Do the Jacksonville Jaguars move on from Leonard Fournette?

After two seasons in the NFL and injuries, suspensions and questionable behavior, will the Jacksonville Jaguars move on from Leonard Fournette?

It might be the one question Jacksonville Jaguars fans want to be answered later rather than sooner. Will the idea of releasing or trading 2017 first-round draft pick Leonard Fournette really happen?

It is beginning to look like more of a reality with each passing day. A running back with talent that has been compared to the great runners in league history may have worn out his welcome in such a short amount of time in North Florida.

It did not have to be this way. Fournette, a star at LSU and the fourth pick in the NFL Draft in ’17 has been a questionable participant on the roster this. Injuries are a part of football, which has nagged him in his sophomore season. However, the discussions behind closed doors and the rumors circulating on sports talk radio in the city paints a picture that the Jaguars and their player are traveling different paths. Management and ownership are tired of the situation, one that might be solved before the start of NFL free agency.

While many of us believed the questions surrounding whether or not Blake Bortles would be back in Jaguars uniform in 2019 would control the Internet and talk show circuit this offseason, this boiling situation with Fournette and most notably executive vice-president of football operations, Tom Coughlin, must resolve itself.

If not the team and player must file for an amicable divorce.

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"“As the Jaguars begin working to improve on their woeful 5-11 year and build a playoff contender, they are acting like a team that is ready to be done with Fournette,” Florida Times-Union writer Philip Heilman wrote."

The Jaguars go into the offseason with running backs Corey Grant and T.J. Yeldon ready to test free agency. Neither is expected to return. The loss of Fournette would leave David Williams as the lone running back on the roster. Take into account Jacksonville once again expected to use the run to set up the pass this season, it’s a huge blow to a franchise that has not faired well with first round picks in the David Caldwell era as general manager.

Per ESPN.com and other sources, the Jaguars notified running back Fournette that his suspension late last month for fighting with Buffalo’s Shaq Lawson in a 24-21 loss at Buffalo had voided the remaining guarantees in his four-year rookie contract.

It is something that coach Doug Marrone confirmed Monday when he met with the media for the last time following a 20-3 loss to Houston to end the season. Leonard Fournette drew the ire of Coughlin when he and Yeldon were seen multiple times on television on Sunday sitting together on the bench during the game, clearly uninvolved in any of the activities if the game with their teammates.

It was something Coughlin publically addressed, stating it was “disrespectful”. Now, with the offseason beginning, what happens to Fournette remains a mystery. Can the relationship be mended and the focus of the Jaguars offense still center around No. 27?

Fournette has always been the star on the field, the chosen one, the player whose God-given talent put him head and shoulders above everyone else. In the NFL, however, there are plenty of other stars who are in the same situation and make it a point to continue to push forward. Even with the hamstring injury that plagued him this year, it appears he did not put forth the effort to get better, rehab his injury and become the leader that the “C” on his jersey for team captain warrants.

There is a chance Leonard Fournette and the Jaguars can mend their relationship. He is still young and coachable. He also could still be another Hall of Fame running back when his career is over. Right now, Jacksonville cannot allow that to happen with another franchise.

The Jaguars will return to veteran minicamp after the NFL Draft, hopefully with slimmer, more focused Fournette in the fold. While trading him or releasing him may alleviate some of the headache this organization is feeling right now with this situation, having him running the football for the Jaguars is better than him running around the field for someone else.

Jacksonville should double down and gamble that next season will be better than this past one. If Fournette is a 1,200-yard runner next season, all is forgotten. If he is injured and out of shape at any point in 2019, then the Jaguars will have no choice but to make a harsh decision about another failed first-round draft pick.