Ronald Jones

Bruce Arians Says Ronald Jones II Will "Carry The Load"

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II was called "the main guy" in the running back room by his coach Bruce Arians. Arians said he is confident in Jones II and that the other guys are fighting for roles. The other guys include third-round draft pick Ke'Shawn Vaughn, who will lose valuable practice time after he hit the COVID-19 list, and veteran running back LeSean McCoy, who won't challenge for a lead back role at this point in his career. Jones II looks the part after an offseason spent bulking up and catching hundreds of passes to address a weakness in his game. The 23-year-old has RB2 upside in the 7th round but it's likely that Vaughn and McCoy cut into his ceiling in 2020, despite what Arians said.

Aug 5 · Source via

LeSean McCoy Signs One-Year Deal With Buccaneers

Free agent running back LeSean McCoy has signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The deal is worth just over $1 million according to Ian Rapoport. The veteran back is a good depth signing for Tampa Bay, who was in need of a proven pass-catching back. While McCoy is far from the running back he used to be, he still compiled the best yards per touch mark last year since 2016 and has caught at least 25 passes in each season. Unfortunately, this makes drafting Ronald Jones II and Ke'Shawn Vaughn less appealing now that there's a third back in the room. It's probably a backfield to avoid in fantasy for the moment, though in a perfect world this move pushes Jones II to new heights.

Jul 30 · Source via

Ke'Shawn Vaughn lands on COVID-19 list

Ke'Shawn Vaughn expected to start as the backup RB

Ronald Jones II expected to be Buccaneers' starting RB

Dynasty | Ronald Jones the starter

Ronald Jones II Training Hard This Offseason

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II has been rigorously training this offseason in preparation for the 2020 season. Per The Athletic's Greg Auman, the 22-year-old has gotten up to 225 pounds and has been practicing catching roughly 300 footballs per day. This will be an important season for the USC product, as Tampa Bay drafted another back in Ke'Shawn Vaughn out of Vanderbilt. Though Jones will enter as the likely starter, there is no doubt that Vaughn could cut into his fantasy value by getting carries and catches. The 2018 pick has 768 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 38 receptions, 342 receiving yards and has averaged 3.9 yards per rush in two NFL seasons. Jones projects as a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 heading into fantasy drafts.

Jul 16 · Source via

Buccaneers Running Game Must Improve

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rank first in passing yards per game (285.3) since 2016, but they are 30th in rushing (95.5 yards per game) in that same span. Doug Martin was the team's last 1,000-yard rusher back in 2015, which is tied for fourth as the longest active drought in the NFL. The Bucs are hoping quarterback Tom Brady and running backs Ronald Jones II and rookie Ke'Shawn Vaughn can boost this year's running game. Jones led the team with 724 rushing yards and six ground scores after a dreadful rookie season in 2018 in which he ran the ball just 23 times for 44 yards and a TD. Vaughn is expected to complement Jones in the backfield. The presence of Vaughn will keep the 22-year-old Jones' fantasy ceiling somewhat limited.

Jun 21 · Source via