Subscribe
Follow Us
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are entering the 2025 training camp with one of the deepest offensive rosters in the league. It’s the kind of depth that most general managers and coaches dream of. The flip side is it forces front offices to start thinking of tough decisions. Tampa, of course, isn’t in rebuild mode. This is a team gearing up for a serious playoff push with a loaded offense and a veteran quarterback who found his groove.
That said, there is one major question mark: what happens to the talented players who might not have a clear path to touches? One name stands out as the most obvious trade candidate: running back Rachaad White.
A Crowded Offense Returns
The 2025 Buccaneers return with an embarrassment of riches on offense. They brought back every single player who caught a pass or took a handoff last season. The team retained essentially 100 percent of their 7,000+ scrimmage yards. That continuity alone is impressive, but it actually undersells how deep this roster is.
Chris Godwin was on pace for nearly 1,400 receiving yards before a season-ending ankle injury. He is back on a new three-year, $66 million deal. In his absence, rookie Jalen McMillan and tight end Cade Otton stepped up admirably. Neither will be heavily relied on in 2025 thanks to the arrival of first-round pick Emeka Egbuka. The highly touted rookie gives Tampa insurance at wideout and even more flexibility in how they deploy their weapons.
Egbuka’s addition raised an eyebrow about Mike Evans’ future. Evans is entering the final year of his two-year deal. He started slow in 2024 but finished strong. He eclipsed 1,000 yards for the 11th straight year and ranked top-five in ESPN’s receiver score. Still, Baker Mayfield’s contract is set to spike, and Godwin is locked in long-term. As such, Egbuka could offer Tampa leverage in any tough negotiations with their franchise icon.
The Bucs don’t need Egbuka to be an instant star or Godwin to be 100 percent right away. They’re built to withstand injuries and rotate talent. That makes Tampa one of the NFL’s deepest, most versatile offenses entering training camp. It also puts pressure on the front office to maximize the value of any surplus.
Here we'll try to look at the obvious Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade candidate entering 2025 NFL training camp.
The Obvious Trade Chip
Article Continues Below
With so many weapons on this team, Rachaad White might be the one left standing with no real opportunity in sight. He has said that he intends to make the most of the final year of his rookie contract.
White is saying all the right things. In fairness, his 2024 production backs up his confidence. He averaged a career-high 4.3 yards per carry and topped 1,000 total yards. However, the reality is that he ceded lead-back duties to rookie Bucky Irving. The latter looked like a long-term answer at the position. Irving racked up over 1,100 yards on the ground and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. The Buccaneers can talk all they want about rotational backfields and depth. Still, actions speak louder than words. Their actions suggest that Irving is now the engine.
With that, White becomes the classic case of a “good player in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He’s too valuable to simply bury on the depth chart. That said, he is not essential enough to justify the carries that would slow down Irving’s development. The final year of a rookie contract also means the clock is ticking.
Trade Now, Not Later
White is not going to bring back a first- or even second-round pick. However, he doesn’t need to. For teams dealing with backfield injuries during camp or preseason, he could be the perfect plug-and-play option. He runs with purpose, catches passes well, and doesn’t need to be coached up on the basics of a professional offense. Dealing White now avoids the risk of losing him for nothing in 2026. It would also give the front office some capital to address other roster needs—either now or at the deadline.
It’s not personal. It’s just business. And in this case, it’s obvious.
Clear Depth, Clear Choice
The Buccaneers have one of the most enviable offensive arsenals in the NFL heading into the 2025 season. With such riches comes the responsibility to make hard choices. Trading Rachaad White is one of them. It’s not a knock on his talent or production. It's a reflection of how Tampa’s priorities are shifting with Bucky Irving emerging as the clear lead back.
White deserves a bigger role than what’s likely available in this crowded backfield. Tampa Bay doesn’t need to wait for a perfect offer. It just needs the right one from a team in need. And when that opportunity arrives, expect White to be the first domino to fall. This would quietly signal that the Bucs are all-in on a new offensive era.
