RoJo Rising
July 31st, 2019
Making plays.
Now Joe isn’t trying to suggest the Bucs have found the next Earl Campbell. But it seems a guy who had “bust” written all over him last year is starting to show he deserves an NFL roster spot.
There is no use sugarcoating it. Bucs’ 2018 second-round pick running back Ronald Jones was horrible last year. He looked totally lost and overwhelmed. He had one of the worst rookie seasons Bucs fans can remember from a high draft pick.
In fact, Jones was so bad, Joe wore out his keyboard begging the Bucs to upgrade at the position. Even last week, a member of the Bucs’ pen and mic club who used to be a small college coach and local high school coach got under Bucco Bruce Arians’ skin when he asked about the Bucs’ “substandard” running attack.
Now without pads on, Joe noticed RoJo making a couple of nice runs. This was more than Joe saw of RoJoe through last year’s training camp. In fact, Joe remembers RoJo making one decent run in all of camp last year. Not good.
Joe also has noticed RoJo running with power, something he wasn’t known for at USC where he was a burner and was used accordingly. Joe has seen RoJo break more than a couple of tackles for positive gains.
RoJo announced to the social media world last month how he had put on weight this offseason. That’s not normally a formula for success with guys known for speed. Joe asked RoJo about this after practice yesterday.
“If you put on weight, you just want to keep the speed,” RoJo said. “So that’s okay.”
Joe asked him if Bucco Bruce Arians and his staff were cool with him packing on pounds and if he had to clear this training decision with the coaching staff. RoJo said he did consult with the Bucs and they encouraged his weight gain so long as he didn’t lose any speed.
RoJo doesn’t seems as fast as ever. He had two very nice runs yesterday, including about a 40-yard run down the right sideline, trailed by — take a guess — America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston. RoJo fumbled on the play and Jameis was there to fight for the loose ball.
When’s the last time you saw a quarterback trail a 40-yard run from a running back? Jameis is crazy (in a good way).
Again, Joe isn’t typing this article to make it look like Barry Sanders has risen at One Buc Palace this summer. But unlike last year, RoJo not only looks like he belongs on the roster, but is making positive plays.
July 31st, 2019 at 9:06 am
Nice play on Jim Morrison Joe
July 31st, 2019 at 9:10 am
I believe Jameis will be good this year and the D will be good but I still don’t believe we get anything from Rojo
July 31st, 2019 at 9:22 am
Let’s get back to the crux of the problem and quit listening to anyone outside of the local media. The biggest concern on the offense is the offensive line. We have really good WR’s, and TE’s with a viably deep RB bench that would benefit immensely from a good run blocking line, because if these guys can at least get even they leaving.
July 31st, 2019 at 9:27 am
All we need is for multiple player to show improvement like Rojo……we can use the same for:
Spence
Davis
Stewart
Cappa
VH3
Watson
Whitehead
And some substantial help from the rookie class…..which I think will contribute greatly, especially to the Defense.
July 31st, 2019 at 9:29 am
How anyone can label a first year player a bust is beyond me. Players mature at different times in their lives and come from all backgrounds. Some get it right away, others take time and others never get it. If you don’t get it right away then it will take time to see one of the other two scenarios.
July 31st, 2019 at 9:30 am
so you are saying RoJo didn;t deserve a roster spot last year? RoJo is a big question mark, lets look at him in pre-season with the first team and see how well he runs. Not counting on him for much.
July 31st, 2019 at 9:35 am
🙂
July 31st, 2019 at 9:37 am
RoJoeBucsFan
July 31st, 2019 at 9:38 am
Always pulling for a guy to get it together and prove all the naysayers wrong. That is what life and America are all about.
I will be equally happy if Jameis does the same thing.
July 31st, 2019 at 9:42 am
Buccarroo… the line..meaning the coaching…the talent evaluation…and the motivation/ culture. They are all one and the same package. But the good news is that we have good coaching for development, evaluation, and motivation now. For all positions. And we will see who has it regarding athletic talent, between the ears, and in the heart. I’m optimistic.
July 31st, 2019 at 9:43 am
It seems the rumors of Rojo’s demise may have been greatly exaggerated.
July 31st, 2019 at 9:43 am
As the O-line goes, RoJoe and Barber go.
July 31st, 2019 at 9:47 am
Mark2001
Where is this America you speak of… the America i know is all about handouts and not accepting personal responsibility for anything….
July 31st, 2019 at 9:50 am
If RoJo does come on, that is a great tshirt joe!!! Mr. RoJo Rising, heck maybe drew garabo or bubba show can make a song parody.
July 31st, 2019 at 9:57 am
By bucfan standards a couple of good practices before season starts should get him a spot in the ring of underachievement next to the has beens and backups… god forbid he breaks a big run in preseason bucfan will be calling for hall of mediocrity inductions and bronze statues all before a single regular season win…. glazers sure have bucfan trained to get excited over meaningless accomplishments
July 31st, 2019 at 10:05 am
The Bucs could have had Tony Dorsett and Earl Campbell in the same backfield….but went with other picks….and that was when running the football RULED !
July 31st, 2019 at 10:32 am
“The huge personality flaw of BA is arrogance
usually, arrogance is intertwined with stubbornness
BA needs to be the smartest man in the room and if Koetter didnt make RJ any good, BA will make him good….
EVEN THOUGH HE ABSOLUTELY SUKS
Someone is going to be eating a Kangol hat by week 6”
Kobe Faker
July 31st, 2019 at 10:59 am
Love the doors reference joe. I have not been posting for a while, but I’m still here throughout every day.
July 31st, 2019 at 11:01 am
Wow! Joe again finds a way to shine Jameis. Shocker.
July 31st, 2019 at 11:03 am
kobe faker also thought devante freeman absolutely sucked when he was under DK
July 31st, 2019 at 11:09 am
“Kobe a big Free fan
Free is a physical nasty angry runner…
RJ doesnt have the attitude to make plays in the NFL”
Kobe faker
July 31st, 2019 at 11:10 am
Definitely doubted by everyone all offseason and it was like he even had to justify gaining weight to this site. It was definitely in line with fans and media labeling guys bust and saying they wont do much because of the rookie season with a trash coach. It’s ok go ahead and change your position now, hes playing well so one will notice you made fun of him almost a year now.
July 31st, 2019 at 11:12 am
Unless they make a big move on the oline, RoJo gonna have 1.9 avg again. If he didn’t have Isaiah Johnson stone wall hands, RoJo could be very useful on screens.
Very hopeful, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
July 31st, 2019 at 11:12 am
Bucfan let me tell you how this story goes…. rojo lights up preseason and you ladies are all giddy and making asinine comments and predictions then the big boys come out and play week 1 and stuff your little hero…. remember ladies he’s practicing against one of the historically worst defensive units in NFL history and more a less a high school roster so slow down… just accept the upcoming nut punch and basement title you will thank me later… sometimes you must accept reality and the reality is there is no hope when your team is owned by glazers
July 31st, 2019 at 11:23 am
TMAX….. reality hits bucs fans like the feather in forest gump. I have never seen a fan base so over the top optimistic on a losing franchise each year. It has only been this bad since jameis came aboard. Listen to call in shows in Philly, NJ, NYC and those people are not over the moon when they know the team is deficient like the bucs are in major areas
July 31st, 2019 at 11:23 am
we’ll see soon enough!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
July 31st, 2019 at 11:23 am
I saw what looked like attitude / physicality in a bunch of broken tackles yesterday but still it’s practice I guess.
If this guy proves to be legit will Kove eat crow on this one?
GO BUCS!
July 31st, 2019 at 11:48 am
tmax quit living in the past like a dbag.. Dusty, I live by the PHilly area and you sound like an idiot. PHilly fan base is even worse than the bucs fan base when it came it being optimistic in their worst seasons.
July 31st, 2019 at 11:52 am
Dusthty, do you smoke crack? because you always speak non sense on here. I live outside the philly area and all 3 areas you just called out the fans are just as bad. When philly was terrible 4-5 years ago all i heard that year was “our team is soooo good easily making the playoffs”. Every year jets fans think they are going to the SB and majority of giants fans think the same.
July 31st, 2019 at 11:53 am
Tmax and dusty you both live in the past.. I bet you two still talk about little league baseball/mini football as if it was yesterday as bragging rights. Its cool, I get it…… I guess.
July 31st, 2019 at 12:05 pm
TMaxcon…the America you speak of is the worst part of human nature, shining through darkly. Better to hope for the best, do the best, with honor and integrity, than to succumb to the darkness. What I speak of is the best of America, still found in some places. Let us not surrender our hearts and minds to such things, as many use it as justification for puerile and unAmerican behavior. And if we surrender to that, we are no better than any nation…just luckier to be separated by the rest by two great Oceans.
July 31st, 2019 at 12:20 pm
Wait….HOLD ON ONE MINUTE. YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THIS KID ACTUALLY LOOKS BETTER WITH GOOD COACHING????
Naaaaaaaaaaa….no way man. coaches dont make a difference in how a player can perform. Thats just some stuoid myth!!!!!!
July 31st, 2019 at 12:32 pm
After reading the title of this article LA Woman immediately began playing in my brain. It’s stuck there now, riding riding…
July 31st, 2019 at 12:33 pm
BucEmUp
you guys all thought the last 4 regimes where the greatest things since slice bread and you were making excuses right off the bat for their failures…. what makes this regime different than last 4 regimes and don’t tell me success ba has been popular but not successful look at post season record. simple as that….
you most likely were one of those who said “At least we don’t have to worry about defense when lovie was hired too” weren’t you…. you know you were… how’d that work out…
until this ultimate basement dwellers earn it on the field during the regular season and don’t embarrass themselves like dungy the clowns teams did so many times in post season they will still be 4th best team in nfc south
July 31st, 2019 at 12:44 pm
BF37… just don’t try to find Morrisons old home of his teenage years in Clearwater…as I remember, it was torn down. St. Pete College (JC) is still there, though.
July 31st, 2019 at 1:12 pm
Not buying it
July 31st, 2019 at 1:36 pm
Y’all are outside your minds… you got the bucs in the super bowl and they gonna be lookin at top 5 pick again. Tmax is right on with the lovie/dungy worshippers same kind of thing with blind love for jameis. The bucs were the best of this losing era when schiano was running the team. He had the bucs ready to make the turn until the black cloud hit tampa. Leftwich as the OC is going to not go well & arians heart is not in this full time. Bruce Melrose will not be here after this year. If Bowles gets job, it may work but go and get monken as the OC; Koetter/Monken had bucs offense humming but was handcuffed by that moron GM licht
July 31st, 2019 at 3:39 pm
Mr. Rojo Risin’, Mr. Rojo Risin’
Mr. Rojo Risin’, Mr. Rojo Risin’
Got to keep on risin’
July 31st, 2019 at 3:45 pm
RoJo Rising? Where? The regular season will start soon enough. And we shall see. No hiding or excuses this season. Produce or get yourself a 9 to 5 young man.
All eyes are surely..on him.
July 31st, 2019 at 6:51 pm
Never thought he was a bust Dirk was a loser head coach with a loser staff it’s no wonder we’ve been losers for years.
July 31st, 2019 at 7:19 pm
Tmax, I hated the Lovie hire from day one and was extremely sceptical and knew his soft zone scheme would be a failure in today’s league.
I loved the promotion of Koetter, but said THE DAY HE HIRED MIKE SMITH that it would be the reason he failed and got fired because of HIS crap soft zone defense that couldnt help the falcons get over the hump when.his dc was a complete pile of crap.
I liked the Schiano hire but obviously NOBODY has gotten anything out of Josh Freeman, a qb he didnt draft and a crap GM with Rockstar. Only reason nonother teams called him was because everyine was butt hurt that he would rush the pile at the end of games despite being “bad nfl etiquett”. I think he would still be a good dc in this leage
Not sure who “you guys” are but you.can check all the archives and old comments you’d like and see that I dont fall into that group.
Arians is an outstanding head coach and bowles is an excellent DC.My only concern is leftwhich calling plays but know Arians will have the headset on and be carrying a pretty short leash in hand.
July 31st, 2019 at 7:26 pm
Rising! Rising!
Rising! Rising!
(let’s hope! I have a wait and see attitude, personally)
Unrelated: I see tmaxi is keeping up to her usual schtick
July 31st, 2019 at 7:46 pm
Maybe he can break on through to the other side??? 😉
August 1st, 2019 at 1:42 am
Rojo gonna run all over the NFC South maxipad. Must be that time of the month. Dont worry the Bucs going to be good. Go back to your team. Your not a Bucs fan your a troll who has more issues than one.