Jacksonville Jaguars starting running back Leonard Fournette will be out indefinitely with a nagging hamstring injury. As a result, the team gave two free agents a workout on Tuesday. Former New York Giants back Orleans Darkwa and former Cleveland Browns back Matthew Dayes showcased their talents for the team. Let’s explore whether they should join the Jags roster.
Jacksonville Jaguars Hold Workout for Orleans Darkwa and Matthew Dayes
Orleans Darkwa
Darkwa is a fifth-year running back who started out as an undrafted free agent. But he spent three seasons with the Giants. 2017 was his biggest opportunity. Darkwa had 171 attempts for 751 yards with five touchdowns. That is good for 4.39 yards per carry. Darkwa is also about the same size as Fournette at 5’11” and 219 pounds. Though the public doesn’t know whether the team will add either back, Darkwa has the most experience of the two.
Matthew Dayes
Dayes was drafted in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Browns. He only had five attempts for 13 yards in his rookie season. He was on special teams, logging 437 return yards. Notably, Dayes beat out current Jaguar Brandon Wilds
to earn a spot with the Browns last year. Standing at 5’9″ and 210 pounds, Dayes is closer to the size of Jags great, Maurice Jones-Drew.
Jaguars Running Back Situation
The Jaguars currently have three running backs on the team besides Fourentte. T.J. Yeldon and Corey Grant are the top two, with Wilds in for depth. Yeldon has played well. He has 205 yards on 49 carries. But he has also been nursing ankle problems lately, so that is a concern. While Corey Grant has great speed and good hands, he isn’t the type of back to get success running up the middle. This is a good time for the Jaguars to consider a running back to come in and assist the team while Fournette heals. Time will tell if the team decides to give either Darkwa, Dayes, or another back a shot.
