take much to pry Gainwell away from the Bucs. The deal makes sense for Philadelphia and Tampa Bay. We will see if the two sides come together before the trade deadline.
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