Bill Polian Talks Ronald Jones
June 29th, 2019
Waiting
If there ever was a need for the Bucs to have a running back break out of the darkness and lift this team, it exists now.
Joe is looking at you, Ronald Jones.
The Bucs did nothing to upgrade what was perhaps the worst running attack in the NFL last year. That’s borderline irresponsible. That is, unless Bucco Bruce Arians wasn’t blowing smoke talking up Gale Sayers Peyton Barber.
But man, Ronald Jones wasn’t drafted in the second round to just pick his nose on the sidelines. Even Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian seemed puzzled by RoJo’s invisibility last season as he spoke about the Bucs recently on SiriusXM NFL Radio, during “Late Hits” with Friend of Joe co-host Alex Marvez.
“As far as the running game is concerned, Peyton Barber is just average, 3.7-yards average and not explosive in the passing game,” Polian said. “He’s decent in the passing game, not explosive. And Ronald Jones, he was supposed to be great and really couldn’t get on the field. I guess he couldn’t learn the playbook. Maybe he has turned over a new leaf?
“Bottom line: There is a lot of maybes there, aren’t there?”
Every defensive coordinator’s goal is to make a team one-dimensional. And the Bucs were one-dimensional before they came out of the locker room.
We all know the first priority of the new coaching staff is to get America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, on the right track. Is having no running game and being one-dimensional the proper way to do this?
Man, if the Bucs can somehow get RoJo on track, he could have a huge impact both this season and beyond.
June 29th, 2019 at 2:53 am
Fire Licht today
Utter incompetence
June 29th, 2019 at 4:13 am
Give Licht a raise. What a rising star
June 29th, 2019 at 4:14 am
Would love to see Ronald Jones break out this year Joe, but not to become another Gale Sayers. No doubt in my mind that Sayers was a beast … a very FRAGILE beast (Injuries to both knees finally did him in). First-team All pro his first FIVE YEARS … that’s a beast. Got beaten up so badly he only played FOUR more games after that … total of 7 seasons, 68 games and slightly LESS than 5,000 yards rushing. But included in there is an overall 5.0 yards/attempt average. Yup, a beast.
I’m HOPEFUL that having RoJo bulk up somewhat will make a difference this year. Also HOPEFUL that he’s learned enough in the interim to just play instinctively. I’m also HOPEFUL however that the Bucs add a quality veteran RB before the season starts, as well as 1-2 more quality veteran OLinemen to block for whoever is running the ball.
June 29th, 2019 at 4:44 am
After cutting Shawn Wilson last week the Bucs are most likely add a Rb before training camp. I believe ROJO is going to be much improved this season but I’d sure feel a lot better if we traded for Duke Johnson. Not sure what Cleveland wants but I’d think a 3rd or 4th rounder would do it.
If not, BA likes to give 2nd chances why not bring in Alex Collins or Carlos Williams.
June 29th, 2019 at 5:52 am
We need to run some 2 RB sets……we need more screens…..I suspect we will see both…..Rojo’s problems are between the ears……and gang tackling 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage…….
June 29th, 2019 at 6:48 am
The Bucs were torched by AP when we played them, he had been there days… granted he is super talented, but he picked up the system it seemed like against us. Maybe, just maybe, BA can get something out of the kid. He has the pedigree and has done it well at the college level, he just needs a couple of nice runs to get his confidence up. I wish him the best and hope he can make it, love his speed!
June 29th, 2019 at 7:13 am
https://youtu.be/FJh_J7d1TZI Like Bruce said we have a running back
June 29th, 2019 at 7:23 am
Licht coveted Sony Michele and panic when he was taken ahead of the Bucs….perfect time to HAVE addressed OL or DL
June 29th, 2019 at 7:24 am
I see three things that plagued ROJO last year:
1. He couldn’t grasp the playbook. Koetter put too many complex blocking schemes which is hard for a rookie to be successful. Barber had a problem with this the year prior.
2. Terrible run blocking by the Oline,
3. ROJO inability as a pass catching running back.
June 29th, 2019 at 7:39 am
The running game is like the defense. It could be last place and still be better than last year’s. I’m hopeful that the difference this year will be the coaching. It can’t possibly be worse than last year.
June 29th, 2019 at 8:12 am
It’s too bad they passed on a sure thing, and traded Darrell Henderson, to the NFC Champs. That should put the Rams into the playoffs for the next decade.
Since fantasy football and gambling are becoming so big, there will be no escaping the constant national headlines as DH rewrites the NFL record book just like he did in college.
Gump’s career will be over in pro football except as the trivia answer to that question, “Who was the GM that made the stupidest trade in all of professional sports history?” The bonus question would be, “What did he get as compensation?” The answer will always have the audience rolling on the floor laughing, except in Tampa.
For 90+ years the stupidest trade ever, used to be when the Boston Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. That still gets chuckles except in Boston.
June 29th, 2019 at 8:35 am
At this point , RoJo has to prove he can carry the load. He has similar size to
another former USC running back from USC , Reggie Busch. Agreethat. he needs to get better at receiving ,so that he will fit in the offense better.
June 29th, 2019 at 8:35 am
^^^^^Hee! Concur with Jason.
June 29th, 2019 at 8:40 am
I’ll simply say just watch Peyton Barber run when he has any space at all and tell me he’s not a good back. I’ll telling you guys these people don’t watch our games they simply look at stats.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dh00VNfNrsfA&ved=2ahUKEwixn_iy2o7jAhUaG80KHfcYBy4QwqsBMAB6BAgHEAU&usg=AOvVaw2-8clLzgp4MK0bULJCr25
June 29th, 2019 at 8:53 am
Can’t wait for the draft
June 29th, 2019 at 8:54 am
Bob in Valrico, small world. Todd McNair was RB coach at USC 2004-2010, during which time he coached RB Reggie Bush. McNair is now Bucs RB coach tasked with coaching up Ronald Jones, another former Trojan RB.
June 29th, 2019 at 9:06 am
“Blame it on Lovie Smith”
JBF
June 29th, 2019 at 9:23 am
The joys of having the worst gm in the nfl
June 29th, 2019 at 9:36 am
Instead of beating a dead horse, how about keeping us informed Joe. The Buccaneers have signed center Josh LeRibeus, according to a team announcement. It’d be nice to have gotten this news from JBF. Wrote about this yesterday. It stuns Joe how many folks choose to act like this in the comments section. –Joe
June 29th, 2019 at 9:43 am
I apologize Joe. Missed that entirely. My bad. Please forgive me.
June 29th, 2019 at 9:46 am
Todd, JBF gave us that news yesterday when it was still “news.”
https://www.joebucsfan.com/2019/06/o-line-experience-added/#more-222223
“That’s 29 year old center/guard Josh LeRibeus, who made three starts for the Saints last season at left guard before an ankle injury sent him to injured reserve. He made 11 starts for the Redskins at center in 2015, but he was out of football the following year.”
I love the smell of beaten horse in the morning, smells like…………..VICTORY!”
June 29th, 2019 at 9:47 am
I believe Bucco Bruce knows what he is talking about
@ PTWalk and @Ndog – any one can see that Barber has the ability – I will go back to the inept coaching staff and play calling. I look forward to this team being under the radar in every area, but what I believe is that they believe which I think was lacking in years past, I’m not sure they knew their coach believed in them.
June 29th, 2019 at 9:48 am
Article/all good points…time for RoJo to at least do his part. Hopefully he is not tempted to come up with excuses for why he’s not getting it done.
June 29th, 2019 at 9:50 am
BTW wasn’t it Polian who suggested Lamar Jackson, the one who led the Ravens to the playoffs, switch positions to WR, yeah Polian is a HOF, but he also misses, he left his analysis pretty open this time
June 29th, 2019 at 10:09 am
Hey Todd, instead of beating a dead horse, Joe should call you out for being a d*****.
June 29th, 2019 at 10:58 am
Polian’s “analysis” is as poor and paper-thin as his management of the AAF.
His time has passed and he knows nothing about the Bucs and prior coaches poor job.
June 29th, 2019 at 1:21 pm
Training camp is coming
June 29th, 2019 at 2:31 pm
Please..I can’t wait to see if this Kid Jones pans out. If not..Drop him like a bad habit Bucs. Quite holding on to bad assets.
June 29th, 2019 at 3:01 pm
Gotta be his year
June 29th, 2019 at 3:11 pm
Jones’ problem last year was Warhop and his inept blocking scheme that hardly blocked anyone. He was not used to catching passes at USC but that problem looks fixed now with BA development. Between Warhop and Defense Coordinator Smith Jameis had turnover problems too that he would not have had otherwise. I look for Jones and Jameis both to have much better years this year. I must admit last year I was hoping the Bucs would take Penny, the top ground gaining RB in College that year who has a similar build and speed as Henderson, another high production RB against minor college talent. But now I am glad that Licht didn’t take Penny because he now is just a backup RB. That is why I have my doubts that Henderson is any better than Penny and probably redundant to what Jones will give us this year.
June 29th, 2019 at 3:45 pm
We must credit Licht & staff for their consistency in being able to select RBs who can’t learn their playbooks (block or catch for that matter). Oh well, it’s not like he has to learn a new one all over again this year;/
Neglected O-line too. Again.
June 29th, 2019 at 4:07 pm
RJ will do what he can. We’ll see. But unless one of these guys has a remarkable turnaround we will not have much of a running game. I don’t think we will until we find a heavy hitter.
June 29th, 2019 at 4:10 pm
RJ’s issues last year were coaches and a lack of opportunities. Period.
Imagine if the Bucs had abandoned Jameis after his very first play (the interception). Being abandoned that quickly by Koetter and Spencer hit his confidence hard. At 20 years old, it had to.
Arians is rebuilding his confidence. If anyone can turn him around, it is Bruce.
June 30th, 2019 at 12:56 am
Keep sleeping on us we gonna shock the world
June 30th, 2019 at 5:26 am
Gayle Sayres injury happened in the 60s. They had no idea how to work on sports injuries back then, most injuries were perfected in the late 80s, early 90s and beyond. Gayle would have played 15 years had he come out in the modern era.
June 30th, 2019 at 5:29 am
@ Macabee
Small world it is . Assuming you are the very same Macabee that I worked with
at the PO. We used to talk Bucs football when you and I both worked in flats.
Of course in those days we won a superbowl. Anyway a shoutout to you. Just
a hint : Bob,one the ET’s from Flats.
June 30th, 2019 at 8:39 pm
It’s Jamies fault why our running backs are bad !!!!! Lol lol
July 1st, 2019 at 9:43 am
Jeremy McNichols was also unable to learn the playbook.
Remember him ?