The Buccaneers already have Tom Brady and Ryan Jensen back for the 2022 season with more to come. Could Leonard Fournette join them?
In the grand scheme of free agency, a cash-strapped team like the Buccaneers needs to focus on nearly every position other than running back. Giving a running back a huge payday could take away from a number of other key positions.
However, a running back wanting to play in Tampa, more specifically, a running back that wants to stay in Tampa, is a different story.
Leonard Fournette looked like a likely departure from the Buccaneers just a week ago. A lengthy Instagram post thanked everyone for the memories, had several photos from the amazing moments of Playoff Lenny in Tampa, and it looked like an open and shut case.
A running back that made himself a lot of money turning his career around would reap the benefits of free agency and sign with a team that was better-suited to compete.
All of that changes with the return of Tom Brady. That Instagram post isn’t there anymore.
Leonard Fournette’s Instagram is now missing the assumed to be “goodbye Tampa” post from a few days ago 👀
— 𝗭𝗮𝗰 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗻𝗲𝗿🎙 (@ZacOnTheMic) March 14, 2022
Wonder why he would delete dat… 😈 #Bucs pic.twitter.com/oXoirQcoJ3
These are the types of moments that fuel offseason and free agency buzz. Deleting posts on social media gets a lot more coverage than it should for most other scenarios, but this is a very interesting one for the Bucs.
Leonard Fournette has experienced a change of heart. Either he is no longer grateful for his time in Tampa, which would be very strange, or he is perhaps not so set on saying good-bye after all.
We are going to focus on the second scenario.
Leonard Fournette gives the Buccaneers a great option
This is a very interesting idea because staying in Tampa on a cheap contract shouldn’t be Fournette’s main focus. He already has a ring, and the free agent market may never be this good for Fournette again in his career. Is it worth it to stay with the Bucs to win, even if that means sacrificing what could be the biggest payday of his career?
It seems like Fournette is at least considering the idea. Bucs fans certainly wouldn’t hate it, and Tom Brady getting to keep one of his reliable offensive weapons is never a bad idea.
The next few hours should be very telling as we inch closer to the start of free agency, and it’s a great feeling to be back in the driver’s seat as one of the best teams in the league.
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