Bucs Sign Former Key Bengals RB After Brady’s Recruiting Pitch: Report

Tom Brady

Getty Tom Brady is on his way to making a full recovery after knee surgery.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to load up as they “go for two” next season. The Bucs have agreed to terms with former Bengals running back Giovani Bernard who was recruited by none other than Tom Brady, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“Veteran RB Giovani Bernard is signing a one-year deal with the Bucs, per source,” Pelissero tweeted. “Tom Brady and Bruce Arians both personally recruited Bernard, one of the NFL’s best receiving backs, after his release from Cincinnati. Another weapon for Brady and the Super Bowl champs.”

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Buccaneers topped the Chiefs as the final contenders to sign Bernard after he was released by the Bengals. The move comes after the Bucs were linked to pass-catching Patriots running back James White earlier this offseason. Brady enjoys having a good receiving threat in the backfield, an area where both Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette displayed some inconsistencies last season.

“James White had interest in joining Tom Brady and the #Bucs as their third-down back before re-signing with the Patriots,” Rapoport noted on Twitter. “Instead, it’s the newly available Gio Bernard. He had interest from TB and the Chiefs, but ends up in Tampa Bay.”

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The Bucs Now have a Crowded Running Back Group

The Buccaneers have plenty of depth at running back with the latest addition combined with re-signing Fournette earlier this offseason. Bernard joins Jones and second-year rusher Ke’Shawn Vaughn in a deep backfield.

Despite coming off a title run, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians has been open about having brand-new position battles determine starters when training camp opens. Bernard serves a very specific role for Tampa Bay and likely will compliment Fournette and Jones as the feature backs.

“No. That will all be defined through practice and OTAs and training camp and preseason,” Arians told ESPN’s Jenna Laine in March. “There are no starters. This is a new football team. I made that message clear when they left, that that team won the Super Bowl. This team hasn’t done s—. All those things will be defined in practice.”


Tampa Bay Running Backs Had 17 Dropped Passes in 2020


Last season, Bernard had 47 receptions for 355 yards and three touchdowns to go with 124 carries which resulted in 416 rushing yards along with three touchdowns. The running back made 10 starts for the Bengals and appeared in all 16 games in 2020. Tampa Bay’s running backs had 17 drops last season, per The Athletic’s Greg Auman.

“Bucs running backs had 17 drops last year on 118 targets (by Fox Sports’ stats) — far too high a number,” Auman said on Twitter. “New addition Giovani Bernard had four drops on 59 targets, about half as often as the Bucs backs last year.”


Bengals QB Joe Burrow Noted That Bernard Had ‘The Most Critical Role on the Team’

Bernard received high praise from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow last season. Burrow labeled Bernard as having “the most critical role on the team.”

“You know Gio doesn’t get a lot of shine because of the role he plays, but in my opinion might be the most critical role on the team,” Burrow explained to Cincinnati Enquirer’s Lindsay Patterson. “He’s a great leader.”