When the news broke on Monday that the Jags were planning on parting ways with 4th-year running back Leonard Fournette, it sent the football world into a shock. After clearing waivers today, it was rumored that the Bucs and Patriots were front-runners for landing spots for the 4th-year running back out of LSU.
Around 9 pm last night, news that the Bucs landed Fournette sent Bucs fans in a whirlwind of excitement for the most part. With this signing, this definitely has skyrocketed the Bucs chances to make a Super Bowl run this season. Leonard inked a one-year deal with a max worth of $3.5M with a $2M. As reported by Ian Rappaport, the incentive pay in the contract is structured around playing time and rush yards. If he wins the grievance he filed with the league, he could add an additional $4.2M in his pockets.
Leonard who was the 4th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by Jacksonville, has a pretty dominant rookie season rushing for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns and added 302 receiving yards and a touchdown in 13 games. The Jags would make the post-season with a 10-6 record earning themselves a Wild Card berth. In Fournette's first playoff game, he struggled against a Buffalo Bills defense gaining only 53 yards on 21 carries as the Jags narrowly won 10-6. The following week against the Pittsburg Steelers, Fournette went on a tear rushing for 109 yards and three touchdowns after returning from an ankle injury earlier in the game, propelling the Jags to a 45-42 victory. In the AFC title loss to the Patriots, he rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown. Fournette's second season seen him play in only 9 games due to injury and a one-game suspension for fighting, his stat line was mediocre compared to the previous season as he had 439 yards and five touchdowns to go with 185 yards and a touchdown on 22 receptions. 2019, Fournette added 1,152 yards but struggled to find the endzone with only three touchdowns to show for the work.
With the addition to Fournette, it'd be hard to see the Bucs not having a ground game this season. With the backfield seemingly getting more crowded before teams are required to trim the roster down to 53-players, the question is who is out. As many fans are expecting McCoy, there could be a valid argument that the Bucs could potentially part ways with Ronald Jones II. Although this could widely be considered a reach, it would make sense as Bruce Arians made it clear when he was hired, "We're not rebuilding, we're reloading". It'll be interesting to see how things shake out when final rosters are expected to be completed by Saturday.
Comments