Ronald Jones is a healthy scratch for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers season opener. Find inactives for both the Bucs and Saints here.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released their inactives for their first game of the 2018 season. Rookie running back Ronald Jones was a healthy scratch after an underwhelming preseason.
Jones was listed as the third running back on the depth chart but Tampa Bay opted to go with the undrafted rookie Shaun Wilson instead. Wilson is a viable return man and can catch passes on third down. At the moment, he brings more to the table than Jones.
This isn’t a great look for Jones. The second-round pick entered the season with high expectations and to see him as a healthy scratch for Week one is concerning.
Brent Grimes is the other notable inactive. He suffered a groin injury later in the week and didn’t travel with the team. Grimes is Tampa Bay’s number one corner and now rookie Carlton Davis will have to step up and try to contain superstar wideout Michael Thomas.
On the bright side, Donovan Smith is healthy and he will continue his streak of starting each game since becoming a Buccaneer in 2015.
Here are all the Buccaneers inactives:
- WR Justin Watson
- CB Brent Grimes
- RB Ronald Jones
- DT Vita Vea
- OL Alex Cappa
- OL Mike Liedtke
- OL Adam Gettis
Saints Inactives
- TE Dan Arnold
- C Will Clapp
- OL Mitch Loewen
- WR Cam Meredith
- G Andrus Peat
- DT Taylor Stallworth
- CB P.J. Williams
Both Andrus Beat and Cam Meredith are big blows to the Saints offense. Peat is a starting guard and Meredith is the number two receiver for Drew Brees.