Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Top 5 offseason additions, post 2018 NFL Draft

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BOULDER, CO – NOVEMBER 11: Ronald Jones II #25 of the USC Trojans carries the ball against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on November 11, 2017 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

2. Ronald Jones, RB (USC)

During quarterback Jameis Winston’s rookie campaign in 2015, then-Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter pushed all the right buttons to help his young signal-caller. A lot of that had to do with the team having a balanced attack thanks to a comeback season by running back Doug Martin. He would finish second in the league with 1,402 rushing yards and brought back memories of his Pro Bowl rookie campaign in 2012. The Buccaneers would own the league’s fifth-ranked ground attack in 2015. And that made life a lot easier for Winston.

These past two seasons, the Bucs’ running attack has taken a backseat for any number of reasons. Be it Injuries, inconsistency or other issues, there’s been a lack of ground support by the team. In 2016, the club was 24th in the NFL in rushing and this past year, only five teams in the league gained fewer yards per game on the ground.

Martin was cut loose by the club after a second straight disappointing campaign and is now a member of the Oakland Raiders. Peyton Barber led the team with 423 yards rushing in 2017 and he returns along with Jacquizz Rodgers and Charles Sims.

But the real answer could be former USC running back Ronald Jones, the first of the club’s three second-round picks in April. In the past three seasons with the Trojans, he rolled up 3,619 rushing yards and 39 scores. That includes 1,550 yards and 19 touchdowns this past season. And for what it’s worth, the Buccaneers ran for 1,450 yards as a team in 2017.

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