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Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds answers your questions from the @PewterReport Twitter account each week in the Bucs Mailbag. Submit your question to the Bucs Mailbag each week via Twitter using the hashtag #PRMailbag.  Here are the Bucs questions we chose to answer for this week’s edition.

QUESTION: The Bucs should make a call to the Broncos about getting Javonte Williams right now because our RB1, Rachaad White, is just a guy – not “the guy” to be RB1. What will it cost – maybe a third-rounder at best – to make that trade? They should do it.

ANSWER: There is some logic to this premise. Rachaad White has disappointed as a starting running back so far. In five games this season his longest run is 13 yards and his longest reception is 16 yards. The Bucs need a running back with either more juice and acceleration to hit the hole and quickly pick up yards, or a bruising tackle-breaker that can pick up yards after contact. I haven’t seen White shown the ability to do either so far.

General manager Jason Licht’s personnel weakness has been finding adequate running backs. His draft picks – Charles Sims, Ronald Jones II, Jeremy McNichols, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and White – have largely failed. This year’s running back room lacks speed and playmaking ability. Chase Edmonds has shown some flashes in the preseason and for a few plays against Chicago, but he’s already been hurt three times since arriving in Tampa Bay – in the offseason, preseason and regular season.

I have no idea what this team sees in Vaughn, as he’s averaging 1.7 yards per carry. Rookie Sean Tucker’s 1.5-yard average is even worse.

Broncos RB Javonte Williams – Photo by: USA Today

With a win over the Falcons next week, the Bucs would be in the early driver’s seat in the NFC South, and should Tampa Bay win the division the team is automatically in the playoffs. Licht needs to find a running back that can provide some semblance of a running game to create some balance on offense. Perhaps the Broncos would part ways with Javonte Williams, whom I loved coming out of North Carolina three years ago.

Williams had a solid rookie season in 2021, rushing for 903 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.4 yards per carry. He only played in four games last year due to a torn ACL, but he has a career average of 4.4 yards per carry and Denver has a plethora of backs, including Jaleel McLaughlin, who is averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Sean Payton didn’t draft him and may not have an allegiance to Williams.

If I’m Licht I’m offering a Day 3 pick for Williams, who will be entering a contract year in 2024 and would be highly motivated to play well over the next year and a half. Williams is a tackle-breaker with some nifty moves and might be what the Bucs need in the backfield to create on his own when the blocking just isn’t there. That’s a trait White seems to lack.

QUESTION: I’m over Rachaad White. He’s not a RB1 and that’s fine – RB2 at best. Bucs need to trade for a running back, and the tight ends are nonexistent in this offense. Trade for Dalvin Cook from the Jets. He has to be cheap. Split the carries with White. Need a veteran center as well.

ANSWER: Dalvin Cook would not come cheap. Cook signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the New York Jets and is owed $4,529,411 in base salary over the next 11 weeks, according to OverTheCap.com. With just over $3.2 million in salary cap space, according to OverTheCap.com, the Bucs simply can’t afford Cook.

Eagles RB Rashaad Penny – Photo by: USA Today

On the other hand, Denver’s Javonte Williams would be cheap, as he only has $948,574 remaining on his $1,465,978 2023 base salary. Another good option would be former Seattle running back Rashaad Penny, who is buried on Philadelphia’s depth chart. Penny was a healthy scratch in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets, and has just three carries for nine yards this season.

Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales has experience with Penny, who spent his first five years in Seattle after being the team’s first-round pick in 2018. Injuries have stymied Penny’s career and he’s never lived up to his draft status. But he did rush for 749 yards and six touchdowns in 2021, while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

Penny can be a home-run hitter when healthy. Last year he averaged 6.1 yards in five games before he suffered a broken leg after five games.

Penny signed a one-year, $1.35 million deal with the Eagles this offseason, and is only due $808,823 for the remaining 11 weeks of the season. Either Williams or Penny would likely come cheap with a Day 3 pick and would add some yards-after-contact ability.

As for your request for a veteran center, there’s no help available right now. The Bucs will have to address center next offseason and give Robert Hainsey some competition as he enters his contract year.

QUESTION: When the hell are we going to start looking hard at the O-line coaching? No good run game since they’ve been here.

Bucs OL coaches Harold Goodwin and Joe Gilbert – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: That’s not entirely true. The Bucs offensive line has always done a better job of pass protecting than run blocking since Harold Goodwin and Joe Gilbert arrived in Tampa Bay in 2019. Bruce Arians’ offense was also a pass-first scheme, thus the emphasis on pass protection. Even this year with a revamped O-line, Tampa Bay’s pass protection is quite good, and has been over the past four years. Yes, there is some work that needs to be done in the run game, as it hasn’t been blocked well consistently during that span.

At the same time, this is not the Super Bowl offensive line from 2020. In just three short years the Bucs saw a dramatic fall off in play of left tackle Donovan Smith, the sudden retirement of Pro Bowl left guard Ali Marpet, and a devastating knee injury to Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen. Bucs general manager Jason Licht had a pair of second-round picks invested in Smith and Marpet, and had made Jensen the league’s highest-paid center.

Tampa Bay has had to scramble and reshuffle the offensive line over the past two seasons and it’s been a work in progress trying to get the talent back to where it was in 2020 and 2021. Nobody was complaining during the Bucs’ Super Bowl run about the ground game, as it averaged 122.5 yards per game in each of the four postseason games in 2020. Tampa Bay ran for 142 yards in the Wild Card win at Washington and 145 yards against Kansas City in the Super Bowl.

I think Tampa Bay needs a few better interior offensive linemen and certainly better blocking from the tight end unit. A more capable playmaking starting running back is also a must it seems. But I’m not going to lay the blame at the feet of Goodwin and Gilbert just yet.

QUESTION: I am disappointed this year so far with Ryan Neal. Thoughts? Dee Delaney looked much better. Haven’t seen one hit or pass breakup yet from Neal.

Lions WR Jameson Williams and Bucs S Ryan Neal – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: I too am disappointed with Ryan Neal. I haven’t seen him play close to the level that he did last year in Seattle when he was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded safety. That year appears to be a bit of a fluke based on what we’ve seen so far. Neal hasn’t made many memorable plays in Tampa Bay and had a 55.3 overall PFF grade through the first four games of his Bucs career, including a 55.1 coverage grade.

On the other hand, Dee Delaney has a 73.2 PFF grade, including a more robust 70.3 coverage grade. Delaney is also tied for the team lead with two interceptions despite his status as a reserve defensive back.

While filling in for the injured Neal at New Orleans after he left early in the first quarter with a concussion, Delaney played his best game as a pro at strong safety, which isn’t even his natural position. I’m all in favor of putting guys who makes plays – like Delaney – on the field.

And I would also consider playing Zyon McCollum over Jamel Dean at cornerback. Something just seems off about Dean’s game this year. Dean is playing too soft and giving up too much cushion underneath too often.

QUESTION: Am I the only one here that feels that the Lions game was closer than the score indicates? Sure, we had mistakes and didn’t execute on offense. But it sure feels like everyone acts as if the Bucs world is crumbling.

Bucs OC Dave Canales – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

ANSWER: You are right to a degree. The world isn’t crumbling with the Bucs getting beaten by a better team in the Detroit Lions, who are now 5-1 on the season and tied for the best record in the NFC. As I stated in my 2-Point Conversion column after a 25-11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, Bucs fans need to readjust their expectations.

This is a team that is coming off an 8-9 season in Tom Brady’s final year in Tampa Bay and the NFL. The Bucs were fortunate enough to win the division, and are lucky enough that the NFC South is still not good as a whole. I predicted a 9-8 record this year, and I think the team is capable of reaching that mark. Perhaps even getting to 10 wins if the offense comes around.

Tampa Bay’s offense stunk on Sunday. It was the worst called game of the year by offensive coordinator Dave Canales, but I told you he was going to take some lumps this year and get out-coached on occasion. It was also Baker Mayfield’s worst game of the year, too. If Mayfield connects with rookie receiver Trey Palmer on either one of those open deep shots Sunday’s outcome could have been different.

Next week’s game against 3-3 Atlanta will be a gut check game for Tampa Bay. The Bucs need to rebound and win, and keep a grip on the lead in the NFC South.

QUESTION: Can we burn those creamsicle uniforms now and never wear them again?

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

ANSWER: There was a reason why the Bucs changed logos, team colors and uniforms back in 1997, right? The old orange Bucco Bruce uniforms were synonymous with losing for many, many years in Tampa Bay. In fact, out of the 21 seasons that the Bucs wore the creamsicle uniforms they only had three winning years in 1979, 1981 and 1982, which was the strike-shortened season.

The creamsicles are a nice novelty, and the Bucs moved plenty of orange merchandise over the last year celebrating their return after an 11-year hiatus. It’s been a cash cow for the team for sure. But Tampa Bay is now 1-4 in throwback games since the team brought back the Bucco Bruce look from 2009-12 and then this year.

I’m more of a pewter and red guy myself. I would just fine if this team didn’t have a creamsicle throwback game next year. But given the hype and hoopla – and merchandise sales success – from the creamsicles this year I’m sure this will be an annual affair. Personally, I’d rather see more games in the all-pewter look than orange jerseys with a winking pirate on the helmet. After Sunday’s 20-6 loss I’m already over the creamsicles.