Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign Giovani Bernard

Giovani Bernard (Erik Drost, Wikimedia Commons)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed running back Giovani Bernard of Davie, Florida, to a one-year deal on Friday according to the Associated Press. The financial terms of the contract have not yet been published.

Bernard will try to bolster a Buccaneers running game in 2021. A year ago with the Cincinnati Bengals, Bernard had 124 rushes for 416 yards, and three touchdowns. He also had 47 catches for 355 yards and three touchdowns. The three touchdown catches Bernard had in 2020 tied a career-high, as he also had three touchdown catches in his rookie season with the Bengals in 2013. Over the last eight years with Cincinnati, Bernard had 921 rushes for 3697 yards and 22 touchdowns, along with 342 catches for 2867 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Heading into the 2021 National Football League regular season, it appears Bernard will be third on the Buccaneers depth chart at the running back position. He is behind Leonard Fournette of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Ronald Jones of Fort Stewart, Georgia. The Buccaneers signed Fournette prior to last year after he was waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It will also be interesting to see what the Buccaneers do in the off-season at quarterback, and who they will bring in to backup Tom Brady. Last year, Blaine Gabbert of Ballwin, Missouri was the backup quarterback for the Buccaneers, however, he is currently still a free agent. In four games, Gabbert completed only nine of 16 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns. There is no doubt an experienced backup quarterback is key to the Buccaneers’ success this season, especially with Tom Brady being 44 years old when the NFL season is to begin in September.

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