Following a full recovery from injury, Bucs running back Bucky Irving feels better than ever.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a strange season last year, at times looking like one of the best teams in the NFL, while also posting stretches of dysfunctional offensive and defensive rhthym.
Some of this was due to unfortunate injuries, especially on the offensive side.
Key players like Tristan Wirfs, Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, and Jalen McMillan all missed significant time, which playerd a big part in Tampa's inconsistencies.
For Irving, who burst onto the scene as a rookie two years ago, this season is about returning to his prior level of production.
On Wednesday, Irving sat down with NFL Network, where he talked about his injury and how he is looking to attack the upcoming season.
"I found out a lot about myself last year..." Irving told Maurice Jones-Drew and Mike Garafolo. "And I came out even stronger."
Despite appearing in just ten games last season, Irving is a "full-go" for camp this offseason after recovering from his midfoot sprain and a lingering left shoulder injury.
Thus far, he has looked like the player Bucs fans fell in love with two years ago, turning mundane carries into additional yardage with his agility and elusiveness.
"Irving was given the most carries on Friday morning, as Kenny Gainwell was primarily utilized as a receiver out of the backfield,” Pewter Report noted on August 1. “The biggest run of the day was out of the pony package, when Irving took the carry on a delayed handoff, accelerated through the middle of the field, and was able to speed down the field. Not only would it have been a game-changing run, but the “Bucky, Bucky, Bucky” chants made it feel like a regular-season moment.”
Irving and newly acquired Kenneth Gainwell have been on the field together within offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's scheme, as the former Atlanta Falcons playcaller likes to employ dual-back formations.
Last season, Gainwell was a big-time receiving threat out of the backfield, having recorded a career high 73 receptions in his lone season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and QB Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers got the ball out very quickly and frequently opted to dump it down to Gainwell, allowing the speedy back to make defenders miss in space.
Roundtable's Jason Klingensmith noted the potential 1-2 punch that Tampa has formed in the backfield in mid-July.
"According to PFF, Tampa's top two running backs, Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell, ranked among the best safety-blanket receivers in the league last season," Klingensmith wrote. "Even if a defense can get pressure on Mayfield, Tampa has not only one, but two, of the very best security pass-catchers under pressure in the NFL."
Irving talked about his new playcaller on Wednesday, saying that he and his teammates have faith in Robinson's scheme and feel like he knows how to get them the ball in space.
In Atlanta, Robinson frequently used Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier on the field at the same time, keeping defenses off balanced.
For Irving, who will get the majority of the carries, having Gainwell as another pass-catching threat out of the backfield should only help him produce and stay fresh.
