Ronald Jones Hoping to Bounce Back from Rookie Year

Second year Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones says he and the Bucs want to ‘make our mark’.

Ronald Jones failed to impress during his rookie season or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The second round pick found it tough to adjust to life in the NFL.

After suffering a hamstring injury, he played in nine games all year. He completed 23 carries for only 44 yards over the season. As well as that, he had only one touchdown, 7 catches for 33 yards and 77 scrimmage yards.

Ronald Jones says that both he and his team are ready to bounce back in 2019.

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“Last year, it was definitely disappointing for me for myself and from a team standpoint,” Jones said.

“Definitely, for me, it’s about getting on the right track. We have a new system, a new staff, we’re trying to make our mark in here.”

The ‘new staff’ he speaks of are coach Bruce Arians, and running backs coach Todd McNair. McNair believes that Jones will flourish if he continues to work hard.

“He was drafted where he was drafted for a reason,” McNair said.

“He’s got a wealth of talent. Our goal is to take the anxiety away from him, take the expectations off him. Let just focus and make this thing small. And it seems to be paying off. He’s working hard, and he’s going to keep working hard.”

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“The offense is a lot more free,” Jones said.

“I think we’re able to play within ourselves and be ourselves. I like it a lot. For me, it’s fun. They’re all great coaches, but I think just for me, I’m starting to put all the verbiage and everything together.

“I’m definitely ready and I can’t wait to get the most of those opportunities, but I’ve just got to show them that I can be a dependable player and they can count on me in critical situations.”