Getty Bruce Arians still has involvement in personnel decisions with the Buccaneers as the senior advisor to the general manager.
Amid the Tampa Bay Buccaneers planning to cut running back Leonard Fournette, an “explosive” back in Rashaad Penny could come their way.
Bucs insiders Greg Auman of FOX Sports and Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report view the Seattle Seahawks running back as a realistic free agent option, especially with new Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales. Penny knows Canales, the former Seahawks quarterbacks coach, from their five seasons together in the Pacific Northwest.
“There is a reason he is one of just seven running backs drafted in the first round in the past five seasons,” Reynolds wrote about Penny. “When he begins to accelerate at 220 pounds, he looks like a moving wrecking ball with defenders bouncing off him.”
Canales called Penny “an explosive play waiting to happen” during an introductory press conference with the Bucs on February 22. Penny averages 5.7 yards per carry for his career. His season-high longest runs include ones of 62, 58, and 41 yards.
Penny shined in 2022 with 6.1 yards per carry for 346 yards and two touchdowns in five games. He missed the rest of the season due to a leg tibia fracture, which could drive down his value in free agency.
Auman noted Seahawks running back Ken Walker‘s “strong rookie year” in place of Penny could impact the veteran’s free agency decision. The Bucs also need another impact running back “to pair with Rachaad White” as Auman put it.
Bucs Can Afford Penny
After the Bucs become salary cap compliant amid $58.5 million over the cap, the team could fit in Penny due to his main weakness — his injury history.
“For Rashaad Penny, he may be had for ‘pennies on the dollar’ in free agency,” Reynolds wrote.
Penny could only “command just a fraction of the $5.7 million he made in 2022, as injury-prone running backs do not have a lot of leverage” according to Reynolds. Spotrac doesn’t list a market value for Penny despite his free agent status. That’s also despite leaguewide regard for Penny such as CBS Sports ranking him 10th among free agent backs.
“Sure, Rashaad Penny’s name may have become synonymous with injured reserve, but I think he’s well worth a look. Apart from numerous injuries, the former first-round pick is also known for going on tears,” CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani wrote.
Penny Became a Better Rusher After ACL Tear
Reynolds noted how much of a surge Penny displayed of late after missing almost all of 2020 due to an ACL tear in December 2019.
Rashaad Penny said SEE YA. @pennyhendrixx
📺: #SEAvsDET on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/CvE1Ql7jkg
“Over the span of 15 games in the past two seasons, he has averaged an impressive 6.2 yards per carry, amassing 1,095 yards on 176 carries, along with eight touchdowns,” Reynolds wrote. “On paper, those are elite numbers, but they come with an asterisk.”
“In five NFL seasons, Penny has only averaged about 67 carries a season. He has yet to play a full season, with only 11 career starts. Could he be relied on to handle a season-long workload? That is a huge question for any interested teams to evaluate,” Reynolds added.
Penny wouldn’t need to start with White in the picture, Reynolds noted. White grabbed the starting job away from Fournette at midseason and started eight games. White tallied 481 yards and a touchdown on 129 carries in his rookie season.
The Bucs also utilized White as pass catcher with 50 receptions for 290 yards and two touchdowns. Pass-catching hasn’t been a big feature for Penny in his career. He has just 27 receptions for 222 yards and a touchdown in 42 career games.