Tampa Bay, because of injury, has had a revolving door at running back this season.
“We’ve had a lot of guys, that’s for sure,” Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said. “I’ve never been hit this hard at one position, but no one is feeling sorry for us on the outside, and we’re not feeling sorry for ourselves on the inside. The guys that we have coming up, we expect them to go out there and play and play well.”
Former Falcons backup Jacquizz Rodgers was filling in well for the Bucs before he inured his foot against the Raiders on Sunday.
The Bucs agreed to terms with running back Mike James on Monday. He made the team at the outset of the season, but was waived injured in September. He was on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad when the Bucs re-signed him.
The Bucs began the season with Pro Bowler Doug Martin at running back. He rushed 16 times for 62 yards in the Bucs’ 31-24 win over the Falcons in the season opener Sept. 11.
Martin has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in the second week of the season. Charles Sims, Martin’s backup who caught a touchdown pass in the opener against the Falcons, went down with a knee injury in Week 4.
The Bucs also have veteran running back Antone Smith, another former Falcon, and rookie Peyton Barber, who played three snaps against Oakland.
Barber, who played at Milton High and Auburn, rushed for 84 yards against San Francisco on Oct. 23, including a 44-yard touchdown run.
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