This story makes me very sad indeed. The 24th-ranked ground game of last season is going to be improved by the addition of… Charlie Garner? Chucky, you earned a whole lotta forgiveness for your future actions with that Superbowl, but this is going to take a big bite out of it.
Thomas Jones earned a job as a starter in the final games of last season; he made Michael “run to the line of scrimmage then fall down every single play” Pittman look like the career backup he ought to have been, and now you bring in a tired back who was never a superstar even in his prime? At least Jones might get the spot he deserves with the Bears.
On the bright side, he was injured last year; maybe he’s got something left in the tank. Maybe more importantly, we finally appear to have a decent offensive line. This year might not be so bad after all…
Garner is a good player and has been successful at each team he has played for. Heck, he is better if he doesn’t play the entire game and he certainly is a fine receiver.
That’s just it; we had fine recievers. Pittman and Jones are both pretty good at catching passes out of the backfield; the problem is that Pittman can’t actually run the ball. Perhaps Garner will be able to…
Garner is a great back to have as long as he’s not taking tons of snaps. He has the ability to break away. He’s also a credible receiving threat. As long as the Bucs can spell him periodically, he should be a good addition.
You’d think so, but he carried the ball 211 times in his first year in Oakland under Gruden. Besides, Aaron Stecker is gone, Mike Alstott isn’t going to be close to 100%, Earnest Graham is an unknown, and Pittman might be in jail by the time training camp starts…