The long-anticipated return of running back
Charles Sims couldn't come at a better time for the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sims, who fractured his ankle in August, was placed on the injured reserve-designated to return list. It appears the third-round rookie will be a significant part of the team's offensive attack moving forward.
"There's a role for him," a Buccaneers team source told
FOXSports.com. "While he might not get No. 1 carries right away, he's definitely a third-down back and could possibly be a factor in the screen game. He's a player that has that game-breaking ability."
For whatever reason, the Buccaneers rank 31st in the league in rushing yards. Among the contributing factors are subpar offensive line play, lack of yards after contact and often playing from behind. It's an area coach Lovie Smith said this week needs improvement.
"We need more production from the running game, period," Smith told reporters.
The injuries to Sims and running back
Mike James before the regular season began allowed
Doug Martin to get "bell-cow back"-type carries. But after exiting Week 1's game with a knee injury and not playing in the next two games, Martin hasn't found his rhythm and is averaging just 2.9 yards a carry. Last Sunday, Martin was knocked out again with an ankle injury, the severity of which is unknown.
Bobby Rainey, who the
Bucs claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Browns last October, has been the team's most consistent option.
Entering the season, the Buccaneers' philosophy, as one source put it, "was to always have a pass catcher out of the backfield." Smith and running backs coach Tim Spencer employed the likes of
Matt Forte during their days in Chicago.
When the Bucs selected Sims in May, Smith recalled a story of Spencer watching Sims at the Senior Bowl in January and recognizing similar characteristics between him and Forte. With 203 receptions in four seasons at stops including the University of Houston and West Virginia, Sims figures to give Tampa Bay's offense the boost it has needed.
"He can beat you with his feet and his hands," West Virginia running backs coach JaJuan Seider told
FOXSports.com this week. "He's just as good a wide receiver as he is a starting running back. The way that he practices makes playing easy. I've never seen a kid work as hard as him."
Seider, Sims' former position coach, went on to say that he was even a better teammate than player.
"I joke you not, we are in the thick of the Big 12 right now, and I really believe a lot of it stems from Charles," Seider said. "He set the tone for a lot of the guys on the team. He taught a lot of guys how to practice and how to become a close-knit family."
At 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, Sims is a big back who can create matchup problems. The question is how quickly he will be able to grasp the speed of the game and apply that game-breaking talent into production on the field.