Red Flag
June 21st, 2020
Warning!
Is there a weak area on the Bucs? Well, yes, every team has a weakness somewhere.
And per Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report, one area of the Bucs’ squad that could come back to bite them in the backside is the lack of a running back scaring a defensive coordinator.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished among the bottom six teams last season with an average of 3.7 yards per carry. Head coach Bruce Arians brought a vertical passing game, but the team’s backfield options need to be far more effective when called upon.
Ronald Jones II led the team and set career highs during his sophomore season with 172 carries for 724 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Tampa Bay chose Vanderbilt’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn in this year’s third round to complement Jones. Unless Vaughn excels as a rookie, running back will almost certainly be a continued area of concern with Tom Brady now under center and all of the talent found at wide receiver and tight end.
Joe is very much in wait-and-see mode on Bucs running backs. Joe knows full well the Ronald Jones crowd will come after Joe. But really, two strong games out of 32? Seriously? And how many good running backs do you know that took three years just to be average? RoJo isn’t even average (yet).
Joe *hopes* Ke’Shawn Vaughn is a good running back, but he has yet to wear an NFL practice jersey.
Given the Bucs’ running backs history during the Lost Decade, Joe will believe the Bucs have a good running back when he sees it.
June 21st, 2020 at 8:06 am
Never underestimate the effect your new 6 time Super Bowl Championship winning QB will have on defenses who attempt to stack the box to stop the run game. Or the Tristan Wirfs effect.
The running game will be fine.
June 21st, 2020 at 8:08 am
Joe- Me too on “wait and see”. I think the run-game will improve inherently with the additions of a veteran decisive QB who recognizes defenses, a TE with an edge, and an improved OL (fingers-crossed).
It will be up to the backs to improve their game and hit or create the holes. They are going to HAVE to be difference-makers.
Run game=QB best friend!
June 21st, 2020 at 8:52 am
Teams were constantly stacking the box….this was literally just posted in the past week on here. That will be suicide with Brady and our weapons. It would seem that will open things up and create space for Rojo & Co. As the defense sinks back, the hand offs begin. As the defense sinks in, the gashes to Gronk and Godwin will start. Its chess and we have an elite player.
June 21st, 2020 at 9:01 am
The running game OCD continues….
Don’t you get it?…..we have DARE!!!
June 21st, 2020 at 9:07 am
Red flags??????? What about the white flags by the coaching!!!!!!!!!!! And there is no mention about the league leading NFL Penalties!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What about the sloppy coaching!!!!!!!!!!!! And the sheep are worried about handing the ball off???????? Ole stale biscuit could not fix it all hear last year on the sidelines, how is he going to make it better from a zoom meeting!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 21st, 2020 at 9:08 am
To me the defensive line depth should be a big concern. And it goes without saying back up QB also.
June 21st, 2020 at 9:52 am
Dalvin Cook is negotiating an extension with the Vikings for MVP money right now.
This problem could have been solved.
June 21st, 2020 at 9:57 am
Safety – we have a rookie starting at one safety spot and we don’t know who our other starting safety will be – one has major injury concerns and the other is not very good.
I’m also still concerned with our offensive line. Wirfs looks solid but we don’t really know yet and LT Smith and RG Cappa are below average.
Hopefully our first and second round pick can both step up right away.
June 21st, 2020 at 10:13 am
I really think ya’ll are little too hard on ronald jones and not hard enough on the online run blocking. The run blocking was great. There ain’t to many running backs that’ll be success when there’s no where to run. When had a little room to run he holes and made ppl miss. Watch the film
June 21st, 2020 at 10:43 am
I’m not worried rookie RB do great all the time Brady + Gronk + a new Iowa RT i have a good feeling about this Running game this season. Plus RoJo granted he hasn’t panned out since his rookie year has continually gotten better i think this is his year to shine.
June 21st, 2020 at 11:09 am
I prefer to focus on the positive.
Like: I’m almost positive there won’t be a season this year.
June 21st, 2020 at 11:11 am
Rojo took a huge leap last year, and Joe saying he has 32 games is mistaken, as Koetter barely let him play.
Essentially, last year was his rookie year.
June 21st, 2020 at 11:15 am
Seems like, with an excess of tight ends, one of them could convert to a fullback with no problem. Bucs could use a good fullback.
June 21st, 2020 at 11:17 am
Rojo played in 9 games his first year, and only had 23 rushing attempts.
Last year, he had 172 rushing attempts and 31 pass catches for a total of 1,066 yards.
That’s not bad at all.
June 21st, 2020 at 11:18 am
John Sinclear I agree!
June 21st, 2020 at 11:20 am
Our weakest spot is not RB or Safety. It cannot be denied that our weakest point (until proven otherwise) is Kicker.
June 21st, 2020 at 11:29 am
Joe – Rojo “had two strong games out of 32.” Yeah, but when were those two games? If I recall, they were at the end of the season. Coming on strong. That’s the way you like to finish a season. With Brady at QB, our running game will be fine. As much as pounding the rock, our RBs will be expected to catch the ball as safety outlets. Vaughn should excel in that role.
June 21st, 2020 at 11:36 am
Give it up pugs. That’s been history for a while now.
June 21st, 2020 at 11:53 am
In fairness to Jones, he had FOUR games with carries in excess of 11. Their 3.7 ypc seemed to have more to do with Barber than with RJ
June 21st, 2020 at 1:09 pm
Ah another day another article complaining about the running game.
June 21st, 2020 at 1:11 pm
I agree as always when it comes to our pathetic running back situation. I need to see to believe.
June 21st, 2020 at 4:27 pm
I do agree that our running game is a weak area until proven otherwise. But we can still be just fine with that if we find a way to use backs in the passing game…..essentially it does the same thing as a running game and keeps the LBs in and opens up the same part of the field. And when you look at Tom Bradys track record he has often churned out a lot of yards passing from basic noname RBs…….Hopefully this is what he adds to the offense. It’s an area opposing defenses never had to worry about. Add that wrinkle to the offense and we are more deadly, even without a running game.
I would not sleep on any RB we bring into camp. I doubt Tom cares who it is or where they where drafted. He will find the most trustworthy back and feed him the ball.
The biggest place our running game will hurt us is the main place it hurt us last year…..protecting a lead and trying to eat up clock.
June 22nd, 2020 at 12:35 am
Gonna be a better oline and I think Wirfs is going to be a boss as time goes on. Vaughn has legs but also can block and catch. Could be a nice one-two punch. Especially if ROJO can up his receiving game. And Calais could be a Licht late round diamond.
June 22nd, 2020 at 12:55 am
I miss Earnest Graham
June 22nd, 2020 at 5:00 pm
Wait! Joe doesn’t like our running backs! Stop the press!
June 23rd, 2020 at 9:20 am
What is Cappa’s PFF ranking???
I wanna know!!!