Analyst suggests ex Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette joins AFC South foe

Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette is coming off an unremarkable stint with the Buffalo Bills but is not ready to hang up the cleats just yet. He's made it clear that he wants to keep his career going and has hired new representation to make it happen. While there's not much demand for Lenny's services right now, Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports believes he would be a fit with three teams. One of them plays in the same division as the Jags.

Sullivan sees the Dallas Cowboys, the New England Patriots, and the Indianapolis Colts as potential landing spots for Fournette. All three clubs have questions at running back, so they could kick the tires on him if they wanted to.

If Fournette signed with the Colts, he would face off against Jacksonville twice next season. As Sullivan points out, Jonathan Taylor hasn't been nearly as dominant as he was in 2021 because injuries have held him back. His backup in 2023, Zach Moss, bolted for the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency, so Indy might want to have insurance in case the former Offensive Player of the Year cannot regain his old form.

Fournette, the fourth overall pick in 2017, is 29, so maybe he still has a bit of gas in the tank. He had two 1,000-yard seasons in Jacksonville and became a key cog on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense when the Jags released him in 2020. On the other hand, he hardly garnered any interest from clubs last year and spent most of the season in the Bills' practice squad.

That said, demand for Fournette could ramp up the next two months if teams suffer an injury at running back in training camp or they decide that they need help (or depth at the position).

Leonard Fournette's stint with the Jaguars was a mixed bag

Leonard Fournette crossed the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie and was part of the Jaguars team that reached the AFC Championship. However, he averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry and was fined several times for being late or outright missing meetings. Moreover, he was suspended a couple times during his stint in Duval. One in 2017 for leaving early in the BYE week and for fighting the following year.

Maybe if Fournette had become a mainstay of the offense, the pick wouldn't have looked that bad but the Jags were ready to move on from him in 2020. That year, they put him on the trade block but got no offers, so they waived him. What makes his selection even worse is that the front office could've come out of the 2017 draft with a franchise quarterback but opted to go running back.

In the end, Fournette's departure worked out fine for both parties. He went on to win a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers and the Jaguars found an adequate replacement (at least for a year) in James Robinson.

Now, Fournette wants to show everyone that he's not done. Maybe he'll get his chance but currently has no takers.

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