The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of only five teams that did not record a single run that went over 50 yards in the last two years. Now, with the acquisition of speedy Running Back Ronald Jones, Dirk Koetter is hoping that the Bucs will finally break long runs again. After the second practice, the Head Coach said,
“Every team’s looking for a back who can hit a home run … a guy who can change it in one play… When I was in Jacksonville, Fred Taylor had an unbelievable amount of runs over 50 yards my first year in the league. That’s turning those 2- and 3-yard gains into explosive plays.” – via Greg Auman, Tampa Bay Times.
Ronald Jones is certainly capable of bringing just that to the table, as he has proven in college that he has top-notch speed and can break huge gains. The fact that Jones had three long Touchdown runs of 64, 67 and 86 yards is nothing short of impressive. According to Dirk Koetter, that is exactly the reason Tampa Bay decided to pick him up.
“Ronald Jones, based on his college tape, is a very explosive player, and that’s why he’s drafted where he is… When we get going in pads and in the preseason, that’s the kind of thing we want him to bring to our team.” – via Greg Auman, Tampa Bay Times
Hopefully, Ronald Jones can live up to the high expectations of the coaching staff. If you would like to read Greg Auman’s article published in the Tampa Bay Times, you can find it HERE.
