Of course Mike Edwards Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jersey , it could be a smokescreen, but it appears Tampa Bay’s leadership is confident in the existing backfield."Earlier this offseason, one mock draft had the Buccaneers selecting Alabama running back Josh Jacobs with the No. 5 overall pick. Other mocks have the team addressing the position with pick No. 39. Regardless of the mock, it seems like most people agree that Tampa Bay has a need at running back. Apparently, Bucs general manager Jason Licht and head coach Bruce Arians don’t feel the same way. Speaking with the media on Tuesday, Licht said the team’s new head coach is feeling confident in the backfield situation as it stands right now, and there is a collective satisfaction with 2018 second-round pick Ronald Jones II:The first part of that quote isn’t anything new. Since Arians came on board, he’s raved about Peyton Barber. He went as far as saying Barber was one of the more surprising and impressive guys that stood out to him when he went back and watched some tape. But what’s even more interesting and perhaps encouraging about what Licht said is that second part. Jones is one of the bigger question marks on Tampa Bay’s roster right now. The 2018 second-rounder got off to a rough start last year, but it sounds like he’s coming along and gaining the attention of some important people within the team’s facilities. A year ago M.J. Stewart Jersey , Jones reportedly fell behind during training camp and the preseason, and former head coach Dirk Koetter didn’t give him all that many chances to get himself going throughout the season — at least on game days. That led to a 44-yard, one-touchdown season in which he averaged just 1.9 yards per carry.But all of that is in the past, and Licht and Arians seem to be expecting a big turnaround from Jones in 2019. If the former USC Trojan can pick it up and develop into a quality NFL back, then yes, the Bucs should feel pretty great about what they have in the backfield. Barber has proven to be a tough runner, one that has managed to impress despite struggles from the offensive line and an inconsistent pattern of carries. If Jones can get rolling, Tampa Bay might finally have that deadly 1-2 punch that it was expected to have last year.Of course, with the NFL Draft coming next week Jameis Winston Jersey , all of this could be a giant smokescreen from Licht. Maybe the Bucs do want a running back as early as the second round, or maybe in the third. But support from Licht and Arians has seemingly been there consistently for both Barber and Jones, so who can really tell at this point? At least we know one thing: we’ll really see where things stand by the end of next weekend. Does this mean GMC must stay?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections 2016 NFL DraftInjuriesFree AgencyGame FilmToday's NFL NewsHow does the JPP injury affect Gerald McCoyNew,71commentsDoes this mean GMC must stay?EDTShareTweetShareShareHow does the JPP injury affect Gerald McCoyKim Klement-USA TODAY SportsThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise continues to be cursed in oh so many ways. Tuesday started out as an exciting day for Buccaneers fans, when they learned that Ronde Barber will be inducted into the teams Ring of Honor on September 22nd against the New York Giants.Excitement quickly faded after news broke this afternoon that Jason Pierre-Paul may have sustained a season-ending neck injury as a result of the car accident that happened last Thursday.With Tampa Bay not really addressing the defensive line in the draft outside of their fourth-round pick Anthony Nelson, JPP was slated to be a very crucial part to this defense in 2019, but now, the Buccaneers are scrambling for answers.So, how does this news affect Gerald McCoy and his 2019 status with Tampa Bay? I’m glad you asked. In my opinion Mike Evans Jersey , if JPP is indeed out for the 2019 season, there is no possible way that McCoy can not be on this roster come Week 1. They simply can’t afford to lose their Top 2 defensive lineman from last season and rely on guys like Noah Spence and Anthony Nelson to take massive steps forward.Questions are still to be answered regarding how this injury might affect the salary cap, but one way or another, the Buccaneers need to figure out how to fit GMC under the cap this year, because he suddenly just became the second most important piece on this defense.