Player Watch: Bucs RB Earnest Graham

The Tampa Tribune reports that Caddy with likely not play at all this year.The Bucs put out positive reports about Cadillac's recovery in June, but that was all part of gaining leverage in contract talks with Earnest Graham. It paid off, as Graham agreed to a well below-market deal. The Trib anticipates Williams going on PUP, then being moved to I.R. for the rest of the year. This is what was going on in the background here in Florida and missed by some experts who didn't look at the entire picture. Much was made about the small size of Grahams contract at the time. Saying it showed lack of faith in Graham because it was only for around 2.5 Million.

Yet let me put this thought out

Earnest Graham was a undrafted walkon who made the team. This for him was a $2 million dollar a year raise. It was also very cap friendly for the Bucs. The contract also will keep Earnest Graham well motivated as there is still plenty of room to make Millions more if he performs well. It would not surprise me in the least to see some very nice production out of Graham again this year.

I watch the Bucs closely and I also watch preseason football closely, :

Yes, Strangely enough, I do. The last couple of years Earnest Graham has earned the nickname Mr. October because of his production in the preseason. This hardworking underpaid guy was working his butt off in those two preseason and as a special teamer but with Pittman and Caddy around never got many carries during the season.

After two outstanding preseasons the Bucs started to give him some carries. Now most of us know the story of how well Graham did after Caddys went down. But lets look closer, in games 3 and 4 Graham had 8 carries for 75 yards and 2 Tds in 3 and 17 carries for 45 and 1 Td in 4. Politics being what they are Pitttman started whining and they cut back on Grahams carries for awhile but Pittman wasn't producing and Grahams carries slowly continued to increase as Pittman became more beat up. Then Caddy went down and we all know the story from that point. But Graham had all but beaten out Pittman as Caddys backup when Caddy got hurt. The rest of the story as they say.

Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden said Friday that RB Earnest Graham is the team's current starting running back, but he will face competition in camp, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

Proving that a RBs talent doesn't always relate to the size of his contract.

Let me take this one step farther. Look first at two of the more successful Running Back By Committees last year. the Cowboys and the Jags had a similar approach. The Cowboys had a reliable ball handler that could get solid, consistent yardage in Julius Jones. The Jags had the same virtues available in the form of Fred Taylor. Both teams used these backs to start drives. You get the ball on the 20 you use your Jones/Taylor to work your way out of the hole. Each were good at getting solid yardage with each carry, great at moving the chains and getting you out of the hole, safely. Once the Cowboys and Jags got out to midfield and had won the battle for field position they started utilizing Marion Barber and MJD. This worked with great success.

Hmmm.....Does Tampa Bay have a back like Jones/Taylor? Warrick Dunn springs to mind. Does Tampa Bay have a back like Barber/MJD? Earnest Graham springs to mind.

Will Gruden utilize these to this way? He should, it is a great system because it keeps both backs fresh only being used 1/2 of a drive each time. Now Graham might just win the starting job outright and be spelled in a more traditional manner. I think he is the best back on the field for the Bucs. But it just seems the Cowboys/Jags model of RBBC is perfectly suited for the Bucs talent at RB.