With roster spots still up for grabs, a few Buccaneers players made Dirk Koetter and Jason Licht’s job even harder with cut day looming.
In the preseason finale, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars 25-10. The last few roster spots were up for grabs, and a few players stepped up with their jobs on the line.
For the most part, the final preseason game doesn’t provide much insight for how the Buccaneers will perform in the regular season. Even primary backups didn’t dress.
The Bucs deep bench was on display, and although most of the players won’t be with the team in a few days, there is a path for players like Shaun Wilson, Alex Cappa and Jack Cichy to all make an impact in the regular season.
Here are the key takeaways from the Bucs fourth preseason contest.
Ronald Jones’ can’t find his footing
Throughout the preseason, Ronald Jones hasn’t looked great. Through four preseason games, he’s failed to gain any traction on the ground. He’s gained 22 yards at just 0.8 yards per carry in the preseason.
The offensive line did Jones no favors. On multiple occasions, he was hit well behind the line of scrimmage and had no chance to gain positive yardage.
Some Buccaneers fans will undoubtedly panic about Jones’ rough start to his career in Tampa Bay. However, there’s no need to lose sleep over his performance behind a makeshift offensive line during the preseason.
If the struggles continue when the regular season begins, then it’s time to hit the panic button.