Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: First career start imminent
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Irving is in line to lead the Buccaneers backfield Sunday at New Orleans with Rachaad White (foot) listed as doubtful for the contest, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
White managed just one limited session (Wednesday) this week as he tends to a foot injury, and while coach Todd Bowles called him a game-time decision Friday, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports, White's ensuing listing indicates he's trending toward inactive status. The Buccaneers have a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday, so the situation should receive clarity about 90 minutes prior. Assuming White is included among the team's inactives, Irving would be slated for his first career start and a majority share of snaps out of Tampa Bay's backfield. In five games to date, Irving has averaged 5.6 yards on his 44 carries, hauled in eight of 10 targets for 46 yards and scored one rushing touchdown.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Late fumble mars night
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Irving rushed nine times for 44 yards and brought in both targets for 12 yards in the Buccaneers' 36-30 overtime loss to the Falcons on Thursday night. He also returned one kickoff for 39 yards and lost a fumble.
Irving logged one fewer carry than backfield mate Rachaad White, who gained 28 additional rushing yards and also had one more catch on the night. Additionally, Irving had an especially untimely fumble following a seven-yard run with just under three minutes remaining, with Jessie Bates stripping the rookie of the ball as it appeared Tampa Bay could potentially be moving into position to either run out the clock, or at minimum, add three points to a 30-27 lead. Despite the miscue, Irving did have yet another efficient rushing performance, but with White also impressing while averaging over 7.0 yards per carry, it appears to the two will continue in a near-even timeshare during a Week 6 road divisional contest against the Saints on Sunday, Oct. 13.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Continues impressing in Week 4 win
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Irving rushed 10 times for 49 yards and a touchdown and brought in one of two targets for six yards in the Buccaneers' 33-16 win over the Eagles on Sunday.
Irving and backfield mate Rachaad White curiously finished with an identical rushing line, with the key exception that Irving was the only one of the two to find the end zone. The rookie recorded his first NFL touchdown on a one-yard scoring run just past the midway point of the third quarter, and he continued to display a welcome knack for efficiency. Sunday's rushing workload marked a new high for Irving as well, and it will be interesting to see how the ground-game hierarchy shakes out in a Week 5 road battle against the Falcons on Thursday night.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Ready to go in Week 4
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Irving (hamstring) is active for Sunday's Week 4 matchup against the Eagles, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
The rookie was able to practice on only two occasions during Week 4 prep, and in a limited fashion at that. However, reports earlier Sunday had indicated Irving was in line to play, and his active status now is official. The Oregon product has proven immediately effective at the NFL level while averaging a stellar 6.2 yards per carry over his first three games, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports head coach Todd Bowles plans to continue using fellow back Rachaad White, who's also active Sunday after dealing with a bout of food poisoning, and Irving together in much the same way as he has over the first three contests.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Expected to play Sunday
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Irving (hamstring) is listed as questionable but is expected to play in Sunday's game against the Eagles, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Irving managed a limited practice Friday after sitting out Thursday's practice. He faces an Eagles run defense that has allowed 5.2 yards per carry this season, though they were more efficient in Week 3 against the Saints. Teammate Rachaad White (illness) is also questionable but is expected to play as well.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Status in question for Sunday
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Irving (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's contest versus the Eagles.
Irving sandwiched a pair of limited practices around a DNP on Thursday due to a hamstring injury this week, leaving his status up in the air heading into the weekend. Through three games to start his career, the rookie fourth-rounder has been a regular in the Buccaneers offense, turning 30 touches into 182 yards from scrimmage. Irving's status won't be confirmed until about 90 minutes before Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, but if he's available he may continue to make inroads in Tampa Bay's backfield, which currently is led by Rachaad White and his 2.1-yards-per-carry average.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Returns to practice
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Irving (hamstring) returned to practice Friday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Irving was a limited participant Wednesday before sitting out entirely Thursday, but he said he feels "pretty great" and should be ready for Sunday's game against Philadelphia. Auman reports that Irving seemed to be moving around without any limitations during the early portion of practice Friday.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Limited with hamstring injury
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Irving was a limited practice participant Wednesday due to a hamstring injury.
Irving displayed no sign of being limited by injury in Tampa Bay's 26-7 loss to Denver on Sunday, when he took nine carries for 70 yards and caught three passes for 14 yards while playing 32 percent of the snaps on offense. Rachaad White took more than twice as many snaps (73 percent) but received three fewer carries and one fewer touch than Irving, adding more fuel to speculation that the rookie may eventually take over as Tampa Bay's lead back. It's unclear at this point if Irving's hamstring injury will be a factor in determining the two backs' respective workloads during a Week 4 home game against the Eagles.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Outshines White in loss
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Irving rushed nine times for 70 yards and brought in all three targets for 14 yards in the Buccaneers' 26-7 loss to the Broncos on Sunday. He also returned one kickoff for 27 yards.
Irving outdid backfield mate Rachaad White on the ground by a comfortable margin, with the latter mustering only 17 yards on six carries. Irving displayed some shiftiness and quickness during his game-long 32-yard run, traits that White hasn't displayed on any run yet through three games. Given Sunday's results, it appears Irving may be in the midst of a takeover of the lead-back job from White, with the two possibly swapping depth-chart slotting going into a Week 4 home matchup against the Eagles.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Contained in Week 2 win
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Irving rushed seven times for 22 yards and wasn't targeted during the Buccaneers' 20-16 win over the Lions on Sunday.
Irving saw just over half (17) of backfield mate Rachaad White's (groin) 33 snaps from scrimmage, but the latter missed a handful of plays in the first half due to his injury. Irving already seems to be locked into a reliable complementary role at minimum, and there's certainly a possibility his participation expands during a Week 3 home matchup against the Broncos if White is limited in any way.
Anyone who thought Irving was going to be a problem for White got some confirmation in Week 1 when the rookie was clearly the more effective rusher. Five of his nine carries went for seven yards or more. I still have questions about whether Irving can handle a full load and I don't think he has much chance of taking passing downs away from White, but with this kind of efficiency, the rookie could become a flex in a committee, and a league winner if White misses time.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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Irving had a solid NFL debut in Week 1 against Washington with nine carries for 62 yards and two catches for 14 yards on three targets. He ran better than Rachaad White, who had 15 carries for 31 yards and six catches for 75 yards on six targets. Irving should have the chance to play in tandem with White, and Irving is a lottery ticket if White were to miss any time. Irving is worth adding in all leagues for 5-10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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Through my first 15 drafts this season of leagues that I'm playing out, Irving was my most rostered running back. He's a lottery ticket as the No. 2 option behind Rachaad White, but hopefully Irving will get some quality playing time in tandem with White early in the season. Irving should prove to be a valuable pass catcher in Tampa Bay's offense.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Records 31 total yards in win
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Irving rushed six times for 26 yards and brought in his only target for five yards in the Buccaneers' 24-14 preseason win over the Dolphins on Friday night.
The rookie had drawn the start in the first two preseason games, but Rachaad White saw his first and only action of the exhibition slate Friday and was the first running back in. Irving checked in on the second possession and put together another solid performance relative to opportunity, and he appears set to start the regular season as the clear-cut No. 2 back behind White.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Starts again Saturday night
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Irving rushed six times for 26 yards in the Buccaneers' 20-7 preseason loss to the Jaguars on Saturday night.
The rookie drew another start with Rachaad White sitting out, and Irving was able to deliver a solid performance with a team-high number of carries. Irving has handled himself well over his first two preseason games and remains on track to serve as the primary complement alongside White, who should enjoy a robust role within new coordinator Liam Coen's offense.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Solid showing in preseason start
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Irving rushed six times for 28 yards and a touchdown and brought in one of two targets for no gain in the Buccaneers' 17-14 preseason win over the Bengals on Saturday night. He also returned one kickoff for 22 yards.
Irving drew the start due to Rachaad White being held out, and the rookie responded with an impressive showing in his first taste of NFL on-field action. The Oregon product also capped off the Buccaneers' only scoring drive of the first half with a five-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. Irving has reportedly been impressing in training camp practices as well, and he increasingly appears likely to open the season as the No. 2 back due to veteran Chase Edmonds (undisclosed) having missed over two weeks of practice and still devoid of a return timeline.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Tailor-made for new run scheme
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Irving, who the Buccaneers selected in the fourth round out of Oregon in the 2024 NFL Draft, has looked like an ideal fit for the versatile run scheme within new offensive coordinator Liam Coen's system, Brianna Dix of the team's official site reports.
The rookie surpassed the 1,000-yard mark on the ground in each of his last two seasons with the Ducks, making him quite the potential value pick in the fourth round. In his first pro season, Irving is expected to fill a solid complementary role alongside Rachaad White, who he boasts a very similar skill set to, albeit at a slighter frame of 5-foot-10, 195 pounds. Irving also is very familiar with many of the run concepts in Coen's scheme from his college days, and Dix notes the rookie has already showcased his receiving acumen on screen passes over the first few practices while flashing strong suddenness, change-of-direction ability and above-average contact balance.
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Buccaneers' Bucky Irving: Finds landing spot in Tampa
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The Buccaneers selected Irving in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 125th overall.
Given the muddled nature of the incoming rookie running backs, Irving was presumed to be one of the draft's best options following back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons with Oregon. A historically bad combine performance (4.55 40-yard dash at 192 pounds) saw Irving completely fall out of that conversation, but the landing spot Saturday might afford the 21-year-old an opportunity to play relevant snaps immediately with his new team. Rachaad White absorbed almost 350 touches last season with the team devoid of a true backup option, and while Irving's athletic testing was hardly pristine, the two-year starter was a capable enough runner and talented pass catcher in college that he'll act as a facsimile of sorts for the aforementioned White.
