The Buccaneers are a little concerned about rookie running back Ronald Jones II.
Jones, a second-round pick out of USC, was known for explosive plays and a penchant for scoring touchdowns with the Trojans, but he capped off a brutal preseason Thursday with 10 carries for just 4 yards.
Through the entire preseason, Jones had just 22 yards rushing on 28 carries. He also lost the starting job to Peyton Barber, and may have lost the third-down role to Jaquizz Rodgers.
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Head coach Dirk Koetter noticed Jones' struggles this preseason, but he doesn't want to blame just him.
"I saw it in practice. But we weren't able to get it going during the game for whatever reason," Koetter said Thursday night of Jones. "When his runs came up, we didn't block them very well, number one, and he wasn't able to do much with it on his own. I don't have a good answer for you. Of course, I haven't seen the tape from (Thursday) but it didn't look pretty from where I saw it.
"Again, when you have bad running plays, rarely is it one guy's fault. Sometimes it is, but rarely. It's a combination of things. I know from Ronald's standpoint, it's not at all from lack of effort, or from him not knowing what he's doing. OK? So I know there's been a little undercurrent out there about him not knowing the playbook and I want to make sure I'm real clear on that. That is not an issue."
Barber had an outstanding preseason, rushing 15 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns. He also finished last year's regular season off strong, which should give him some breathing room to dominate carries.
But the Bucs drafted Jones for a reason, and they will likely do whatever they can to get Jones up to speed and on the field this season.