Rumors resurfacing tying Ezekiel Elliot to the Buccaneers

The Buccaneers did not draft a running back, are they still looking to add talent at the position?

The NFL Draft has come and gone, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster is rounding into shape. A popular opinion in pre-draft discussions was that the Buccaneers were going to be looking into drafting a running back, with some even speculating that Tampa Bay may do so in round one. The speculation even garnered enough attention to make it all the way to the eyes of current RB1 Rachaad White.

In the post-draft offseason, those discussions have been proven meritless. Tampa Bay went through all seven rounds of the draft without the selection of a single running mate or competitor for White. The Buccaneers did pick up an undrafted rookie-free agent whose name has drawn interest from fans, in Sean Tucker. Still, it remains very clear the organization is comfortable moving forward with Rachaad White as their starter.

Still, the talk of Ezekiel Elliot to Tampa Bay has resurfaced. As reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, on Sportscenter, the Tampa Bay Bucs are still in the mix to land Elliot.

“The Bucs could be an option for him… I’m told they’re looking for [someone] behind Rachaad White. The problem could be the money… Bucs probably wouldn’t want to spend all that much but [there] could be an option there.”

Elliot, if signed, would join second-year man Rachaad White. In White’s rookie season, he was an occasional spark for a Bucs offense that was largely lethargic. The first half of his rookie season, White saw very limited action, remaining under 10 touches a game until November. As White continued to show his worth in small doses, he began to jostle with Leonard Fournette for playing time— a contest ultimately won by White, as Leonard Fournette is no longer a Buccaneer and White is the running back currently slated to fill his role. Behind a woeful offensive line, the rookie managed to run his way to 481 yards and also caught 290 yards worth of Tom Brady passes.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Tampa Bay’s disappointing offensive output put the team’s coaching staff in flux. Out went former play caller Byron Leftwich, in came new OC Dave Canales. One of the new offensive assistants brought onto Tampa’s staff was former Cowboys running back coach Skip Peete. The early stages of the offseason also revealed that former Dallas Cowboys star running back, Ezekiel Elliot, would be needing a new home in 2023. Elliot had been cut after his backup, Tony Pollard, started looking more and more like a starter with each passing performance until it was clear that it was time for a change. Rumors began to infiltrate mainstream media that Elliot would land in Tampa Bay, following his former position coach. Peete’s new team seemed like a natural fit for the 2016 first-round pick. Talk fizzled out and the Ezekiel Elliot to Tampa storyline never materialized, thus it faded into the background. Now, it’s back again.

Is there any truth to these rumors?

What do you think about Zeke in the red and pewter?

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