Buccaneers contributor hurts future with poorly-timed Instagram post
By Rob Leeds
Ronald Jones appears to know his future with the Buccaneers is coming to a close.
It may be early in the postseason to start on conjecture of where free agents will land, but this conversation started a long time ago with Ronald Jones and the Buccaneers.
Jones is a talented runner, and his explosive running style helped re-invigorate the run game last season en route to his near-1,000-yard performance, but this season has done little to inspire confidence in his remaining in Tampa.
RoJo has played second fiddle all season to Leonard Fournette, who is a more consistent option in the passing game, and anyone would be upset if they were in Jones’ position.
Coming so close to 1,000 yards on a great rushing season only to lose your job in the playoffs due to events outside of your control is a brutal blow. Then, coming into a new season and staying on the same leash you were on when you were a rookie is even harder, and this was probably always the likely outcome for a running back that Bruce Arians didn’t draft himself.
Regardless, Jones has shown the right attitude and steps up when called upon, but a recent post on Instagram brings how he views the situation into question. The quote on the post is no longer there, but Bucs fans anywhere know to cringe when they see the caption of “Pit Not The Palace.”
For those who don’t know, this is the title of the song that Antonio Brown dropped several days after his disaster with the Buccaneers. The meaning of the song is harmless and actually summarizes the fight that many athletes can relate to, but tying yourself to Brown during a time like this is not a great look.
Sure, Brown and Jones may have become friends during their time in Tampa and RoJo can relate to the lyrics, but this is a strange time to start showing support to one of your former teammates, especially when considering the fact that Brown took shots at nearly everyone on the Buccaneers on his way out.
This post changes little from a negotiation standpoint, but it does show that Jones know’s what his future holds in Tampa. Jones has likely come to grips with his situation and doesn’t worry about the negativity that comes from tying yourself to a player like Brown when you are competing for a contract on a team that just cut him.
The good news for RoJo is that he should have a robust market in free agency. There are plenty of teams like the Dolphins that would love a workhorse back that can move the ball consistently on the ground, and everyone has seen what Jones can do with quality touches.
Those touches just probably won’t come in with the Bucs.
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