The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could use some help at the running back position
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could use some help at the running back position and one of the biggest names in the league is suddenly on the market.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday morning that the Jacksonville Jaguars were waiving RB Leonard Fournette. The Jaguars had placed Fournette on the trading block earlier this spring, but were unable to find any suitors, ultimately leading them to having almost no choice but to waive the running back’s contract.
The Jaguars voided Fournette’s $4.2 million in guarantees because of failure to practice after his suspension, but that is currently in a grievance. If he wins that grievance, he will be paid the money from the Jags and can still sign with a new team. If he loses, he’ll still be available as a free agent, but will lose the $4 million.
If Leonard Fournette wins his grievance, he has no offset language so he can double-dip on his new team. If he loses due to failure to practice after his suspension, he is out $4M and the team clears it from their cap. https://t.co/X3BvuEzXlU
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2020
Should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pursue Leonard Fournette?
Obviously, there are concerns with Fournette off the field, but he makes up for a lot of that on the field with his production and the talent that we all know he possesses.
He would fit in perfectly in that Buccaneers offensive system and would elevate this unit in terms of talent. Adding a player of Fournette’s caliber would give Tom Brady yet another option and make Tampa Bay potentially the most balanced and explosive offensive attack in the league.
And we should mention that the running backs have not lived up to their billing as of yet, with many dropped passes and failure to get much going in the running game during practice.
That being said, it wouldn’t seem likely that the Buccaneers are going to pursue him at this point for multiple reasons, the biggest being cap space. Tampa would have to free up some space to sign Fournette (likely to a one-year deal) because even with the baggage, he’ll still likely attract a decent amount of cash.
In addition, bringing a guy in less than two weeks from the beginning of the season doesn’t seem like much of a recipe for success, either.
When you add in the risks of taking Fournette with the cash considerations and the potential chemistry hurdles, it paints a picture that tells us the chance of the Bucs claiming the running back are little.