The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may like what they have seen from Rachaad White as he won the starting job in 2022, but is it possible to wonder if coaches like Todd Bowles are willing to stake their jobs on that short stint?

If the Bucs really are trying to reinvent themselves as a run-first team, can Bowles count on White to be the guy in a system that has to work to save his job? 

Most Bucs fans would emphatically answer yes to both of those questions, but the truth actually lies elsewhere in a world of growing expectations on the heels of a disappointing 2022 season.

The Buccaneers have to be in contention for the NFC South in 2023 if Todd Bowles really does want to keep his job, so it stands to reason this staff will do everything in its power to find upgrades on the free agent market wherever they can.

Perhaps that need brings Ezekiel Elliott to Tampa.

Buccaneers fans are probably already groaning, but this move isn't about what people want to happen, it is about what makes sense on paper for all parties.

The market has already proven beyond a doubt that Elliott is far from a hot commodity. Teams passing for this long shows that a major contract is not likely to be on the way, and that first step works for the Bucs.

Tampa doesn't have the money to invest in an expensive veteran back, but a cheap deal for a guy with a proven track record does make sense. 

Elliott coming to Tampa for a year on a cheap, prove-it deal like Leonard Fournette from a few years back is certainly on the table.

As for Elliott, the Bucs may not be able to pay him much, but he would come to a team that has already shown it wants to run the ball, the depth chart is solid but not set in stone, and it would also reunite the veteran back with former Cowboys running backs coach Skip Peete.

Lesser connections have brought players to new places in the past.

This certainly isn't the most exciting move for the Buccaneers, but signing Elliott has to be a safer move than hoping a running back from the draft pans out, especially not when the room is one injury away from being the worst in the NFL.

There are still a few dominos that would have to fall given the lack of overt interest from Zeke towards the Buccaneers, but beggars can't be choosers in this market.

Maybe a bit of desperation is all it would take to bring a player like Ezekiel Elliott to a team like the Bucs. Maybe it works out for both parties in the end.