Ian Beckles Believes Ronald Jones Hit His Ceiling
April 17th, 2021
Talkin’ Bucs running backs.
In the mind of a guy who used to open holes for Gary Anderson, Reggie Cobb and Errict Rhett, Bucs fans have seen the best of Ronald Jones.
Speaking on his podcast “In the Trenches,” former Bucs guard and current popular local sports radio personality Ian Beckles said RoJo has hit his ceiling. He will never again match the 978 yards RoJo ran for this past Super Bowl-winning season.
(Pppssstt, someone tell Beckles there is a 17th game this year.)
Now Beckles recorded the following on Monday, before Giovani Bernard and his mustache signed with the Bucs. So Joe will take a leap of faith and guess Beckles didn’t change his mind on RoJo since Bernard signed.
Beckles believes running backs don’t often get better as they get older.
“We saw how much Ronald Jones can grow in a year,” Beckles began. “Listen, Ronald Jones has already peaked. I hope everybody knows that. As a running back, he has peaked.
“You get a running back, usually the first thing you see is what they are, OK? And RoJo improved in his first two or three years. But he’s not going to be a great — he’s not going to be a guy that has a bunch of big plays — but he has had some big plays, now.”
Beckles then reminded listeners that RoJo did have a 98-yard touchdown run. And Beckles remembered a 37-yard touchdown catch RoJo had against the Chiefs down the left sideline.
“But other than that, he’s not a big-play guy.”
Playoff Lenny taking over and not giving up the top dog spot at running back when RoJo got hurt late in the season may have spelled the end of RoJo being the Bucs’ No. 1 running back, Beckles believes.
“That’s just what it is now at the running back position,” Beckles said.
Beckles added there is “no way” Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht should draft a running back at No. 32. Instead, he directed Licht to load up on depth in the trenches.
“Dime a dozen,” Beckles said of running backs. “Other than Derrick Henry, there’s not many more. Dalvin Cook is nice but is he a franchise difference-maker? He hasn’t made that much of a difference to this point.”
As always, Beckles welcomes feedback and encourages listeners to submit Bucs questions by e-mailing him at IanBeckles@RadioInfluence.com.
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April 17th, 2021 at 8:18 am
For once, I agree with this guy. Trenches.
April 17th, 2021 at 8:22 am
There are good RBs in the middle rounds. Unless Najae Harris is sitting there at 32, load up in the trenches in the first two rounds.
April 17th, 2021 at 8:27 am
The only reason he will never reach 1000 yards is lack of touches. I think he has a lot of explosion. Fournette is a better change of direction but rojo has better break away speed. Gio will make linebackers go nuts and help our tight ends eat
April 17th, 2021 at 8:30 am
Rojo is still cheap and knows the system…..there’s some value in that however i could see them trading him for a late pick and getting something for him before his contract ends.
April 17th, 2021 at 8:38 am
If the Bucs were satisfied with their backs, they wouldn’t have signed Gio.
In principle I agree with Beckles. You don’t take a RB at #32. This is NOT an ordinary draft, however. Considering the Bucs may not be satisfied with what they have, and 2 of them are on the last/only year of their deal, is it really that far-fetched if a guy like Etienne is sitting at that spot. This is not a “need” draft. We’re drafting for depth and the future.
April 17th, 2021 at 8:54 am
Ian Beckles peaked a long loooooong time ago too. Pretty much his first play and he was done showcasing what he could give. LOL.
The competition will decide who totes the rock most, but I think it’ll be fairly split down the middle till the playoffs. There’s no point running a guy to the ground for the first 3/4 of the season.
But, definitely he|| no to RB at #32.
April 17th, 2021 at 9:04 am
Good trenches turn average running backs into great running backs
April 17th, 2021 at 9:06 am
I disagree with Beckles. Jones is a fine RB, a guy who runs with speed and anger. I doubt last season will be Jones best, as in “peaked.” Even discounting the 98-yard run, he still averaged 4.6 ypc…which ain’t bad.
Fact is, as the OL played better, the RB’s played better.
No back is a “bell cow” in an Arians system. I like the committee this team has put together, vastly a better overall group than ever before in orange or pewter.
What current NFL team has a better RB group than the Bucs?
April 17th, 2021 at 9:09 am
Beckles … “Load up on depth in the trenches”. Yea verily. And especially on the defensive side of the ball IF some quality DLinemen are still available when Bucs pick.
Don’t really think that it’s all that important if RoJo has ‘peaked’ as Beckles says. It’s all about touches. RoJo averaged 5.1 yards per rush last season. I’ll take that all season long. Even if you subtract that 98-yd run, RoJo still averaged 4.6 yards per rush last season. I’d be happy with that too. Especially considering that Fournette averaged 3.8 yards per rush last season, Vaughn averaged 4.2 yards per rush, and Bernard (behind a different OLine admittedly) only averaged 3.4 yards per rush last season.
And as far as RB ‘difference-makers’ go, that’s a silly argument on Beckles’ part. RBs are typically only as good as the OLine they run behind for one thing AND the TEAM around them. Minnesota’s OLine was quite good IMO, and their RBs ALL averaged well above the NFL average (Cook 5.0 YPC; Mattison 4.5 YPC; Boone 5.4 YPC; Abdullah 5.3 YPC; even Cousins averaged 4.9 YPC). Their offense scored 430 pts last season by rushing almost as much as they passed. But, oh ya, their defense sucked and gave up 475 pts on their way to a 7-9 record. Not much offense-defense BALANCE there obviously.
April 17th, 2021 at 9:12 am
He would have hit 1,000 yards if they didn’t force 3 shuffle passes to AB so he could get his bonus. My biggest problem is he has had 3 years to work on his receiving skills and he still looks lost.
April 17th, 2021 at 9:13 am
I don’t know. I have a feeling ROJO could have been a 1400 yard back on a different team.
April 17th, 2021 at 9:15 am
Totally agree, LF is a much more complete back. If rojo was the primary back, I don’t think you win it all. Nobody wants to tackle LF he’s got legs like tree trunks and a big ass. Rojo stick his head in, but lacks the physical prowess to impose himself. I saw way to many 0or negative gains. LF can fall forward for 3 yards, even when hit at or behind the line. Second and 10 or 12 will catch up to you. The bucs looked bad when they couldn’t run, because brady can’t carry a team anyone. Draft a back hell draft 2, cuz if they can’t or won’t commit to running, they won’t win
April 17th, 2021 at 9:17 am
Rojo was always a hard runner but his pass blocking and catching ability has always been less than average and we need better than that at RB
April 17th, 2021 at 9:22 am
Mama – dont let your son grow up to be a Running Back!
April 17th, 2021 at 9:23 am
Yards per carry is a deceiving stat. A lot of the yards jones racked up were in garbage time. It’s easy to run through holes with people arm tacking you
April 17th, 2021 at 9:24 am
Rojo is a 1 trick pony. He is not very good at receiving or blocking. If you are a 1 trick pony you had better be great or someone else will get more and more of your snaps and eventually you are playing for some other team. Rojo is decent, but not great. Good guy, but it is about performance in the NFL. GO BUCS!!!
April 17th, 2021 at 9:28 am
OK with Rojo. I think I agree with Beckles basic premise. Rojo is not special so whether he gets 1100 or 700 yards not that big of deal for me. Almost for sure do not want to sign him to 2nd deal because I think money can be spent for other positions and running backs like Rojo (see playoff Lenny) are replaceable.
If Rojo were special, he would have figured out a way to get a touchdown in the Superbowl. There was good blocking on those two plays at the goal line and the dude did not get in. He was not touched in the back field.
Good player. Tough runner. Good speed. Bad hands, bad blocker. Not a special player. Can find fresh good running backs every year.
April 17th, 2021 at 9:28 am
Draft a QB at 32 so Brady can mold his starter for when he is the new head coach of the Buccaneers. Rojo will be just fine in this trio. Understand that the 3cwill get plenty of action to confuse defenses even more than before. It is all about surprise and deception with the Bucs. Blocking will be key for the backs as well but having 3 unique backs will make defensive coaches sweat trying to decipher the Bucs strategies. Go Bucs!!!
April 17th, 2021 at 9:30 am
He is a nice 2 down back
April 17th, 2021 at 9:36 am
In the mind of a guy who used to open holes for Gary Anderson, Reggie Cobb and Errict Rhett, Bucs fans have seen the best of Ronald Jones.
———————————————————————-
What about Lars Tate?
April 17th, 2021 at 9:45 am
“Where the white women at
Beckles is losing it
He used to have 2 blondes on either side of his arm
Now a cardboard cutout
Rojo cant catch that means he is dead to Brady
Both Geniuses Licht and Arians wanted playoff Lenny cut but Brady demanded against it
The only thing good that Licht and Arians does well is holding a bud light bottle and extending their gut
Only Brady deserves to throw the Lombardi around”
Kobe Faker
April 17th, 2021 at 9:48 am
So cry about not having a 1,000 yard back and then basically get one and now he’s garbage? He’s nothing special? So if a RB peaks at giving you let’s say 800 rushing yards and 300 rec yards, that’s trash? I honestly don’t care if he can’t catch. He’s a “RUNNING BACK”, not a receiver. I’m confused, but I guess.
April 17th, 2021 at 9:51 am
Ian has to go. Cannot listen
April 17th, 2021 at 9:52 am
@ Ben green: you are the quintessential casual fan.
Jones runs angry, all flailing knees and elbows. Jones *almost* breaks numerous runs for long ones.
Fournette was practically invisible the first half of the season, save the one TD run against the Kitties (same “garbage” team Jones set the Buc record against.) He was pouting because Jones was a batter back at the time…unless you think the Super Bowl-winning coaching staff didn’t know what they were doing.
Is Jones “special?” How many RB’s in the NFL are excellent at running, receiving AND blocking? That is a really short list…
Fact is, the Arians offense does not utilize RB’s the same way that, say, Belichick’s does. Maybe Brady will help the Arians offense “evolve”, who knows? A deep vertical “no risk it, no biscuit” offense does not lend itself to dink and dunks to RB’s beyond checkdowns.
If your ground game is by committee, the current group of backs can get the job done, and done well.
Besides: a former Buc w-eating QB racked up 5000 yards passing…mostly in garbage time. Maybe the NFL should come up with a stat strictly for “garbage time.” Casuals would be pleased.
April 17th, 2021 at 10:00 am
Lol Joe Mamma…. I thought about the immortal Lars Tate too. lol GO BUCS!!!
April 17th, 2021 at 10:17 am
Was it Beckles that Lars Tate rolled over, landed on his feet, and scored a long TD?
April 17th, 2021 at 10:19 am
Beckles was wrong about RoJo being a bust. He was wrong about the OL.
It’s team. It’s not about personal glory.
April 17th, 2021 at 10:23 am
Rojo is a Top-5 DB in the NFL. Hands-down.
I’m good with ’98-yd TD runs (and broken tackles all over the field and the potential for him to take it to the house on every run) being his ceiling…
😋
April 17th, 2021 at 10:24 am
*RB
April 17th, 2021 at 10:28 am
@Bucsfanman-
I agree completely. This is a very unique year and situation. Some of the “traditional” draft rules go out the window if a talent like Etienne is available at 32.
April 17th, 2021 at 10:32 am
Okay @Cobraboy you are the quintessential fan boy. I’m sorry your beloved lost his job. Go look at who got the ball when it mattered. I guess YOU think the coaching staff was wrong. I don’t know if you’re a relative or just love middling running backs or maybe you were one. Anyway you slice it. LF is a better back. He’s a better receiver and pass protector. That’s something even you’d have to admit. As far as your glorious coaching staff goes, they were all failures until no.12 showed up.
April 17th, 2021 at 10:40 am
Linear progression at RB is difficult. They peak early and if you are lucky you get a few good years from them. Rojo may have peaked, but we won’t know unless he gets the early workload. Draft for the trenches early and good things will happen to your team.
Running backs are a dime a dozen. The only people that don’t believe that probably played running back in pee wee football and believe if given a better chance they could have been somebody.
We potentially have a good one in Keyshawn Vaughn why waste a 1st round pick?
April 17th, 2021 at 10:47 am
RoJo’s improved drastically every season he’s been in the league and is still only 23. Anybody claiming he’s “hit his ceiling” is an absolute clueless clown.
April 17th, 2021 at 10:52 am
RoJo may have peaked thanks to all those who are screwing with his confidence again.
April 17th, 2021 at 11:00 am
@Ben Green
No not any way you slice it lol. If you slice it “for the entire regular season,” no, LF was not the better back. He averaged nearly a yard and a half less than Jones (yikes) and was straight up benched following the bye week. He literally needed RoJo to get hurt to save his career. He had a hell of a run in the playoffs but let’s not sit here and lie to ourselves like Lenny was anywhere close to the better RB all season. RoJo averaged the most yards after contact per carry in the entire league, and was top 5 in YPC among RBs with over 150 carries behind only Aaron Jones, Henry, Miles Sanders, and Nick Chubb. These aren’t fan boy opinions, they are facts. The hate our fanbase shows RoJo is insane when you actually pay attention to those. But all people obsess over is the pass catching lol. Ignorance is bliss.
April 17th, 2021 at 11:21 am
Agree we should focus on the trenches. As far as Rojo is concerned, just chill and see how it pans out. Arians has always committed to the hot hand. We’ve got 3 serviceable RBs now and an untested 2nd yr guy in Ke’shawn. They’ll all get their chances, and if one of them breaks out this year, that’s who we’ll go with. My guess is that all of them will play key roles throughout the season. It’s great to have depth!
April 17th, 2021 at 11:40 am
Well he may have hit his ceiling and he probably is what he is as a RB… that is not saying he can’t have his best year in the NFL running the ball in 2021, over the years he has had more than a few big runs called back and never shown in the record books.
The draft will be very interesting this year!
April 17th, 2021 at 11:41 am
A back like Ronald Jones is a dime a dozen. A good player, but not someone youre going to pay big money to. He will have a nice career in the league. A weapon like Henry, McCaffrey, Kamara, and Cook aren’t a dime a dozen. If we are using that logic, receivers are a dime a dozen. Look at the number of big time receivers drafted after round 1.
BTW if it is so easy to find a running back, how come the Bucs had so much trouble over the years finding one?
April 17th, 2021 at 12:09 pm
Too many cooks in the kitchen. He won’t get 1000 yds because he won’t get the chance. Vaughn won’t see many carrie’s and he will split time with Lenny & Gio. BA has proven in the past he will stick with the hot hand as shown in the SB. I bet Rojo is gone next year when his contract espires.
April 17th, 2021 at 12:14 pm
Jones doesn’t need to be a big play threat. He needs to move the chains, pick up hard yards, and keep the defense honest. As a pure runner, I feel much better handing off to Rojo than I do Fournette. Fournette proved to me last year that he isn’t willing to stick his nose in there and push the pile.
As a former offensive lineman, I’ll tell you right now, those o-linemen appreciate Ronald Jones more than Leonard Fournette. Fournette runs like a guy that expects a big hole on every carry, Jones runs like a guy that will help the big guys make a hole.
April 17th, 2021 at 12:15 pm
Tsmitty,
Because the bucs only had 9cents.
April 17th, 2021 at 12:17 pm
@Ben Green
You must have been watching different games than the rest of us. Fournette ran like a b!tch all year before the playoffs.
April 17th, 2021 at 1:21 pm
Ben green Says:
You don’t know my background, do you? LOL.
I doubt you even know what “quintessential” means.
I don’t have a “beloved” ergo no job to “lose.” Hobbled with a badly pulled quad is not “losing a job” except in 6th grade. But I elevate you.
Your boy LF was invisible for most of the regular season, outside one big play, moped and sulked until Arians sat his a$$ down and said “head out of your butt, or be gone, make your choice, Bubba.” Even LF admitted he was humbled.
I am a big fan of depth and diversity of talent. LF fits that role and I am glad he’s a Buc. I do not think LF or Jones are “better” than each other because they bring different dimensions to the RB room. And stats show LF was not the great receiver he was cracked up to be, not even marginally “better” than Jones statistically.
BTW: how many “NFL Coach of the Year” has Arians won? Which came first: Arians offense with superior talent for Brady, or Brady making mediocre Buc talent something special?
Casuals: making themselves look moronic to knowledgeable fans daily.
Who are you, “Ben?” NDoggie’s bastard spawn?
April 17th, 2021 at 1:31 pm
Never surprised on what this dumbass says in these articles,Joe 😞😞😞 RoJo has hit his peak?? He came into OTA with 10lbs of muscle. 5.1 yrd/avg and was ROBBED of a 1,000 yards so AB could get a penny to his bank account incentives 🤬 One thing I was truly pissed at the Bucs about.
A 30/70 run/pass team ratio. Oh yeah…He’s done 😂😔
April 17th, 2021 at 1:37 pm
Cobraboy I was at the game in 88 against the Cardinals when Lars Tate scored his summersalt TD run, do not know if it was Beckles thou. lol That was Tates best play for the Bucs. Rough days for Bucs fans in the late 80’s.
April 17th, 2021 at 2:08 pm
Don’t know how long he’ll be around, but unless something crazy happens he’ll always have the record for longest TD run in Bucs history.
April 17th, 2021 at 3:01 pm
Fair.
April 17th, 2021 at 3:05 pm
Beckles is way off the mark on this one.
Getting older? Last time I checked Ronald Jones is 23 years old. He hasn’t even reached his physical prime yet let alone scratched the surface of his potential.
This will be his best year yet.
April 17th, 2021 at 3:22 pm
Hey Kobe Faker, remember when you said Dare Ogunbowale was gonna be a superstar running back and that you would never comment again if Ronald Jones managed to run for more than 50 yards in a game?
Pepperidge farms remembers. Good times. As per usual, you know less than nothing.
April 17th, 2021 at 3:43 pm
When Ronde was on his run shutting down the Vet I hit my ceiling too. Heads up!
April 17th, 2021 at 4:36 pm
Ben Green
I don’t think there is “garbage time” for running backs. Running Backs are closers late in the game. If your up by a TD or two and you start handing off the ball two things happen. You are trying to protect yourself from a possible turnover and your running out the clock. It also keeps the opposing offense off the field. That wins games.
Now if your losing by 3 TD’s late in a game and forcing the pass to your wide receivers. And there is virtually no possibility of your team getting 3 possessions before the game ends. The opposing defense is in a prevent and your throwing over the middle because it’s wide open. Thats garbage time.
Running backs help finish the game out with a win. By eating up the time left on the clock keeping the opponents offense off the field and minimizing the chances of a turnover. Thats not garbage time to me. Thats sealing a win.
April 17th, 2021 at 6:01 pm
I think that Beckles is right about Rojo and running backs in general. Derrick Henry is a special back and routinely trucks dudes. McCaffrey when healthy and Kamara are the other two who are special imho and deserve their money. Every other back in the league is just a guy.
Anderson, Cobb, and Rhett. Thanks for reminding me of the bad old days. I was naive and giddy with excitement when we got Gary Anderson thinking that we were gonna make the playoffs. 😂
April 17th, 2021 at 8:37 pm
@Cobraboy the last thing I’m doing is getting into a”do you know who I am” because if I did you’d feel really foolish. Let’s just agree to disagree. When it counts means playoffs, and that’s clearly what I was referring to. Jones is a liability in the pass game and in pass protection. Go ask Brady who he’d rather have. I could give a fat rats ass who the lineman like. I’ll agree LF got off slow, but he’s learning a new playbook, new protections and new teammates. I think jones is a fine runner, however, his shortcomings make him expendable. brady demands more. P.S. I do hate y’all’s organization. Did I say that right? They destroyed Steve Young, a gift from the football Gods. Consequently they deserved the horrible past they’ve had. if poor steve would’ve had a stable franchises his beautiful career could’ve been top 5…….. Also for the record, Im a huge tom brady guy and relished the superbowl. It’s the junk franchises he plays for. If malcolm butler plays in that superbowl, brady is still in NE. That I can say with concrete certainty
April 17th, 2021 at 10:00 pm
Don’t cater to Cobra. He talks alot of garbage to the tune that nobody likes and knows the Bucs better than him. You cannot win a debate with a moron so why try.
April 17th, 2021 at 10:10 pm
Ben
Lol. The Bucs destroyed Steve Young? Good one. Daily laughs
April 18th, 2021 at 2:24 am
Anyone who thinks that Founette would have ran the same the last 4 games of the season if the Bucs weren’t in the playoffs have bumped their head too many times. Like it’s been said He was nearly nonexistent during most of the season. constantly tap dancing behind the line. Whoever said he’s a better runner than RoJo is simply laughable. Rojo hasn’t peaked he is simply improving slower than most other backs. His biggest problem really in the beginning of the season was the line wasn’t opening up lanes for him, often getting hit or sidestepping people behind the line. Though his lack of elite hands and blocking is a bad thing his biggest problem is BA who throws little hissy fits the moment he makes one mistake. We probably would have beat the Bears if BA had stuck with him when he was ripping that defense apart even when they knew he was getting the ball rather putting the ball in Bradys hands who was finding it to hard to find/hit open receivers and forgetting what down it was! Rojo is 3x the better runner than Fournette, we could’ve done better than resigning him.
April 18th, 2021 at 8:26 am
My guess is Beckles is wrong he grades RB like Sapp grades DT, I think jones is getting started and I think fournette is as good as he going to get but opinions are like dookie shoots we all have one so let’s see what happens when the season is over!’
April 18th, 2021 at 1:24 pm
I like Sapp grading DTs. Makes sense to have him evaluating because he knows what it takes to make it in the NFL.
April 18th, 2021 at 9:47 pm
Not a big play guy. 5.1 YPC. Should have have had 1000 yards but we force fed AB to get him a bonus. BS. Rojo is a beast. Like ALLLLL RBs… his hands will continue to improve over the course of his career. Cadillac Williams had some of the worst hands I’d ever seen coming out of college and ended his Buc career as the 3rd down RB.
April 19th, 2021 at 6:00 pm
Don’t agree about rojo but I do agree about the rest