Bucs news: Rookie Ronald Jones looking to assert himself in training camp

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will move on without Doug Martin. Bucs rookie running back Ronald Jones is ready to prove his worth once training camp begins.

In the last few seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have struggled to find any consistency out of the backfield toward finding a dependable running game.

It appears that the Bucs may have potentially found a long-term answer with rookie running back Ronald Jones quickly making a strong impression on the franchise in the offseason team workouts. According to Kendrick E. Johnson of the McKinney Courier-Gazette, Jones has voiced his desire to assert himself in training camp to find his place on the team ahead of his first season.

“I definitely want to come in and assert myself, but I still want to take it one day at a time,” Jones said. “It’s a big jump to the big leagues. Just try to beat the guy in front of me.”

Jones is an intriguing talent that has shown the ability to be a uniquely talented factor out of the backfield as an explosive runner behind his track-type speed along with the big-play ability that often led to him taking over games in the collegiate level USC. Although he may not have been heavily used in the passing game, he has the skill set that could make an effective option in the passing game due to his speed and quickness.

However, Jones will have his fair share of competition in Bucs training camp with the likes of Peyton Barber, Charles Sims, and Jacquizz Rodgers in order to compete for playing time. There is a high level of expectations before him given the team used a second-round pick on him that speaks what type of potential the organization sees in him.

Ultimately, there is an opportunity in front of Jones to stand out in training camp later this month that could help him earn a significant role in the offense out of the gate to the 2018 campaign.