For Ramon Jefferson, It’s Round 3 With Liam Coen
May 10th, 2024
The rookies are in the house! That includes a bunch of tryout players ready to tackle Tampa Bay’s rookie minicamp today and tomorrow.
One guy that intrigues Joe is running back Ramon Jefferson.
Hey, when you’re coming off back-to-back seasons of the NFL’s statistically worst running attack, running backs should be of interest to any Bucs fan.
Jefferson started his career at the University of Maine, where he was coached by new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen. Then he moved on to Sam Houston State and later the University of Kentucky in 2022, where he was coached again by Coen and had more injuries.
And here he is in Bucs rookie camp.
Two carries into the 2022 season, Jefferson blew out his knee in Week 1 and lost the rest of the 2022 season. It was an especially long ACL rehab. Last season, Jeffereson was used sparingly (28 carries for 184 yards). But the 5-9, 200-pounder from New York City, did rip off a 74-yard run against Alabama (video below).
Jefferson is a longshot, of course, but if he can show enough juice and look like he can play special teams, then Joe’s confident Jefferson has a strong shot to get to training camp.
Seventy-four yard carry, @Jefferson1Ramon. pic.twitter.com/SrwC49LVuc
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) November 11, 2023
May 10th, 2024 at 9:40 am
IMO .. this is a reward/respect thing giving the kid a shot at the big show and at the same time giving him a look first hand of just how good he needs to be to hang with NFL caliber RBs
May 10th, 2024 at 9:45 am
nice vision but a little slow
May 10th, 2024 at 9:52 am
I’m intrigued to see how Ray Davis vs Bucky plays out for NFL careers. Knowing Davis was on the board, was Coen’s RB last year, and we still went another direction and then Davis went a few picks later.
May 10th, 2024 at 10:01 am
All that injury history and he still had an explosive 40.5 inch vertical and ran a 4.5 forty time. Admirable! Hope he shows the Bucs something this weekend and earns a contract.
May 10th, 2024 at 10:05 am
@Lord Cornelius – in five short years Ray Davis will be 30. Bucky 26. That is the difference.
May 10th, 2024 at 10:20 am
Joe is writing a whole article about a tryout player/practice squad wannabe?
May 10th, 2024 at 10:43 am
Pickgrin Says:
Joe is writing a whole article about a tryout player/practice squad wannabe?
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If he is one of the 91 football players the Bucs are looking at right now what is the problem with investing 30 seconds of your time to read about him? LOL
He’s a longshot but if he’s great on special teams he has a real chance. And some players who mostly live on the practice squad for many months or years eventually do make it to the active roster.
May 10th, 2024 at 10:53 am
“BucsFan55 Says:
May 10th, 2024 at 9:45 am
nice vision but a little slow”
Well he’s apparently faster than everybody on the Alabama defense
May 10th, 2024 at 11:04 am
Not only was he caught by a defender, but if you look closely, you will see that he fumbled before hitting the turf.
He’s a longshot, but as someone else said, he might make a good ‘gunner’ on special teams.
May 10th, 2024 at 11:15 am
I am fairly sure the gunner position has to change.
May 10th, 2024 at 11:19 am
Yeah nice article about a guy that’s too slow. Won’t make the team and the PS is a stretch. Another slow news day.
May 10th, 2024 at 11:46 am
I, for one, ENJOY these articles about long-shots to make the team. Thanks, Joes – keep ’em comin’!!! 🙂
May 10th, 2024 at 11:54 am
Joe has pumped out six articles this morning already. If the oppressive number of articles really spoils your day, try out the blog competition. They might not pump out six articles in a week. But…. Your sensibilities won’t be bothered.
May 10th, 2024 at 11:57 am
See if he can he survive preseason? Go BUCS
May 10th, 2024 at 11:57 am
It’s nice to see a RB score from longer than 4 yds out – in the regular season White’s longest TD run of 4 yds was the 47th longest TD run in the NFL. I’d like to see Licht pick up a RB at the final cuts before the season.
May 10th, 2024 at 12:01 pm
Don’t see him amounting to much with knee injuries.
I am more interested in Tucker. Do we know if he is 100%? If he is, he is a fantastic pure runner with awesome speed.
May 10th, 2024 at 1:14 pm
Coen obviously sees something here for it to be the third time.
You never know in this business.
James Harrison was cut 6 times according to Larry Foote.
Michael Jordan was cut in high school.
Hopefully that is the track JTS and Hall are on.
Like I said, You never know.
May 10th, 2024 at 2:07 pm
I’m intrigued by the other RB D.J. Williams from Arizona.
May 10th, 2024 at 2:31 pm
Pickgrin Says:
Joe is writing a whole article about a tryout player/practice squad wannabe?
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Added to what I wrote above, multiple “tryout players” have made the active roster in the past and contributed. Markees Watts was a tryout player last season.
May 10th, 2024 at 2:59 pm
I also like these articles Joe. The background is very interesting and hey you never know. Guys get injured, rehabilitate, maybe learn some things by finally connecting with coaches who can get through to them and improve their technique and even long shots can make the NFL. I believe Arian Foster was an undrafted running back who had a pretty good run as a star player.
While the odds are longer, they can be beaten particularly by a young player who believes in himself and refuses to give up.
May 10th, 2024 at 6:13 pm
NCKE. Me too on Williams from Arizona
May 10th, 2024 at 6:28 pm
Jefferson, Tucker or any other RB. I don’t care who as long as they can help improve our running game and special teams. I would be happy if both it to average/middle of the pack (16th or 17th) in the NFL after languishing at or near the bottom,
May 11th, 2024 at 7:58 am
Good luck to the young man.