Charles Sims, RB Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rookie Fantasy Spotlight
Byron Lambert, Rosterwatch.com

Having scouted Charles Sims heavily in our Senior Bowl preparation, he is a runner we are very familiar with. He reminds us most of some mixture between Donald Brown, Darren McFadden and DeMarco Murray.

Many pundits thought Matt Forte was the best pre-draft comparison for Sims. In our opinion he’s not quite the powerful athlete that Forte is. However, it’s not lost on us- nor is it likely a coincidence – that new Bucs head coach, and former Bears/Matt Forte-coach Lovie Smith saw the similarities – and exercised a valuable 2014 NFL Draft selection on Sims when it was hardly a position of need in Tampa.

Running back wasn’t considered a position of need because- as Bucs Insider Jenna Laine explained to our Sirius XM audience prior to the NFL Draft- the crowded backfield in Tampa was already setting up for a talented committee approach. Doug Martin was set to return from his shoulder injury, while Bobby Rainey and Mike James – who were very effective last season – were expected to return to form a formidable triumvirate. An expectation that completely jived with Lovie’s explicit offseason desire to reduce Martin’s workload.

It turns out that wasn’t Smith’s only desire for the backfield, and that he had identified a position of need. He came out after the draft and said as much. The new coaching staff wanted to add an adept pass catcher to the mix, which is why they honed in on Sims- a player that was equally as good in the Big 12 at West Virginia, as he was at the University of Houston in Conference USA. He projects well in his next transition to the NFL.

The Bucs acquired Sims with clear intent, an indication they already have a plan for him. We expect him to be involved early, possibly at the expense of Mike James’ roster spot. Sims is setting up for a Reggie Bush-type role in Tampa and possess the skills to be productive. He’s a strong rookie acquisition in Dynasty Leagues, and a good late-round flyer in Re-Draft Leagues with upside to be a potential flex-play as a rookie.