Bruce Arians’ Ronald Jones Omission
March 28th, 2019
Shaun Wilson photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sometimes it’s what you don’t say — or who you don’t mention.
Bucco Bruce Arians had one of those moments in a resort hallway this week before breakfast with media at the NFL Owners Meetings in Arizona.
Joe asked the head coach about a third-down running back. Specifically, Joe asked Arians if he felt he had a Todd McNair type on his team, a guy who could catch balls and be elusive like McNair was as a Chiefs running back in the early 1990s. McNair, now the Bucs’ running backs coach, was a third-down specialist and his position coach was Arians.
Arians liked that question. He explained that veteran Andre Ellington, signed a month ago but out of football last year, could be that guy. Arians said he’s seen Ellington do it successfully with the Cardinals, but Arians expressed he wasn’t sure Ellington still could. The head coach also said last year’s rookie, Shaun Wilson, could be that guy because a review of 2018 practice film revealed him to be unable to be covered by Bucs linebackers last season. (Think about that deeply for a minute!)
Who Arians did not mention was Ronald Jones, who will get a chance to bounce back this season but frankly he’s at the bottom of the depth chart until further notice as far as Joe is concerned.
March 28th, 2019 at 12:46 pm
…. which is right where he SHOULD start the season…
We are going to find out in a hurry what this kid has inside. If he is any kind of fighter, than he should face no better challenge from which to rise up against.
March 28th, 2019 at 12:53 pm
This is the NFL. Produce or move on. No Nepotism or favorites. Thats what I like about it. Batter up Roland Jones. Time to produce or get off the pot. You’ve
had a whole year to get ready. Fans will not nor should they be patient with you.
Good luck sir.
March 28th, 2019 at 12:54 pm
Ed Oliver destroying his pro day as predicted.
IMO there is a big 4 now cemented. He was already getting top 5 hype the last 2 years on tape alone. When PFF isolated out his snaps that were NOT at nose tackle, he was basically top 3 in QB pressure in the country.
4.71 / 4.75 40.
At 280-290 f*cking lbs…
4.19 shuttle = faster than Desean Jackson at 175 lbs
There’s a big 4 IMO not a big 3. Give me Oliver at 5 all day. He has the most upside of anyone in this draft.
Oliver = line him up everywhere and let him wreck sh1t and destroy QBs/RBs in the backfield.
Thank god I am reading Todd Bowls is at this pro day. DO IT DO IT DO IT!!!
March 28th, 2019 at 12:54 pm
That’s correct Demon. I personally like the kid. He’s 21, I’m guessing BA will get the best from him.
March 28th, 2019 at 12:54 pm
Not enough on Rojo to make that determination…..besides, he wasn’t drafted to be a third down back……
Perhaps he will also be shifted to safety.
March 28th, 2019 at 12:55 pm
I’d like to see the team draft Miles Sanders
March 28th, 2019 at 12:55 pm
LOL.. Are we now saying that BA is saying something when he doesn’t say something about a player? Reaching. I have never seen such criticism of a 2nd round RB. When he was drafted, I dont recall any comparisons to any HOF RBs, who produced from their rookie year on.
I do recall however hearing many many excuses for another YOUNG player named Winston when he was just 21 years of age and in the NFL. Its funny how a negative opinion creeps into some situations but not others. Biased.
March 28th, 2019 at 12:56 pm
What I take from this comment. Our linebackers couldn’t cover Williams on our own practice tape from last year. Some day we had good linebackers on the team, yet where was Williams on third downs last year? On the bench behind Rodgers, why? Oh yes, because our last coach valued pass blocking above all else from his running backs. From what BA said it sounds like Shaun Williams is a matchup nightmare, and he learned this from watching Bucs practice tape. If this is true, what the hell was the last coaching staff doing?
March 28th, 2019 at 12:56 pm
Jones will be given every chance to succeed. He will count $3.2 mil against the cap whether he plays or if he gets cut.
March 28th, 2019 at 12:59 pm
always thought shaun wilson shouldve received more touches…..
it aint looking good for rojo….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!!
March 28th, 2019 at 1:01 pm
I already said Ronald Jones would be on the practice squad this year.
March 28th, 2019 at 1:01 pm
shaun wilson would be hard for any LB to cover not just ours….
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!…GO BUCS!!!!!
March 28th, 2019 at 1:03 pm
Also unrelated to my Ed Oliver worship post –
Ronald Jones is not a 3rd down back lol. Those were his weaknesses coming out (pass pro / running routes / hands). He projects more as an early down back that would rotate in with Barber than the 3rd down back as of now.
HOPEFULLY he gets his hands in check tho/ route running because that’s where he could excel.
Should have taken Guice lol
March 28th, 2019 at 1:04 pm
He didn’t mention Jones because he’s not a receiving back. This is not going to be Koetter’s offense.
March 28th, 2019 at 1:09 pm
Ronald Jones needs to put on 10lbs of muscle. He goes down on first contact. He didn’t bench at his pro day or combine. I think he just needs to get stronger.
March 28th, 2019 at 1:13 pm
On Cap, Jones counts 1.6M against the cap in 2019. If he were cut pre June 1st, then yes 3.2M against cap but who would do that since it would make no sense to cut him that early.
March 28th, 2019 at 1:16 pm
“3rd down back and 3rd down specialist…
Run rb screens on 3rd and long? So 90ish and Bucsheepish
This is the new NFL normal
3 down backs that run and catch on all 3 downs
*Kobe is going to pass out when he actually gets to see a rb screenplay on 1st down
March 28th, 2019 at 1:49 pm
He won’t make the team this year. They will draft someone with heart and will blow him away
March 28th, 2019 at 1:49 pm
Kobe, Kobe, Kobe,
You do not see a lot of first down screen passses because defenses don’t have their ears pinned back to rush the passer like second and long or third down. That’s why the screen pass was invented. To make the defense pay when they ball out to get to the QB.
March 28th, 2019 at 2:00 pm
Should have been Derrius Guice anyway!
March 28th, 2019 at 2:04 pm
Lord C, thanks for the intel on Oliver. Was wondering how his pro day was going.
March 28th, 2019 at 2:07 pm
Ah yes, another stellar Licht 2nd round pick. And we wonder why the Bucs suck.
March 28th, 2019 at 2:10 pm
Shawn Wilson may be a diamond in the ruff but, our LBs couldn’t cover a one-legged man.
March 28th, 2019 at 2:22 pm
He’s not a third down back because he can’t catch. And Jason Licht apparently never threw him a pass during pre-draft workouts.
March 28th, 2019 at 2:26 pm
Licht drafted a running back in the second round who can’t catch and can’t break tackles. Until otherwise proven differently, this is a fact
March 28th, 2019 at 2:29 pm
Cornelius, you are absolutely correct about Oliver. You take him at 5 and unleash him. As for Jones, why would he be a candidate for a third down back? He’s got hands of stone!
March 28th, 2019 at 2:32 pm
That makes sense because Arians turned on the tape and all he saw was tape of RoJo dropping passes. But let’s like not act like guys going into their second year can’t improve. I’m sure these guys aren’t sitting in front of a computer like us I’m sure if dude wants to compete he is somewhere working on his craft
Who else does Arians leave out its Geraldine and the media has to constantly ask about him. This applies to him but RoJo is in his second year and has plenty of value on the roster or as a trade piece with a good showing in preseason and beginning of the season.
March 28th, 2019 at 3:11 pm
Nickle corner
March 28th, 2019 at 3:45 pm
What does Ronald Jones think about this ?!? I wish we could ask him what’s his @ twitter handle
March 28th, 2019 at 3:57 pm
I’m not a Ronald Jones fan admittedly (Licht blew yet another 2nd rnd pick IMO) BUT … for everyone saying that he has ‘hands of stone’ and can’t catch, his 2019 stats don’t support that. He was targeted 9 times (whoopee) and caught 7 of those for 78%. Not all THAT bad for a RB.
Problem was he didn’t go anyplace after he caught it (33 yards total in 7 catches?). And Licht drafted him for his ‘explosiveness’? Ya right.
March 28th, 2019 at 4:04 pm
LC, you’re on to something there. I’ve been waiting some of his games. He’s able to get pressure as a NT at less than 300 pounds. It’s hard to believe he can even play NT at that size but when he lines up at 3, he rarely gets beaten. The last guy to do it at his size was, dare I say Warren Sapp. Sapp ran a 4.69 40. Imagine that. He was faster than Elijah Holyfield at 300 pounds. I think it’s going to be a tough decision because more than one of the top guys will be there at 5.
March 28th, 2019 at 4:06 pm
Another Licht special. We have more holes all over the roster.
5 year plan.
BUST.
March 28th, 2019 at 4:10 pm
The best receiving back in the draft is Darrell Henderson from Memphis. 5’10” 208 Lbs. He ran a 4.49 40yard dash at the combine.
He was a first team AP All-American with 1909 (8.9 avg) yards rushing and 295 (15.5 avg) yards receiving. 25 TD’s.
Kiper says he’s the #3 back in the draft. He will go in the 3rd round.
That’s value.
March 28th, 2019 at 4:20 pm
Defense Rules, did you actually watch those “catches” that Rojo had? He probably bobbled half of them and paid the price on numerous occasions.
March 28th, 2019 at 4:25 pm
Should bring back Charles Sims, he was one of the best receiving and 3rd down backs in football and was also a good pass blocker. As far as I know he’s healthy again, so not sure why you wouldn’t bring him back in since I can’t imagine it would be for more than the minimum. Is there any behind the scenes gossip on the guy, did he make a pass at Licht’s wife or something?
March 28th, 2019 at 4:58 pm
It makes LESS THAN ZERO financial sense that BA made Licht sign a 30 year old Andre Ellington kickin it on his couch all last year with his Krispy Kremes for $800k, but we couldn’t have spent that $800k instead on Crowell at age 26 who just signed a one year deal with Gruden worth “up to” $2.5 million?!?! So probably $1.5 base with incentives!?
That would have made a HELLUVA LOT MORE sense than old ass Ellington!
March 28th, 2019 at 5:15 pm
gilhealy,
I am with ya, man. Call us crazy but I think this kid just might surprise us this year. Arians is the perfect coach for him. He can still find his way. It would be amazing to see him explode.
March 28th, 2019 at 5:19 pm
straightcashhomey,
I hear ya on Ellington. Coaches like to bring guys they know to new places. I remember Dave Meggett followed Bill Parcells everywhere he went.
March 28th, 2019 at 5:20 pm
I am a little surprised that I am in moderation.
Hope I can regain the trust, JOE.
March 28th, 2019 at 5:27 pm
Shaun Wilson, could be that guy because a review of 2018 practice film revealed him to be unable to be covered by Bucs linebackers last season. (Think about that deeply for a minute!)
Don’t have to think deeply about it….saw it the entire 2018 NFL season.
March 28th, 2019 at 6:28 pm
I agree that Ronald Jones should be at the bottom of the depth chart.
Arians probably left him out to motivate him. Word is that the playbook will be huge…which is a slightly scary thought…and Ronald Jones is rumored to have struggled with Koetter’s playbook.
He’s got a lot to prove…fortunately, he’ll get a real chance to prove himself.
March 28th, 2019 at 6:31 pm
Rod Munch, I agree he should be brought in to compete for a spot (depending on the draft results), but boy, would that set off troll-megeddon.
March 28th, 2019 at 6:41 pm
When are people going to wake up and realize that Dirk Koetter’s philosophy will never EVER allow a rookie running back to get enough looks to show what he can be in the NFL… especially with a sieve of an offensive line in terms of run blocking.
Devonta Freeman had 68 rushing yards in his rookie year with DK as his OC. Case closed. Let’s see what Bruce can pull out of the kid before we slap a casual label on him at 21 years old.
March 28th, 2019 at 7:28 pm
Just another Roberto type bust…
March 28th, 2019 at 7:59 pm
Can’t wait to see Blaine Gabbert passing to Ronald Jones. Whats next?
March 28th, 2019 at 8:00 pm
cant wait to see Blaine Gabbert passing to Ronald Jones. Whats next?
March 28th, 2019 at 8:01 pm
Cant wait to see Blaine Gabbert passing to Robert Jones. Whats next?
March 28th, 2019 at 8:02 pm
Cant wait to see Blaine Gabbert passing to Robert Jones. Whats next?
March 28th, 2019 at 8:07 pm
Lets hope ROJO spent the entire off-season hitting the weight room, packing on muscle to his core and lower body to compliment his natural speed.
Give the kid a chance and some confidence and you may be surprised what he can do…
March 28th, 2019 at 8:56 pm
@PriMech54
Thank you for posting that. Exactly the freaking problem here. People would be calling Freeman a bust on this site too.
Ridiculous to even say that as underutilized he was.
Guy is gonna ape$hit I guarantee it.
March 28th, 2019 at 8:59 pm
Everything to date about our running backs has served 1 purpose.
Motivate Rojo.
Barber a top 5 back LMAO.
Ed Oliver could run him down from behind.
Dude will NEVER take one to the house from outside the 30
March 28th, 2019 at 9:13 pm
I hear ya @Demon, I hear ya. I remember Meggett too. And it’s not even so much that BA has trust in Ellington that even irks me, its that he’s 30 number one, fragile as sh!t number two throughout his career, a 3rd down back only number four, been sitting on his couch for the last 18 months number five, BUT MOSTLY that Crowell is a very durable, reliable, blue collar, underutilized back that works on all 3 downs, and only would have cost us about double what we’ll end up paying Ellington if he remains on the 53 man roster. OH, AND HE’S 26.
Ridiculous 🙂
March 28th, 2019 at 9:42 pm
Heard allot of Wilson practice talk but he just didn’t look that smooth nor twitchie nor fast in games . Some players speed up in practice some speed up in games ???? Maybe , maybe not , I didn’t see it in limited game activity ?
Btw ( Wilson) Winston throws high allot ( underneath the ball and too in front of the ball) not a good match at all !! No backs under 5 10 for Winston and they had better have not good but great hands because there is a way lower percentage of body catches vs above the pads hands only catches .
March 28th, 2019 at 11:04 pm
Ronald Jones is not a 3rd down back…….nor a 1st or 2d down.
March 29th, 2019 at 1:36 am
Rojo sucks until he can prove otherwise.
March 29th, 2019 at 4:55 am
Tnew
38 TB
Ronald Jones II RB 20 Southern California 4yrs $7,071,908
This is off website of rookie contracts so I dont think he counts 3.2 mill this year probably closer to 1,767,977 being that’s what his salary is split evenly on those 4yrs. I could be wrong if his is loaded more on year 2. I doubt it but either way ur right he ain’t going anywhere this year hopefully hes worth it