Maybe Bucs' running game answer was there all along

So now everyone in Bucs Village is wailing and gnashing teeth because running back Kareem Huggins is lost for the season.

Granted, the lad looked pretty good in exhibition games this season and seemed poised to take a larger role in the offense before a knee injury bit him in Sunday's loss to New Orleans. Unfortunate, obviously.

But, what people seem to really be saying is, "Oh dear ... now they have to keep giving the ball to Cadillac."

Offensive coordinator Greg Olson said as much Monday when he noted that "we want someone to prove they're better than Cadillac and we haven't seen it."

Head coach Raheem Morris didn't exactly issue a blanket denial when asked point blank if his loyalty to Caddy is clouding his judgment right now.

"I don't want to say the loyalty clouds your judgment because that's not it," he said. "But you know what he's going to bring you. You know he's going to know he's going to protect the quarterback. It's about protecting No. 5 (Josh Freeman) more than anything else."

That's great, except that wouldn't a running back who can grind out more than 2.5 yards per carry also help protect the quarterback by taking some of the heat off? Freeman has been blitzed on seemingly every down for the last couple of games and part of that, to my feeble football mind, is because opponents don't have to fear the running game.

LeGarrettte Blount and Kregg Lumpkin are still trying to learn the finer points of the NFL game, which demands more than just taking the ball and running with it. Cadillac is an excellent blocker, particularly on blitz pick-ups, while Blount and Lumpkin apparently aren't quite there yet.

Oh, and Derrick Ward plays for Houston now.

So here's a thought.

How about they give the ball more often to Earnest Graham?

Yes, he's nursing a balky hamstring right now but it sounds like it isn't serious enough to keep out of Sunday's game against St. Louis.

So give him the ball.

Then give it to him again and see what happens.

I mean, could he do worse than 2.5 yards per carry?

Graham has always answered the call, done the dirty work, all that stuff. We know the man blocks, but we also know that he has a chance to gain more than 2.5 yards every time he gets the ball.

Look, the loyalty point is conceded on Caddy. We know his story and it is remarkable. We're not allowed to root in this business, but I'll admit to a soft spot when it comes to Cadillac. To overcome two knee injuries - either one of which could have ended his career - is one of the great stories in franchise history.

Not only that, he's a class act.

The explosiveness is gone now, though. The production is gone. We're five games into the season and Cadillac has more carries than the rest of the team combined, but the running game isn't going anywhere.

Unless the Bucs make a dramatic move - today is the trading deadline - it seems to me that the most obvious solution is just where it has always been.

We know how Graham stepped in and gained 898 yards in 2007 after Cadillac had his first patellar tendon knee injury at Carolina.

Now, we also know that Graham has had a lot of his own injury problems. He is not the long-term solution, obviously, but he seems like the best option to jump-start a ground game right now that is going nowhere.

Maybe he handles the role of featured back for a few weeks while Blount and Lumpkin complete their crash course in blitz pickups. Maybe one or both of those guys will be far enough along at that point to earn more playing time, allowing the Bucs to see if either one is capable of handling regular duty.

If not, the Bucs could look to the draft or free agency.

In the meantime, though, there are 11 games to play and despite a pair of blowout losses at home, the Bucs have a winning record. If they beat the Rams, they'll be 4-2 and I'm pretty sure few people would have seen that coming.

They won't get there with a ground game that keeps falling flat, though.

You say it's all about Josh Freeman? You say you want to help No. 5?

Then give him some ground support.

Give the ball to Graham.