The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the 2020 season as one of the hottest teams in the league and much of it has to do with their explosive offensive weapons.
One of those offensive weapons who is poised for a major breakout season is RB Ronald Jones II.
Jones, who is entering his third year with the Buccaneers, will be the unquestioned starter and will have an opportunity to showcase his talent like never before this time around.
That being said, here are three concerns for Jones II heading into the season.
3. Gaining Tom Brady‘s trust
While we normally talk about wide receivers being the main position that has to gain a quarterback’s trust, it’s also true with running backs.
Jones II is going to be tasked with pass-protection, carrying the ball and making catches out of the backfield.
It should be expected that Brady will have quite the influence and leeway when it comes to calling out audibles and reading coverages. As a result, he could check into more runs- or check out of runs more often than not- depending on how he feels about Jones II and his capability as a runner.
One of the keys to this Buccaneers offensive system is to also utilize the running back as a receiver out of the backfield. It’s something most aren’t talking about, but Jones II needs to develop chemistry and earn the trust of his quarterback to have a successful season.
2. Third-down yardage
The Buccaneers drafted a power-option in Ke’Shawn Vaughn and have Dare Ogunbowale may add another veteran to the mix before it’s all said and done, but Jones II has to be able to pick up the tough yardage in between the tackles.
We’ve seen his explosiveness and athleticism, but he’s got to take it to a new level if he’s going to be the feature back in a successful offense.
If Jones II wants to be an NFL-caliber starter, he has to become a three-down back. He hasn’t been that so far and it’s certainly a concern moving forward.
1. Can he shoulder the load?
If Jones is able to become a three-down running back, there’s also this simple concern: Can he shoulder the load?
What do I mean by ‘shoulder the load?’ Well, in simplest terms, can the Buccaneers rely on Jones to carry the ball somewhere in the realm of 17-28 times a game? He averaged just 10.75 carries per game and only averaged 4.2 yards per carry of those rushes.
Jones’ high when it came to carries in 2019 was 18 against the Seahawks, where he rushed for a total of 67 yards.
When the Buccaneers begin relying on Jones to carry more of this offense, there is an inherit risk that his 208-pound frame won’t be able to take the pounding that comes with a full NFL season.