Bucs Need 'Extraordinary Offer' to Trade Ronald Jones II, Bruce Arians Says

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians doesn't sound interested in trading running back Ronald Jones II, despite speculation that the team could shop him before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. 

At the very least, the head coach would want a sizable package in return for Jones' services.

"It would have to be something really, really special. Because I love the way he's running," Arians told reporters Monday. "It's just one nick on Leonard and then Rojo's the guy. And so to me, it's still a great one-two punch. It would have to be extraordinary."

Leonard Fournette has emerged as the clear starter in Tampa, rushing for 439 yards and four touchdowns while adding 30 catches for 239 yards. Jones, meanwhile, has posted just 194 rushing yards and a score and has just four catches for 39 yards. 

To put into context the disparity of workload between the two players, Fournette has 131 touches on the season while Jones has 48. And for the season, Fournette has registered 332 snaps, while Jones' 104 snaps trails Giovani Bernard (109). 

Arians may love how Jones is running the ball, but the running back has just one game this season with 10 or more rushing attempts. He's clearly Fournette's backup at this point. 

And yet, there's little indication the Bucs would even consider trading him:

The depth argument makes sense for the Bucs, who are trying to repeat as champions. An injury to Fournette would leave the team very thin at the position if they dealt Jones elsewhere. And Jones represents a solid between-the-tackles runner that can still be utilized when the game flow calls for it. 

The counter-argument is that Jones will be a free agent after the season and could sign elsewhere. Getting some type of draft compensation now would make sense from an asset-management standpoint. 

But the Bucs are likely more focused on being in the best possible position when it comes to winning another title rather than trying to maximize assets at this point. So Jones staying in Tampa feels likely.