Would No Tom Brady Mean More Ronald Jones?
February 21st, 2022
It was clear to Joe that Tom Brady played favorites and didn’t try to hide it.
Brady earned that right as the greatest quarterback in history. If he didn’t trust you on the field or think you were the best option, well, then why would Bucs coaches clash with him on that?
Enter Ronald Jones. What happened to Jones in the 2020 regular season finale was appalling. A whisper from the renowned benchmark of 1,000 yards rushing for the season, young RoJo was shafted late in the game as Brady did everything he could to help Antonio Brown reach a performance incentive so he presumably could pay for more vaccine cards, legal fees, chef bills, jumping jack lessons and payoffs to mistreated women.
What made that even worse was the Bucs sent RoJo out to block for Brown.
RoJo is a pending free agent who Joe expects wants to play for a team that will give him more of an opportunity to be the No. 1 running back, catch more screen passes, etc.
But today Joe is wondering whether the departure of Brady might change RoJo’s view of staying with the Bucs, as well as the Bucs’ honchos’ perception of him.
RoJo turns 25 in August and he remains a powerful runner with low mileage on his legs, and a guy who truly developed under this coaching staff.
Joe has a feeling that the absence of Brady, who appeared to prefer fellow running back Leonard Fournette personally and professionally, might make it more likely that RoJo sticks around for his fifth season (and that receiver Scotty Miller sees more of the football in 2022).
February 21st, 2022 at 10:13 am
Sounds like Joe’s getting ready to move on to life without Brady?
February 21st, 2022 at 10:14 am
No let him go bring in jams cook since we miss on dalvin
February 21st, 2022 at 10:17 am
Rojo is gone. Hasn’t done enough to deserve a second contract (some of that not his fault). Retain Lenny, Key will be a solid back at a cheaper price, and God knows we need to save shillings right now.
February 21st, 2022 at 10:18 am
No team in the NFL is looking at Rojo as a starter. BA probably already moved on.
February 21st, 2022 at 10:26 am
rojo’s gonna bust out next year wherever he lands…even if he stays here…
and i thought scotty and tommy were like best buds at first…he loved scotty, then it all just stopped
February 21st, 2022 at 10:29 am
I could see us going with Vaughn, Gio, a cheap FA RB (could be Rojo…but doubtful) and a draft pick….
February 21st, 2022 at 10:38 am
Yeah Brady didnt know what he was doing…..yup, right
February 21st, 2022 at 10:41 am
Toms fault Rojo can’t pass protect or catch. Yup. Makes total sense.
LOL.
February 21st, 2022 at 10:42 am
Onetrickpony, nobody says that.
February 21st, 2022 at 10:43 am
Rojo’s head would be in a better place if he left
February 21st, 2022 at 10:54 am
I think there are two issues with Rojo…..
1) I dont believe he trust Arians/Leftwich/Licht. He lost his role to injury but didn’t get the opportunity to come back because Fournette was playing so well within the offense. He was also knocking on the door for 1,000 yds and got snubbed for a basket case that later quit on the team.
2) He knows they will bring in competition and mentally I dont think he’s the type that will be up for defending his position each and every game. Ironically the entire NFL operates this way so its going to be the case wherever he goes but my guess is he would rather go elsewhere with a fresh start.
I think the only chance he stays is on a one yr guaranteed deal….where he can attempt to replicate what Fournette did. Have a great season, then hit free agency again to cash in.
February 21st, 2022 at 10:56 am
Rojo was one of the players in the season whom seemed to fall into the bad books with the coaches, so I don’t think they resign.
February 21st, 2022 at 11:06 am
Rojo cheap and BA will kick the tires on David Johnson.
February 21st, 2022 at 11:16 am
RoJo’s enemy was not Tom Brady
RoJo’s enemy was Bruce Arians.
RoJo was in the doghouse long before Brady got here.
February 21st, 2022 at 11:28 am
We will keep either Fournette or Jones but not both. If Fournette gets a big deal on the market we might try to keep Jones for cheap. I do not think we just draft someone and start them we have a really young group so the veteran presence from either Jones or Fournette I assume is preferred.
February 21st, 2022 at 11:33 am
Rojo never seemed to fit BA’s offense very well. He has average hands and is not the best in pass protection as a blocker. But he did have a productive season before Lenny arrived.
I would be fine bringing back Rojo on another cheap one year deal. If Lenny leaves we could always draft a RB and that would give us a pretty solid RB room.
We will probably also add another vet RB similar to G. Brenard…
February 21st, 2022 at 11:42 am
If they lose Cappa and Jensen and replace them with backups, you might as well put Peyton Barber at RB.
February 21st, 2022 at 11:44 am
No to ROJO
February 21st, 2022 at 12:11 pm
I may be wrong on this, you guys with the technology can maybe look it up. I’m not sure of the correct numbers, so don’t hold me to them, but when Rojo needed 21 yards to get 1000, wasn’t the ball on the 19. He couldn’t get 1000 anyway. I’m guessing on the #s but you get the picture.
February 21st, 2022 at 1:05 pm
Damien Pierce in the third will be the steal of the draft.
February 21st, 2022 at 1:36 pm
@TBBF … ‘I could see us going with Vaughn, Gio, a cheap FA RB (could be RoJo…but doubtful) and a draft pick’.
I could see the same thing TBBF, with ONE major exception: I think the Bucs will re-sign Fournette instead of RoJo.
That’d give us Fournette as our primary RB weapon, Gio as his ‘good hands & blocking back sidekick’, Vaughn as insurance (might even get to play some this year with RoJo gone), and then a draft pick (Rnd 5-7 most likely) to go get coffee for the RB room.
Spotrac shows Fournette’s Market Value at $6.1 mil based on a 2-year contract for $12.3 mil. With several teams needing RBs & having cash available, he MIGHT be able to pull in $8 mil. At age 27 though, I’d think that a 3-yr contract for say $18-$20 mil would keep Lenny here. IMO he’s worth it based on his production over these last 2 yrs in Tampa. And especially if we go with Gabbert or Trask at QB; the running game & short passing game will probably be even more important in their offense.
February 21st, 2022 at 1:53 pm
The guy couldn’t catch or pick up the blitz, if you were a pocket QB on a passing offense would you want him on the field?
February 21st, 2022 at 2:33 pm
I don’t think rojo or fournette are going to be back for the bucs. Rojo and the bucs seem to be ready to move on with each other and Fournette is going to want to get paid for his last big contract won’t be with the bucs as they have larger more import positions to pay for. Will be Vaughn as the starter maybe gio gets signed again.
February 21st, 2022 at 3:53 pm
I am still not sure the Bucs will re-sign or extend him, he has too many brain farts’
February 21st, 2022 at 4:28 pm
Gabbert was the #2 QB who worked mainly with the back ups. Rojo as the #2 back probably got more work in with Gabbert last year than Brady. Now both gabbert, and Rojo could be starting.
February 21st, 2022 at 4:31 pm
I just wish he was a better blocker.
His hands are okay.
February 21st, 2022 at 7:18 pm
Rojo is gone and should be.
It’s been a few years and he still does not know how to run a route, catch the ball, or block. An absolute necessity in a passing league.
February 21st, 2022 at 8:21 pm
Whole I agree Rojo got absolutely shafted, by Koetter, Brady, and BA… How many times have we seen him get blown up in pass coverage, or drop a pass, or run out of bounds on a critical down? On the flip side, I’ve seen several great plays from him, hard running or good catches that would get called back by a hold or dumb penalty. After this year, though, with the backing of BA to be the starter and the aforementioned problems, I think it’s best we part ways.
Unless he’s willing to sign cheaply, and work out whatever is going on upstairs (I know it’s old and tired, but I don’t know what else is wrong with the guy), maybe we can keep Lenny or sign a different veteran. I’m liking Vaughn, but I’m not holding my breath for the staff to draft a stud RB.
February 21st, 2022 at 8:21 pm
^ he’s actually been pretty lethal on those wheel routes, which involve both running a route and catching the ball… but he doesn’t have the soft hands like Fournette did last year.
(Also let’s not forget Lenny was even worse at catching the ball his first season here)
February 21st, 2022 at 8:23 pm
Pass pro*
February 22nd, 2022 at 3:28 am
I don’t know what happened to Rojo, but he sort of fell off a cliff at the same time Fournette got hot. Going into 2021, I thought Rojo would have had a great year, but he really flaked out and Fournette took advantage of that.
With that said, if Rojo isn’t going to get any real money, which is very possible, I’d have no issue bringing him back and letting him see if he can get back his confidence or fix whatever issue he was having, because as a pure 1st and 2nd down RB, I think he can be very productive. Just don’t throw him the ball and expect anything good to happen.
February 22nd, 2022 at 10:49 am
Fournette is looking to cash in big. Brady’s gone. Somebody will offer him more than the Bucs, and he will take it. ROJO has no reason to be loyal to he Bucs. He will accept whatever offer he can get elsewhere. The Bucs might draft a RB, but it won’t be a premium pick.
February 23rd, 2022 at 3:18 pm
I can’t believe that the first view comments I read on this were that Ronald Jones doesn’t deserve the starting job or couldn’t get a starting job in the NFL etc. etc. when the only time the Buccaneers recently used Rojo as RB1 he ran for almost 1000 yards missing multiple games and would’ve hit 1000 yards if it weren’t for Tom Brady and Antonio Brown and their love affair. And that doesn’t include his catches. His yards after contact when he was second or third best runner in the NFL that year we won the Super Bowl, was up near Cooper Kupp and the best in the league. But yeah you’re right I’m sure no other team is looking at a guy that averaged over 5 yards a carry as the lead running back and as a back up. I swear I like this site but comments should just be turned off because there’s never anybody with any actual football experience or any actual insight commenting rarely ever. Rojo will be one of the better backs in the NFL if he leaves Tampa