The Buccaneers weren’t ready to face life without running back Leonard Fournette.
The excellent free agency period continues for the Buccaneers. After going for several offensive weapons on the market and trading for Shaq Mason, Tampa’s offense hasn’t stopped improving with its off-season moves.
The one position with the most question marks for 2022 was running back. Ronald Jones is gone, and the Bucs didn’t look like they were in a great position to pay Leonard Fournette.
Fortunately, the Buccaneers were able to make magic happen again after giving Fournette a relatively modest deal of three years for $21 million.
#Bucs are re-signing RB Leonard Fournette to 3 year, $21 million deal. Could earn as much as $24 million. Tom Brady has his RB1 back again.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) March 22, 2022
While fans may focus on the total, seven million dollars for one of the best running backs in the NFL is far from a bad deal. Teams that pay backs like the Panthers or the Cowboys are where paying running backs hurts.
A modest deal like this for Fournette with only nine million dollars in guarantees is almost no risk.
Should Fournette work out, the Bucs have a quality back that can do everything well for the next three seasons without breaking the bank. The run game was extremely consistent under Fournette during his time as a Buc, and maintaining that pace is a great way for the Buccaneers to emerge as a better running team.
On the other hand, if the Bucs find another quality option and decide that moving on from Fournette is the best option for any reason, cutting bait won’t financially cripple the team.
Regardless, Tom Brady is a better quarterback with Fournette on the field. The run game and the passing game open up completely with a back that has hands and can block, and Fournette fits that bill perfectly.
While no one should expect any of these three-year deals to keep Brady in Tampa long-term, moves like this certainly help the Super Bowl chances in 2022.
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