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Buccaneers' Peyton Barber: Productive in rookie 2016 campaign

Barber finished the 2016 season with 55 carries for 223 yards and a touchdown along with five receptions (on six targets) for 28 yards over 15 games.

Analysis:

The undrafted rookie from Auburn bucked the odds in 2016, heading to the practice squad after a solid preseason and then receiving a promotion to the active roster in advance of the regular season opener. Barber logged 45 special teams snaps in Weeks 1, 3, and 4 before seeing his first work from scrimmage in Week 5 against the Panthers, after hamstring and knee injuries had felled Doug Martin and Charles Sims, respectively. The 22-year-old went on to see double-digit totes in three contests overall, with a 12-carry, 84-yard, one-touchdown effort in Week 7 against the Niners serving as the high point of his season. Barber saw a good deal of short-yardage and red-zone work, with his eight carries inside the opponents' 20-yard line ranking third on the team behind Martin and Jacquizz Rodgers. A 1,000-yard rusher in his second and final season for the Tigers, Barber offers some potential, despite a lack of seasoning after only 248 carries at the collegiate level. With the Bucs' backfield enveloped in uncertainty as the offseason begins due to Martin's PED suspension, Barber figures to be given every opportunity to retain a roster spot in 2017.

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