The marriage has been difficult between Leonard Fournette and the Jacksonville Jaguars, and they are now divorced. the the team gave up their former fourth overall pick on Monday, ending an irreparable relationship that also saw the Jaguars decline their fifth-year option months ago, which hinted at things to come. In an attempt to move on before now, they pulled out feelers, but head coach Doug Marrone said the club couldn’t get a single draft pick – late and / or conditional – for Fournette, not leaving them no other choice in his eyes.
And with that, Fournette goes from being one of the most heralded draft prospects in recent memory just three years ago, to being a bit of an outcast. The stench of the latter might [also] be easily attributed to a struggling Jaguars club that has been forced to shed a long roster of talent over the past few seasons, given the NFLPA’s grievance against now-fired Tom Coughlin and all the infractions that come with it of his actions leading up to it, as well as the fact that the Jaguars simply haven’t been a winning team since arriving at the AFC Championship game in Fournette’s first year.
They are 11-21 since that trip and the turnover has been huge. And one day after swapping defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Minnesota Vikings – after refusing to play in Jacksonville again and subsequently taking a $ 5 million pay cut to leave – now Fournette is heading for the door.
But where to go? Here are five teams that should seriously consider throwing him a jersey for 2020.
Pete Prisco and host Will Brinson break down the Jags cutting Fournette on the Pick Six podcast; tune in below and be sure to subscribe to Daily NFL Benefits.
New England Patriots
Think about it for a moment and it will make sense to you.
Yes, the Patriots already have a starting running back at Sony Michel, a former first-round pick himself, but they haven’t really been able to count on him since he caught him with the 31st overall pick. in 2018. Michel has consistently struggled injury during his first two seasons in the NFL, and it has already cost him several games. It also dampened his production on the field a bit, because while his 1,987 career yards from the scrimmage mark (with 13 touchdowns) aren’t to shake, he’s yet to reach his full potential. The Patriots also see him clash with former third-round pick Damien Harris at camp, after Michel started camp on the team’s PUP roster following offseason foot surgery.
Enter Fournette, a proven NFL talent who has also drawn the ire of the Jaguars organization for berating Gardner Minshew this offseason and telling the team to sign Cam Newton instead. It’s the same Cam Newton who will likely leave for the Patriots at the opening of the regular season, by the way, if you get a feel for what The Rock is cooking. The only question here is character, but Bill Belichick isn’t afraid to roll those dice, let alone when the player has 3,640 career yards in scrum and 19 touchdowns in three seasons.
A fresh start is usually the right remedy for players coming out of Jacksonville, and moving from the Jaguars to the Patriots could see Fournette refocus and devote herself again to torching the defenses. He would also go a long way to make sure Belichick has insurance at RB1, and the chemistry with Newton should be ready.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This guy who was the Patriots quarterback and is now in Tampa would love a beefy RB.
Sure, the Bucs are trying to appease Tom Brady by signing LeSean McCoy to a one-year contract, but McCoy lost his spot to a young back at Kansas City before being sidelined in the Super Bowl. And if McCoy is screened by someone as the team leader for Week 1, well, that just brings me back to my take on the concern about the position. Fournette’s addition would keep him in Florida, where there is no state tax, which is sure to please him when he thinks he will have to keep as much of his coins as possible in case he loses the grievance of $ 4million against the Jaguars, and puts it with Brady and Bruce Arians – two people who are unequivocal in what they demand of players (both in character and in production).
It’s a financially feasible deal as well, as although the Bucs currently have a bit of ceiling space of $ 2.24million – via O Crossecap.com – Fournette isn’t in a position to order much money. A one-year proving deal would give him the chance to join a club set to become a winner, on an attack charged to receive talent, under the guidance of a proven head coach, behind a six-time quarterback Super Bowl winner, and right next to the team he hates in North Florida. That’s perfect for Fournette, really, and he could turn a dynamic 2020 into a multi-year deal with the Bucs in need of RB in the next offseason.
As for the future, if he sticks around, the Bucs would appreciate seeing a rotation that includes Fournette, Ronald Jones, II and young talents like Ke’Shawn Vaughn or Raymond Calais, so it’s really getting bigger and bigger. more a no-brainer if you think about it. Tampa Bay is set to win a Super Bowl in 2020, and Fournette’s signing would play directly into that narrative.
Miami dolphins
If you’re sitting at the front desk in Miami reading this, pick up the phone.
Believe me, I understand. You added Matt Breida and Jordan Howard this offseason, but pick up the phone. You like the perks of Myles Gaskin, but pick up the phone. You see something in Patrick Laird, but pi -… you get the point here. With the quarterback problem seemingly now resolved and Tua Tagovailoa preparing to be the face of the franchise for the next half a decade or more, he needs some help in the backfield. Sending Kenyan Drake by way of trade with the Arizona Cardinals ended wonderfully for them, but it left the Dolphins with no functionality en route to see Ryan Fitzpatrick (!!) lead the team. on the run with only 243 (!!!) yards. in 2019, and he also led the team in touchdowns in the race with four.
It’s as ugly as the witch who gave the apple to Snow White, but at least she had an apple. Before adding Breida and Howard, Hall RB was in dire straits, and it still can’t be considered ‘elite’ for 2020. Breida has done some good things for the 49ers, but he’s not the one. Fournette’s offensive bully. Howard is a bit of a different story, considering he has two 1,000-yard running seasons under his belt, but a Fournette and Howard tandem just feels more impactful than Breida and Howard as a carpool.
And the dolphins need the strongest punch possible to help Tagovailoa. From there the club could use Breida as both insurance and RB, while also developing some of the young talent behind the trio.
Finally, but also of significant importance, grabbing Fournette would eliminate the Patriots’ ability to do so. That’s not a primary reason for making the pick, but it’s most definitely something to help fuel the motivation to sign him, given Miami hopes to finally win the AFC East crown in 2020 – not having it. been doing since 2008 and reaching the goal. only twice since the turn of the century.
Pick up the phone.
Los Angeles Rams
Todd Gurley is gone.
Breaking news, I know, but it’s a reminder that the Rams could use a backfield bully for 2020. Even with reduced usage in 2019, Gurley still led the team with 1,064 scrum yards and 14 touchdowns. You may love Malcolm Brown’s potential while also pointing out that he posted just 271 scrum yards and five touchdowns last season. Now that he’s back in Los Angeles, the extra reps will inevitably lead to an increase in those numbers, but that’s no guarantee that he’ll suddenly rack up 1,200 rushing yards in his first season as a top dog. In his five-year career, Brown has never run more than the 255 yards he delivered in 2019 and has had just two touchdowns in the previous four seasons – ahead of his five career bests l ‘last year.
On the contrary, even a disgruntled Fournette with the most toxic team in football produced in a big way, so imagine what he could do if he was added to a team with a winning culture that also needs him to show. the way. There are other bodies in the RB Rams room, and they’re talented as well (e.g. Darrell Henderson, second-round rookie Cam Akers), but the football resume just isn’t there for them either. . This is a situation where the addition of Fournette creates a definitive focal point for opposing defenses that will take the pressure off Jared Goff and open the passing game as Sean McVay wants.
Pairing Fournette with Brown is simply smart football business, assuming McVay and Co. can keep the old fourth overall pick as a happy camper, making sure he’s in the lead. It’s when Fournette is unhappy that things get bleak, but that’s why they call it “unhappy”.
Washington football team
This team racked up running backs during the offseason, so why stop now?
Washington is desperate to find a successor to Adrian Peterson after several unsuccessful attempts since his signing. It is not the lack of production that justifies them to locate an heir, but the age and the contract, because the future Hall of Famer is 35 years old and entering the last year of his contract. So even though Peterson may still produce, that doesn’t mean he’ll land another contract in Washington, despite feeling he has he has more than four years left in him. They tried to bench Peterson in Week 1 of the 2019 season to give former second-round pick Derrious Guice, but were forced to hand the reins back to Peterson in Week 2 and beyond due to from another injury to Guice. With Guice now released following a disturbing detail of domestic violence allegations, there is a vacant seat ready and waiting for Fournette.
Third-round rookie pick Antonio Gibson helps the room, but he’s yet to take a photo in the NFL, and there’s no preseason for him to acclimate faster; so put a pin in there. Bryce Love, Peyton Barber, and JD McKissic are all talented, but you could roll them together into a ball and wouldn’t match what Fournette has done at the NFL level. For all the bodies in the RB room in Washington, Peterson is the only one to strike fear into the heart of a defense, and he may be on track for release in 2021.
Sign Fournette on a deal proving incentive to challenge Peterson for representatives. If he can’t beat an aging Peterson, take what you get from him in production and move on to the offseason. If, however, Fournette hits perfect form and pushes Peterson aside, the test drive turns out to be successful, and there could be a multi-year pick-up for the 25-year-old – perhaps tie him to Dwayne Haskins for the next few seasons and helping to build a strong attacking body for the future.
The biggest risk here is that among the teams mentioned, Washington is the least likely to be the winner in 2020; but Fournette can’t be too picky as he desperately needs to rebuild his brand, and pronto.
