Jump to content

Jags releasing Fournette


Recommended Posts

Possible Leonard Fournette landing spots after surprising Jaguars release

August 31, 2020 | 10:17am

 
 

The Jacksonville Jaguars are doing everything possible to make sure they lack teeth.

Running back Leonard Fournette was waived Monday morning in a move that will fan the flames of tanking allegations. The news comes one day after the Jaguars traded their top defensive player, disgruntled pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue, to the Minnesota Vikings for two draft picks.

The prize for being the worst team in the NFL this season is the No. 1 overall pick and the good fortune of supposed can’t-miss franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence of Clemson.

Fournette was the No. 4 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft – ahead of Christian McCaffrey, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.

But Fournette, 25, hasn’t been a total bust and should have something left in the tank even though a limited trade market developed for his services. He rushed for a career-high 1,152 yards in 15 games last season and is averaging four yards per carry with 17 rushing touchdowns for his career.

The Jaguars tried and failed to trade Fournette, who now is subject to waivers. If he is claimed, a team inherits his contract with a $4.1 million base salary.

Here are seven teams that might be interested, especially if he clears waivers and needs a new contract.

Enlarge Image  

Possible free-agent landing spots for Leonard Fournette:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tom Brady firing passes to Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski and Chris Godwin is tantalizing, but the backfield combination of disappointing starter Ronald Jones, veteran LeSean McCoy and rookie Ke’Shawn Vaughn is underwhelming. It’s one of the few places Fournette could be a starter right away.

Chicago Bears

David Montgomery’s availability for the start of the season is in question because of an injured groin suffered in training camp last week. Tarik Cohen is more of a complementary pass-catching back than a workhorse like Fournette, who ranks eighth in rushing yards after contact since 2017, according to Pro Football Focus.

Los Angeles Rams

How about reuniting with another Jaguars cast-off, Jalen Ramsey? The Rams are set to start rookie Cam Akers, with Darrell Henderson and Malcom Brown as backups. They cut their own running back top-10 draft pick, Todd Gurley, at a huge salary cap hit earlier this offseason, but these are different financial circumstances.Like his father did as coach of the Denver Broncos, Kyle Shanahan is showing he can find productive running backs on the street. Most fans had never heard of journeyman Raheem Mostert until the run to Super Bowl LIV. Now Mostert received a pay bump and is penciled in to start over Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon. Fournette might overcrowd this backfield, but he would be the most talented option.

Washington Football Team

It is naïve to think 35-year-old future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson will perform like he did at his peak. The recent release of Derrius Guice, who faces domestic violence charges and rape accusations, left a hole on the depth chart that Fournette could fill. Washington has an unusual strategy for a bad team, collecting veterans rather than giving reps to rookies.

Atlanta Falcons

They signed Gurley, who is still an unknown after the way his last two seasons finished. Fournette could provide insurance if Gurley’s mysterious injuries mean he is finished. The Super Bowl window is closing on the Falcons, if it is not already shut.

New England Patriots

Isn’t this where careers go for revival? The Patriots have a running back battle between Sony Michel and Damien Harris, but Bill Belichick isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers by bringing a new talent into the room. Michel had offseason foot surgery but returned to practice last week.

image.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, joewilly12 said:

Possible Leonard Fournette landing spots after surprising Jaguars release

August 31, 2020 | 10:17am

 
 

The Jacksonville Jaguars are doing everything possible to make sure they lack teeth.

Running back Leonard Fournette was waived Monday morning in a move that will fan the flames of tanking allegations. The news comes one day after the Jaguars traded their top defensive player, disgruntled pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue, to the Minnesota Vikings for two draft picks.

The prize for being the worst team in the NFL this season is the No. 1 overall pick and the good fortune of supposed can’t-miss franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence of Clemson.

Fournette was the No. 4 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft – ahead of Christian McCaffrey, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.

But Fournette, 25, hasn’t been a total bust and should have something left in the tank even though a limited trade market developed for his services. He rushed for a career-high 1,152 yards in 15 games last season and is averaging four yards per carry with 17 rushing touchdowns for his career.

The Jaguars tried and failed to trade Fournette, who now is subject to waivers. If he is claimed, a team inherits his contract with a $4.1 million base salary.

Here are seven teams that might be interested, especially if he clears waivers and needs a new contract.

Enlarge Image  

Possible free-agent landing spots for Leonard Fournette:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tom Brady firing passes to Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski and Chris Godwin is tantalizing, but the backfield combination of disappointing starter Ronald Jones, veteran LeSean McCoy and rookie Ke’Shawn Vaughn is underwhelming. It’s one of the few places Fournette could be a starter right away.

Chicago Bears

David Montgomery’s availability for the start of the season is in question because of an injured groin suffered in training camp last week. Tarik Cohen is more of a complementary pass-catching back than a workhorse like Fournette, who ranks eighth in rushing yards after contact since 2017, according to Pro Football Focus.

Los Angeles Rams

How about reuniting with another Jaguars cast-off, Jalen Ramsey? The Rams are set to start rookie Cam Akers, with Darrell Henderson and Malcom Brown as backups. They cut their own running back top-10 draft pick, Todd Gurley, at a huge salary cap hit earlier this offseason, but these are different financial circumstances.Like his father did as coach of the Denver Broncos, Kyle Shanahan is showing he can find productive running backs on the street. Most fans had never heard of journeyman Raheem Mostert until the run to Super Bowl LIV. Now Mostert received a pay bump and is penciled in to start over Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon. Fournette might overcrowd this backfield, but he would be the most talented option.

Washington Football Team

It is naïve to think 35-year-old future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson will perform like he did at his peak. The recent release of Derrius Guice, who faces domestic violence charges and rape accusations, left a hole on the depth chart that Fournette could fill. Washington has an unusual strategy for a bad team, collecting veterans rather than giving reps to rookies.

Atlanta Falcons

They signed Gurley, who is still an unknown after the way his last two seasons finished. Fournette could provide insurance if Gurley’s mysterious injuries mean he is finished. The Super Bowl window is closing on the Falcons, if it is not already shut.

New England Patriots

Isn’t this where careers go for revival? The Patriots have a running back battle between Sony Michel and Damien Harris, but Bill Belichick isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers by bringing a new talent into the room. Michel had offseason foot surgery but returned to practice last week.

image.gif

Bears make the most sense actually. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reading through this thread , it is clear now why every other topic makes me want to gauge out my eyeballs . Leonard fournette is a decent nfl rb, he’s not shifty he doesn’t run particularly hard but he’s got good top end speed for someone who’s probably 230+ and he can receive OK out of the backfield . Weigh that against his attitude that has been a story every single year of his career and it makes no sense to bring him here . The locker room is finally almost big mouth and big attitude free and everyone wants to sign a rb with a big mouth a big attitude and will be completely inefficient behind our line unless they are SIGNIFICANTLY improved over last year .

 

 

Say it with me ... RBs DO NOT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE . Give literally almost any nfl talented rb a good offensive line and play caller and they’ll look good . Bad offensive line and NO RB IN NFL HISTORY would look good . There’s a handful of exceptions from my eyeball test who do provide a noticeable improvement over the dime a dozen but even they wouldn’t be good without blocking and play calling :

 

McCaffrey

Barkley

Zeke (I think)

Kamara I think

Joe mixon

Bell (I think)

Aaron Jones

Kareem Hunt

 

That’s the short list of guys I think are worth going out of the way to pay extra and could be better than the rest given the same exact circumstances

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

 

  • Upvote 3
  • Post of the Week 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im not someone who thinks we should sign every player who gets cut.  I also understand Fournette is a bit of a malcontent and costs $4 million.  Also it could really affect things with Bell. 
That being said - someone really needs to explain how we needed RB depth enough to trade a conditional pick 72 hours ago for pitiful Kalen Balladge and are not interested in Leonard Fournette AFTER losing Perinne. Isnt a big part of the issue with Bell that he is too patient - and correct me if im wrong, but I think Fournette is a one cut/straight line type runner.  
The AFC east is wide open and any good coach (not sure Gase is one) could figure out how to use Bell in the slot and Fournette as the RB and design the offense around that and 2 TE sets with Herndon and Wesco.  That would take a lot of pressure off the line and Sam and would also help fix our WR problem.
Its confusing to me why he isnt worth at 6th round pick from us given what the team has done the last 3 days


The likelihood of the ballage details being anything other than a 7th under conditions like being on the roster and active for most of the season , is slim . Another Gase guy to be around that knows the offense a bit and can help out and be a 4th rb to activate in the event someone like Perine got hurt was much more likely the thought .

And under the current circumstance of every and anybody capable of catching a pass being injured on this team , bell is MUCH more valuable than fournette , fournettes never lining up in slot or making athletic catches like bell did many times last year


Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app
Link to comment
Share on other sites

56 minutes ago, Death2NE said:

Reading through this thread , it is clear now why every other topic makes me want to gauge out my eyeballs . Leonard fournette is a decent nfl rb, he’s not shifty he doesn’t run particularly hard but he’s got good top end speed for someone who’s probably 230+ and he can receive OK out of the backfield . Weigh that against his attitude that has been a story every single year of his career and it makes no sense to bring him here . The locker room is finally almost big mouth and big attitude free and everyone wants to sign a rb with a big mouth a big attitude and will be completely inefficient behind our line unless they are SIGNIFICANTLY improved over last year .

 

 

Say it with me ... RBs DO NOT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE . Give literally almost any nfl talented rb a good offensive line and play caller and they’ll look good . Bad offensive line and NO RB IN NFL HISTORY would look good . There’s a handful of exceptions from my eyeball test who do provide a noticeable improvement over the dime a dozen but even they wouldn’t be good without blocking and play calling :

 

McCaffrey

Barkley

Zeke (I think)

Kamara I think

Joe mixon

Bell (I think)

Aaron Jones

Kareem Hunt

 

That’s the short list of guys I think are worth going out of the way to pay extra and could be better than the rest given the same exact circumstances

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

 

 

I agree that RBs don't make a huge difference.  But at $4M you're already factoring that in when you put in a claim. 

Giving up a pick or signing him at "market value" makes little sense.  But a cheap claim?  Sure.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, playtowinthegame said:

 

Claim this wordsmith  beast. 

Actually that's pretty smart of Jamal.  Why risk injuring yourself over some stupid college BS plus it can affect your draft position (possibly even make you "undraftable") if something went really wrong.  He had millions at stake and he played it the exact right way.  Good for him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, TuscanyTile2 said:

Actually that's pretty smart of Jamal.  Why risk injuring yourself over some stupid college BS plus it can affect your draft position (possibly even make you "undraftable") if something went really wrong.  He had millions at stake and he played it the exact right way.  Good for him.

He's a fake tough guy who once said he'd be fine with "dying on the football field."

At minimum, someone who calls himself "Prez" should have been trying to be a peacekeeper and settle people down.

Hiding under a table.  Exactly what leaders do, lol.

  • Upvote 1
  • Post of the Week 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

He's a fake tough guy who once said he'd be fine with "dying on the football field."

At minimum, someone who calls himself "Prez" should have been trying to be a peacekeeper and settle people down.

Hiding under a table.  Exactly what leaders do, lol.

leaders get shin splints!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Death2NE said:

. Leonard fournette is a decent nfl rb, he’s not shifty he doesn’t run particularly hard but he’s got good top end speed for someone who’s probably 230+ and he can receive OK out of the backfield .

idk, he got hawked down by the Pres

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Death2NE said:

Give literally almost any nfl talented rb a good offensive line and play caller and they’ll look good . Bad offensive line and NO RB IN NFL HISTORY would look good .

Earl Campbell and Barry Sanders might be a couple of exceptions. 

  • Upvote 1
  • Sympathy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fournette has proven himself to be nothing more than an average to good nfl talent. A C. Benson last half of his career is the best he’s gonna get. 

The Jets are hurting for talent, but this one could blow up in their face; bell vs Fournette weekly diatribes. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Paradis said:

Fournette has proven himself to be nothing more than an average to good nfl talent. A C. Benson last half of his career is the best he’s gonna get. 

The Jets are hurting for talent, but this one could blow up in their face; bell vs Fournette weekly diatribes. 

Luckily for the jets they only need an average to good nfl talent to split carries with Bell/Gore

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Yikes.

 

Leonard Fournette was the first RB taken in 2017.

These RBs all went after:

  • 8: Christian McCaffrey
  • 41: Dalvin Cook
  • 48: Joe Mixon
  • 67: Alvin Kamara
  • 86: Kareem Hunt
  • 105: James Conner
  • 119: Tarik Cohen
  • 143: Marlon Mack
  • 182: Aaron Jones
  • 249: Chris Carson
  • Undrafted: Ekeler

One of my favourite running back draft class of all time. I couldn’t be more in love with Dalvin. And I was sky high on Kareem hunt and Aaron Jones... and generally felt good about the rest, sauf Mack. 

needless to say, the Jets felt like our resources were better spend on 2 safeties, the only 2 busts at WR that year and Eli out of a job McGuire

  • Sympathy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One set of odds on where Fournette ends up:

 

 

Here are BetOnline's complete odds.

 

Chicago Bears- 11/4

New England Patriots- 11/4

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 7/2

Washington Football Team- 4/1

Houston Texans- 8/1

Atlanta Falcons- 10/1

Seattle Seahawks- 10/1

Pittsburgh Steelers- 12/1

Miami Dolphins- 14/1

Kansas City Chiefs- 16/1

Los Angeles Chargers- 16/1

Los Angeles Rams- 16/1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Warfish said:

Why do Jets Fans always want to sign the All-Pro roster from 10 years ago?

It's like an obsession...."hey, I heard of that guy, SIGN HIM!!! SIGN HIM NAOW!!!!!!!"

Hes going into year 4.  Has only played 3, not 10

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, neckdemon said:

we could just use bell at wr. lord knows we need wrs

In the clip in practice at Metlife of Bell catching a TD recently he was lined up in the slot and Gore was in the backfield.  I have a feeling you're going to be seeing a lot of that this year. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...