Beat: RB Williams making RB Tucker a cut candidate

Bowles didn’t disclose what Tucker is dealing with because he doesn’t have to do that until Wednesday, when the team releases its first injury report. That said, it sounds like Tucker is facing an uphill battle to be ready for Week 1, and we know he was sidelined for Monday’s practice. His absence isn’t expected to have much of a fantasy impact, as Tucker is expected to serve as the third RB for the Bucs behind both Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell.

Egbuka was working with trainers last week, but was on the field with the team on Monday. The Buccaneers won’t release their first official injury report until Wednesday, but it sounds like Egbuka is trending in the right direction ahead of the Buccaneers’ Week 1 game against the Bengals. Egbuka has been dealing with this toe injury since mid-August, but it seems like the Bucs have slowly ramped him up as of late. His practice status will be one to monitor when the first injury report drops. In addition to Egbuka, WR Jalen McMillan and OT Justin Skule were also practicing, while RB Sean Tucker was not seen on the field.

The contract comes fully guaranteed as Tucker gets the stability he was looking for this offseason after entering 2026 on a restricted free agent tender of $3.52 million. Tucker presumably sits third on the depth chart at running back for the Buccaneers after the addition of Kenny Gainwell, a situation he has grown accustomed to during his time in Tampa. The pay cut likely stands as a boost to starter Bucky Irving after numerous reports this offseason called for a potential three-way timeshare in the backfield, something that now appears less likely given current circumstances.

Williams had a strong camp and even played ahead of Sean Tucker in a preseason game, causing some reporters to speculate that he could make the team’s 53-man roster over Tucker. While he likely earned himself a spot on the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers, Tucker remains the team’s RB3 heading into the season.

Tucker and RB Josh Williams competed for the Buccaneers’ No. 3 running back job all night. Tucker got the start, touching the ball on three of the first four plays. Unfortunately, the drive ultimately ended in a punt, as did almost all of the others. It was an unproductive night for the Buccaneers’ offense. Williams entered the game on the second drive, and the two players continued to rotate in and out thereafter. Williams rushed eight times for 21 yards. Tucker caught one pass for minus-one yard as well. Neither player really separated from the other in the box score. The team must now choose between the trusted, higher-priced veteran, Tucker, and the more affordable second-year player, Williams. If Tucker is released, it could allow “1A” RB Bucky Irving to hoard short-yardage and goal-line work, which would significantly boost his fantasy-scoring outlook.

The starting offense played two series consisting of eight plays before giving way to the second unit, wherein Irving saw a carry on the first three plays from scrimmage before Gainwell entered the game. Gainwell received his lone carry on the following play, with neither back seeing another opportunity before departing. Previous talk surrounding this backfield hinted at more of a “1A-1B” situation than what was seen in their first preseason action, widening the range of outcomes of Irving in a fantasy setting for the coming season. That leaves potential room for upside considering Irving’s No. 55 overall aggregate ADP across all platforms, particularly considering how much the coaching staff has talked up his receiving chops this offseason. Consider Irving an interesting upside bet in the fifth round.

According to Slivon, Gainwell “has not toted the rock much,” which sounds like good news for RB Bucky Irving’s rushing workload. Slivon believes OC Zac Robinson clearly trusts Gainwell “to turn those plays at or behind the line of scrimmage into bigger gains.” He could have a tough time delivering huge performances if he is only minimally involved in the run game, but in an era where the RB2/FLEX-viable receiving backs are becoming less common, Gainwell may be able to buck that trend.

This quote comes from Irving’s annual youth football camp, which he put on this weekend. The Bucs’ RB1 was still dealing with the effects of offseason shoulder surgery after he played through a shoulder injury last season. He missed some time during OTAs but was able to get on the field in some capacity, and with the pads set to come on in a few days, this is great news for Irving ahead of camp. There has been some talk about the Buccaneers possibly taking a committee approach to its running back room this season after the team added Kenneth Gainwell to the mix and still has Sean Tucker in the mix. Reports out of camp will be worth monitoring as we look to get a sense of how the touch distribution could shape up at the start of the season, but Irving being healthy and putting last season’s injury issues behind him will go a long way in helping his fantasy value this season.

Reports from mid-May indicated that the Buccaneers might use a running back committee, including Gainwell and incumbent RBs Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker. It seems as though a two-player backfield may be taking shape, with Irving slated for 1A duties ahead of Gainwell. Sources tell Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds that Gainwell “has quickly picked up” OC Zac Robinson’s playbook and is excelling as a receiver out of the backfield. A split backfield could be in play this season.

Organized team activities (OTAs) are conducted without pads, but this is still encouraging. Irving participated in rushing and receiving drills today, at the Buccaneers’ final session before mandatory minicamp begins on June 16th. In mid-May, general manager Jason Licht said Irving would be limited at OTAs, but should be “ready” for training camp in July. Head coach Todd Bowles muddled the return timeline a couple of weeks later, saying Irving was “expected back sometime in summer or fall.” Apparently, that time is now. Hopefully, Irving makes it through today’s session without issue and can continue practicing next week. He remains atop the depth chart, but the coaching staff has noted that RB Kenny Gainwell possesses a similar skill set to Irving, and recently complimented RB Sean Tucker’s short-yardage rushing chops. It looks an awful lot like a committee.