After losing three, Bucs finally get one back

By Chris Cluff  |   Tuesday, October 16, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

Hey, finally the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went the opposite direction. Instead of losing a running back, they gained one.

And a pretty decent one at that.

In a trade that could really help the Bucs (4-2) as they try to fend off Carolina (4-2) for the NFC South title this season, Tampa Bay acquired veteran runner Michael Bennett from Kansas City on Tuesday.

Bennett adds depth to a backfield that already has lost Mike Alstott and Cadillac Williams for the season as well as Michael Pittman for two months or so. After losing Williams in Week 4 and Pittman in Week 5, the Bucs used Earnest Graham as their starter last weekend, with Lionel Gates and new signee Zack Crockett backing him up. Gates was cut Tuesday to make room for Bennett.

It's hard to say just how Bennett will be used, but it's likely that he will platoon with Graham as Pittman was supposed to before getting hurt. Although he is 29, Bennett doesn't have a lot of wear on the tires, so it's conceivable the former college sprinter could add a dimension the Bucs lack: speed.

Bennett was a first-round pick by Minnesota in 2001 and made the Pro Bowl in 2002 after rushing for 1,296 yards. But injuries hindered him over the next three seasons, and the Vikings let him leave in free agency last year. He signed with New Orleans to back up Deuce McAllister, but then the Saints lucked into Reggie Bush in the draft and ended up trading Bennett to the Chiefs to back up Larry Johnson. Bennett didn't get much action there as Johnson set an NFL record with 416 carries.

The Bucs have not run the ball very well this season, averaging just 99.2 yards per game and 3.8 per carry. Things were worse the past two weeks as Tampa faced Indianapolis and then Tennessee's top-ranked run defense. But the Buccaneers have it a little better over the next three weeks, going against Detroit (17th against the run), Jacksonville (10th) and Arizona (16th) leading up to Tampa's bye.

Bennett might not be the savior, but at least the Bucs finally added a running back rather than losing one.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report