TAMPA, Fla. -- With the opening night of the NFL draft just hours away, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have re-signed running back Charles Sims, who returns on a one-year deal.
Sims, 27, provides some insurance for a team that isn't guaranteed a top running back in this year's draft, especially without a third-round pick this year and plenty of holes to fill at cornerback, safety, running back, guard and offensive tackle with Demar Dotson's injury.
As of right now, Peyton Barber is slated to be the Buccaneers' starting running back. He's shown that he can be an effective first- and second-down runner, but he's still mastering the nuances of the position, particularly when it comes to blitz pickup, although he's come a long way.
Jacquizz Rodgers was slated to be the change-of-pace, third-down back, and Sims can now assume that role, too. While Rodgers is more of a chameleon and can assume any role in the backfield, Sims is mostly a third-down back and really needs space to operate.
Sims' best season came in 2015, when he rushed for 529 yards on 107 carries and caught 51 passes for 561 yards.
Sims' signing doesn't preclude the Bucs from drafting a running back, a position that for the second straight year they've devoted a lot of resources toward in the pre-draft process, and as of right now, Sims is just the third running back on their roster. They should enter training camp with four, as they've done in the past.
They've brought in/worked out Penn State's Saquon Barkley, who most likely won't be available at No. 7, along with LSU's Derrius Guice, Georgia's Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, San Diego State's Rashaad Penny, NC State's Nyheim Hines and Miami's Mark Walton.
