Former fourth-overall pick and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette officially has a new home. According to multiple reports, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will sign Fournette to a new contract. Fournette, of course, was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars early on Monday morning.
The #Bucs and RB Leonard Fournette have an agreement in principle, source said. And Tom Brady has a new RB. A big-time one.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2020
Leonard Fournette to Join Tampa Bay Buccaneers
To say that Fournette had a rocky tenure in Jacksonville would be an understatement. While the 2017 first-round pick always managed to accumulate volume stats, he and the front office clearly didn’t see eye-to-eye. Throughout the course of his three-year stay in Jacksonville, Fournette faced team fines, suspensions, and voids to the guarantees in his contract.
The Jaguars actively tried to move him throughout the offseason, but nobody bit. According to head coach Doug Marrone, they couldn’t find a team that would even give up a late-round pick for his services. Left with no other option, the Jaguars cut bait with Fournette, leaving the backfield to Ryquell Armstead, Chris Thompson, and Devine Ozigbo.
Fournette initially entered the NFL as the fourth-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Famously selected over quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, the LSU product began his career as the unquestioned leader of Jacksonville’s backfield. Starting and appearing in 13 games, Fournette finished his rookie season with 268 carries for 1,090 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with 36 receptions for 302 yards and another score. The Jaguars made it all the way to the AFC Championship that season, and came 15 minutes away from making it to the Super Bowl.
After a promising rookie season, Fournette took a major step back in 2018. Injuries limited him to just eight games, and Fournette didn’t play well even when on the field. Overall, Fournette recorded just 439 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 133 carries to go with 22 receptions for 185 yards and a touchdown. He recovered in 2019, recording a career-high 1,152 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 265 carries to go along with 76 receptions for 522 yards.
