Running Back One Of Many Strengths For The Jaguars
By David Levin
The Jacksonville Jaguars may have had a 1,000-yard rusher in Leonard Fournette in 2017, but there is plenty of depth at the position this season.
Leonard Fournette is not the only running back on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ roster. The second-year pro out of LSU may have led the team with 1,040 yards rushing, head coach Doug Marrone and the rest of the coaching staff is pleased with the work the other backs on the roster have done so far in the six OTA practices these past two weeks.
While the team released Chris Ivory in the offseason, Marrone told the media on Friday there is still plenty of talent to remain the top rushing offense in the NFL this coming season.
“We have Tim Cook back there [and] Brandon Wilds. Tim is a big guy. I tend to like the bigger running backs. That’s just me personally and a philosophy. I know there is value for a guy like Corey [Grant] to come in there and change the game and make some plays,” Marrone explained prior to the team’s OTA practice.
“I think T.J. [Yeldon] gives you the best of both worlds a little bit. He has looked good out there. Yesterday, he made an excellent cut to set up a free hitter. A safety that was in the box set him up and then scooted inside. That is the kind of things you’re looking to see. I like where we are as far as the backs and how they have been working.”
Fournette has not been on the field since the first practice last Tuesday, but he is expected back for the team’s mandatory minicamp. The addition of Fournette on the practice field should give this unit a boost. The 2017 first-round draft pick will be the starter, but Yeldon and Grant figure to get more carries without Ivory to share the backfield.
Yeldon is in his third season with the team and is a high-running back who can get 100 yards when needed. Grant is a small, elusive runner, is also a solid pass catcher and is a bit hit with special teams. Both could help this offense become more dynamic.
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett told the media last week Grant has the potential to be a big playmaking running back. He likes the depth at the position. The Jaguars will once again be a run-first franchise.
“There’s all these guys we’re talking about and it’s a long ways away from that first game to see what we’re going to get but I’d love to put him out there because he’s a major change-of-pace back.”
According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, Grant rarely saw opportunities outside of special teams. Most his 30 carries for 248 yards came in mop-up duty during blowout wins. Yeldon has shown he can shoulder the load at the position as he led the Jaguars with 740 yards rushing in 2016.
Marrone told the media he knows Yeldon has carried the ball 15-20 times a game in the past and would not have a problem with him doing that again.
Hackett said he was high on Grant because of the versatility he brings as a running back to this unit.
“He’s a guy that can catch the ball from the backfield,” Hackett said. “Every time we’ve given him the ball in the backfield, he’s done really good things. It’s good because you’ve got him, you’ve got T.J. right there with Leonard, so it’s a really good group of three guys that we’ve got there.”