Potential options at running back for Buccaneers in 2020
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers may already have Ronald Jones on the roster, but they may re-evaluate the running back position this offseason with some of the following options.
Off the top, it should be lost on no one that the run game for the Buccaneers is still far off from where it should be.
This has been due to a multitude of reasons, but the Bucs can blame their woes on the ground on their scheme, offensive line, and at times their running backs.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been without a dominant running back since 2015 when Doug Martin had his most recent successful season.
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The Buccaneers have been without a 1,000-yard rusher since 2015 and the run game has lagged behind the middle of the pack since then. Peyton Barber wasn’t far off of that mark back in 2018, but he still fell short of what was expected of an RB1.
Tampa Bay then drafted a running back in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft to replace Barber down the road in the form of Ronald Jones but his rookie campaign left a lot to be desired.
In 2019 the run game reached a maddening point where Rojo and Peyton Barber practically split carries and neither was able to fall into a groove. Jones was technically the RB1 but Bruce Arians would bench him for the slightest mistake even though Rojo had a much higher upside than Barber.
While the Buccaneers are certainly a pass-first team, the run game does need to make improvements if Tampa Bay wants to close out games utilizing the run.
There were far too many situations in 2019 where the Bucs were unable to properly manage the clock because their run game was far too inconsistent. The Buccaneers will need to address their run game this offseason to keep the team on pace to make the playoffs in 2020.