Ronald Jones Ready To Put Disappointing Rookie Season Behind Him

Ronald Jones was not as good as I anticipated as a rookie. Let me take that back. Jones was a flat out disaster in year one after being drafted by the Bucs out of USC in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Jones, 21, compiled 23 carries for only 44 yards. Nothing went well for Jones. He averaged 1.9 yards per carry, just one touchdown, and was a total nightmare trying to catch the ball.

The Bucs are counting on Jones to be better in 2019. The former Trojan claims he has put his disappointments behind him and is ready for a fresh start:

“Last year, it was definitely disappointing for me for myself and from a team standpoint,” Jones said during minicamp, via the Tampa Bay Times. “Definitely, for me, it’s about getting on the right track. We have a new system, a new staff, we’re trying to make our mark in here.”

There are a couple of things to note here. First, the Bucs have extreme confidence in Jones. I think that’s important. Tampa did not draft a running back in the 2019 NFL Draft. That’s a huge vote of confidence. Peyton Barber is not the long term answer either so the door is wide open for Jones to take the job and run with it.

Second, Tampa does have a new staff in place. Running back coach, Todd McNair has tried to restore Ronald’s confidence this offseason. If we are going to trust anyone to put a plan in place, Arians is a pretty good guy to right his career.

Third, Jones is a nice little dart throw in fantasy. He has a lot working for him. Young, under the radar, and clear path to a starting job. It’s hard to find reliable running backs in fantasy. Jones might surprise people or maybe I’m wasting my time because Jones stinks. Who knows?