Buccaneers sign RB Andre Ellington

Former Cardinals running back Andre Ellington has signed with the Buccaneers and will be reuniting with Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay, the team announced Tuesday.

Ellington, who just turned 30, was selected in the sixth round of the 2013 draft. That made him a part of Arians’ first draft class in Arizona, and he panned out pretty well. Not a lot of sixth-rounders even make the active roster, much less get consistent playing time. Ellington’s best year came as a rookie, when he ran for 652 yards on 118 attempts (5.5 yards per carry) and scored three touchdowns. He also caught 39 passes for 371 yards (9.5 yards per catch) and a score in year one.

In 61 career games with the Cardinals, Ellington ran for 1,750 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. He caught 145 passes for 1,296 yards and three scores, which was good for an average of 8.9 yards per catch. In November 2017, the Clemson product was claimed by the Houston Texans. In four games with them, he caught six passes for 72 yards. He was a free agent in 2018 and had some tryouts, but spent the season on the sideline.

Ellington presumably fills the void left by Jacquizz Rodgers, joining a Tampa Bay backfield that is likely to include Ronald Jones II and Peyton Barber in 2019. Barber is a restricted free agent, but he figures to be back with the Bucs when the team comes together for the new season.