Category: Leonard Fournette

Former Jags RB coach says team tried to ‘blackball’ Leonard Fournette

Former Jags RB coach Terry Robiskie said that the team attempted to blackball Leonard Fournette ahead of his release.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette has faced scrutiny since he entered the league as the fourth overall pick back in 2017. Though his career got off to a great start as a rookie, his production in Jacksonville slowed after that, and the team decided to waive him heading into the 2020 season.

Jaguars fans know what happened next. Fournette had a resurgence as a role player in Tampa’s backfield, and he captured a Super Bowl ring. Though things seemed to work out for Fournette, he’s still not happy about the way his time with the Jags came to an end. And he’s not alone.

Terry Robiskie, who was the Jaguars’ running back coach in 2019 and 2020, said that the Jaguars attempted to “blackball” Fournette from the team.

“I would say, yes, without a question, the Jaguars were trying to blackball him,” Robiskie said to ESPN. “It certainly wasn’t the president or the head coach or the GM, but I do know, coming out of that building, some people had said something to other teams that wasn’t true about Leonard at all.”

Fournette, for his part, echoed these sentiments

“I don’t know. What you think?” Fournette said. “I mean, you see me every day now. Do you all think it was true? I mean, you all have been around me almost a year now. Who knows, man. … I don’t know. But that’s the word that Jacksonville had put out on me, so, who knows?”

At the time, then-Jags head coach Doug Marrone said that the team had tried to trade Fournette but couldn’t receive adequate compensation from him. But Robiskie said he suspects something more nefarious was at play.

“They weren’t trying to trade him,” Robiskie said. “They were trying to cut him. Because to trade him and to have someone say, ‘We’ll give you a fifth-round pick,’ or ‘We’ll give you a sixth-round pick,’ that means he’s got value. But to cut him is degrading, especially to cut a No. 1 draft choice from three years ago, who just the year before had 1,800 yards of total offense, who pretty much just led your team in receptions. … That is the true epitome of cutting off your nose to spite your face.”

Fournette went on to have the last laugh, as he finished with 367 yards and six touchdowns as part of a championship backfield. The Jaguars made out alright, as well, finding a gem in undrafted rookie James Robinson, who was a top-five rusher last year. But with a new regime in place, the Jags will hope the souring of relationships with top draft picks is a thing of the past.

Leonard Fournette discusses how difficult it was to get past the Jags waiving him

Leonard Fournette had been a football star for most of his life, which is why being cut by the Jags took some getting used to.

Just over a year ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars made the surprising decision to waive running back Leonard Fournette, who eventually found a new home with the Tampa Bay Bucs where he won a Super Bowl title. To make matters even worse, he was a player who the Jags initially hoped would be a part of their nucleus after taking him fourth overall in 2017, but after enduring a rocky relationship, it seems as though a split was overdue. 

Of course, with Fournette being a key player, some fans couldn’t get over the move immediately and they weren’t the only ones. In an interview on ESPN’s “Jalen and Jacoby” show, Fournette said the sting of being waived by the Jags lingered into his move to the Bucs, which didn’t help the early stages of his transition.

“I think when I got cut, it kind of just set me back to what I used to do,” Fournette said, via a transcription from JoeBucsFan.com. “You know, I had to get my rhythm back. It was bothering me all through the season when I got signed by the Buccaneers. Every day, I’m like, ‘Damn, I got cut.’ So it was bothering me, too. So I had to just get my mind right, get adjusted. I was still new here, too.”

For those who watched the playoffs last season, it was clear that Fournette found his footing and was a key contributor to the Bucs playoff success. He totaled 300 rushing yards in the postseason and had three rushing touchdowns while averaging over four yards per carry. 

Ultimately, it appears both parties won in their breakup. The Jags found out they had an undrafted gem on their hands in James Robinson, who set many rookie records. Meanwhile, Fournette joined a coaching staff and roster that was more suitable to get the best out of him and finally get him back into the winning ways he witnessed in 2017 and before.

Former Jags RB Leonard Fournette aids Bucs to NFC Championship victory

Leonard Fournette is heading to the Super Bowl and he’s taking a lot of lessons learned in in Jacksonville with him.

The NFC and AFC Championship games took place yesterday, and as usual, the NFL provided the nation with some quality entertainment.

On one side, fans watched the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills duke it out in a battle that resulted in a 38-24 win for Patrick Mahomes and company. Then, on the other side, fans got to see the Tampa Bay Bucs and Green Bay Packers battle at Lambeau Field. In the end, quarterback Tom Brady (and his teammates, of course) ended up becoming the first team to host the Super Bowl in their own stadium after a 31-26 win.

Many Jags took the field in both games, but none may be more notable than former Jags running back Leonard Fournette, who has had quite a postseason. His run as a big-time contributor for the Bucs continued Sunday, as he found the end-zone in the second quarter. During a run on the Packers’ 20-yard line, Fournette had a rushing attempt where he veered right and eluded several defenders.

In the open field, he was able to juke past cornerback Jaire Alexander and put a spin move on safety Adrian Amos to find his way to the end-zone. Simply put, it was a beautiful run that was one of the best of the postseason.

https://youtu.be/XYY8LIbaS_Q

Ultimately, Fournette ended up with 70 total yards on the day with 55 yards coming on the ground and 19 coming through the air.

After the game, Fournette expressed how emotional the 2020 season has been for him as he went from being arrested in 2019 for traffic violations, to being cut in August of last year, to a trip to the Super Bowl.

“It feels good just to be a Buc,” Fournette said Sunday, via the team’s official transcript. “(Brady) is a great one. I just thank God every day. I was crying for like 30 minutes — I was on the phone with my mom and my dad just [talking] about my journey. First, in Jacksonville, from me going to jail, from me getting cut — I think it’s a wonderful story how it’s playing out.”

Fournette had fans on both sides of the spectrum when it came to whether he was liked or not in Duval. Those of them who liked and connected with him probably couldn’t be happier for him as he now has a chance to be a world champion.

Several former Jags make key contributions in divisional rounds

Many fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars were glued to their televisions this weekend like much of America for the NFL’s divisional playoff games, which had some great moments. Ultimately, it ended up being both the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay …

Many fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars were glued to their televisions this weekend like much of America for the NFL’s divisional playoff games, which had some great moments. Ultimately, it ended up being both the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Bucs who advanced to the conference playoffs Sunday and both will take on the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers, respectively, who punched their tickets Saturday.

When looking at this weekend’s games, many fans couldn’t help but notice several former Jags on the field, but there were three in particular who were huge for their teams making it to the next round. Those players were Packers receivers Allen Lazard, Leonard Fournette, and Chad Henne.

Lazard was the first to play of the three, as the Packers took the field Saturday afternoon. Despite the Packers being stacked at receiver, it was the second-year star who led the team in receiving, catching four balls for 96 yards and a touchdown.

With Jalen Ramsey coming into town, it was expected that their No. 1 target Davante Adams would have his hands full. However, quarterback Aaron Rodgers did what he does best and relied on his other options when Adams was covered. That opened up ample opportunities for Lazard to have himself a day, including the Packers’ last touchdown, which was a 58-yard bomb that occurred in the last quarter.

https://youtu.be/zsU4l3VW-Zk

Henne, who is in his 13th season, had to be inserted into the Chiefs divisional matchup against the Cleveland Browns after former league MVP Patrick Mahomes sustained a concussion in the second half. His performance wasn’t perfect by any means as he threw a terrible pick to Carl Joseph with Kansas City in range for a long field goal around the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

https://youtu.be/VpghUCKcjVU

Ultimately, the pick wasn’t back-breaking as Henne got a chance to redeem himself on the Chiefs’ last drive. After the two-minute warning, the Chiefs found themselves in a third and 14 situation. With the team looking to avoid punting the ball and giving the Browns a chance for a game-winning touchdown, one more first-down was needed to bleed out the clock.

Henne, who isn’t known for his speed, got over 13 of the yards in the most unlikely of ways: with his feet. He then put the Chiefs in a fourth and inches situation where Andy Reid made a gutsy call to hit Tyreek Hill on a short out pattern, ending the game and making Henne a hero.

The last of the three aforementioned players, Leonard Fournette, was in the zone and channeled what many have deemed as “#playoffLenny.” In a game where the Bucs and Saints were neck-and-neck, Fournette was a key source of Tampa’s offense. He ran the ball well in the early part of the game and also made some key contributions in the passing game.

While Fournette ultimately finished with just 17 carries for 67 yards on the ground, he garnered 107 yards of total offense. The former Jags first-round pick also had a touchdown reception, which came in the third quarter and tied the game at 20-20.

https://youtu.be/hp95uiLUQ2M

With the divisional rounds set for Sunday, it’s going to be interesting to see which former Jags advance to the Super Bowl. Right now, the Chiefs and the Packers are favored by BetMGM, and if that were to happen, Lazard and former Jags tight end Marcedes Lewis would be among the notable former Jags participating in the Super Bowl.

Previewing Jags’ RB group after Leonard Fournette’s departure

The Jags will be proceeding through this season without Leonard Fournette, but love the talent they had behind.

The Leonard Fournette era is officially over in Jacksonville as the Jags waived him Monday morning. After clearing waivers, the former first-round selection joined the Tampa Bay Bucs and will now have the chance to compete for a Super Bowl title with veterans like Tom Brady, Mike Evans, and Rob Gronkowski on the roster.

As for the Jags, Fournette’s departure has left many fans wondering about the running backs who remain on the roster and what they bring to the table. That said, after previewing the running backs before camp, we’ve decided to go back and look at the group for evaluations.

Here is our best guess as to how the depth chart will look come Week 1:

RB1: Devine Ozigbo

The Jags rarely used Divine Ozigbo last season after picking him up before Week 1 of the 2019 season. He only was able to register nine carries for 27 yards but that will change this season as he’s received solid reviews in camp.

It’s unknown who will be the Jags’ true “starting” running back, but it feels as though Ozigbo is the top candidate. He’s arguably had the best camp of any running back on the roster and Doug Marrone recently said he’s one of the running backs on the team who is a three-down rusher. That said, with James Robinson being a rookie and Ryquell Armstead missing various days of practice, the signs point to Ozigbo being atop the depth chart for Week 1.

RB2: James Robinson

Earlier this season, we predicted that James Robinson would make the team, and losing Fournette only helps his case more. Additionally, he’s received great reviews like Ozigbo, and veteran Chris Thompson even went on to say the rookie has the best vision of the running backs group as a whole.

Sure, it would be nice to see Robinson take the field in some preseason but the staff likes what they’ve seen in practice as he brings a nice blend of power and patience in addition to the vision Thompson mentioned. With those traits, one can see why the team is high on him as CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco pointed out this week.

RB3: Ryquell Armstead

Like Ozigbo, Armstead will definitely be getting his share of carries with Fournette gone. That’s a good thing because he was underutilized in 2019, only accumulating 35 carries for 108 yards.

The reason we didn’t put Armstead down as the No. 2 is due to him missing a lot of camp on the Reserve/COVID-19 though he was eventually removed. He’s also missed the last few practices with a non-COVID related illness, which is giving Robinson ample opportunities to continue to impress.

RB1 (third-downs): Chris Thompson

Chris Thompson is the most experienced running back in the locker room and he also has a big chance to make an impact from the backfield. Unfortunately, he’s battled with injuries and only has one career start to his name. For both of those reasons, it seems that it’s unlikely he’ll start and will be utilized more as a third-down rusher.

Thompson’s strength is pass-catching as he will come into 2020 with 1,772 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, much of which came while being paired with offensive coordinator Jay Gruden in Washington. His  presence as a receiver out of the backfield will be key because Fournette was a huge contributor in that department. In fact, in 2019, Fournette had a career year as a receiver, garnering 522 yards through the air — a total good for fifth in the NFL among running backs.

RB4: Nathan Cottrell

Like Robinson, Nathan Cottrell was a part of the Jags’ 2020 undrafted rookie class. Of course, with him coming in at the bottom of our list he hasn’t been nearly as impressive but could be an option for practice squad.

FB1: Bruce Miller

The Jaguars appear to be on the verge of bringing the fullback position back after going through 2019 without one. However, the team seemingly wanted someone with more experience at the position, so they added former San Francisco 49ers fullback, Bruce Miller, on Aug. 15 and waived undrafted rookie Connor Slomka.

Miller hadn’t played since 2015 so it will be interesting to see if the Jags keep him. He was one of the better fullbacks in football before an alleged off-the-field incident where he was accused of assault derailed his career. However, the charges were dropped and the Jags decided to give him another chance.

If the Jags feel he’s close to being the player he was before 2015, he could make the team, but if not — they could go in another direction.

Leonard Fournette finds a new home with Bucs

Leonard Fournette has found a new team and will remain in Florida.

It didn’t take long at all for former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette to find a new team as NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that he’s headed to Tampa Bay. That’s right, Fournette will be remaining in the state of Florida and will be joining Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Bruce Arians, and company.

Moments later, Fournette confirmed the news himself by posting an edit of him in a Bucs uniform on social media.

The Jags shocked the NFL community by waiving Fournette Monday morning. According to coach Doug Marrone it wasn’t off the field or character related, but more so because the Jags liked what they saw out of their other running backs.

“Well, I think what happened was I tried to challenge everyone, coaches and scouts, to look at what we’ve been doing in practice. Not knowing how the players are going to come back, not knowing who we had, not having a lot of experience to them and that we’d have to make good decisions on what’s best for the team. Let’s not go ahead and say ‘well, because this player did this before, we’ll get the same type of results’,” Marrone said Monday.

“Really we’ve just tried to take the team and put the best team together from what we’ve seen in our practices. At the end of the day, I felt that was the best decision for our team and think it gives us the best opportunity with the skill sets that we have with the other players in there. I just felt that’s what’s best for the team. And doing it now, we’ve exhausted all trade opportunities and weren’t able to get anything there so I just felt we can now work on the team, the plan, and getting ready for the season.”

In connecting the dots, not only did it feel like the Jags didn’t view him as a scheme fit for new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, but it also feels like they are looking to utilized a committee approach at running back. With Fournette wanting to be a volume back, this could’ve presented problems.

Fournette will join a running backs group in Tampa that consists of Ronald Jones II, LeSean McCoy, and Ke’Shawn Vaughn among notables. He’ll enter his career in Tampa with 2,631 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. As a pass-catcher, he’ll enter 2020 with just over 1,000 yards for two touchdowns.

Update: Per Ian Rapoport, Fournette’s deal is a one-year deal that could max out at $3.5 million.

Bucs among several teams interested in former Jags RB Leonard Fournette

Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette officially became a free-agent Tuesday after going through the waiver wire unclaimed. However, that didn’t mean several teams weren’t interested in his services despite the season being less …

Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette officially became a free-agent Tuesday after going through the waiver wire unclaimed. However, that didn’t mean several teams weren’t interested in his services despite the season being less than two weeks away.

Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, there are several teams who are indeed interested in Fournette and one of them are in the same state as the Jags.

This comes as no surprise as we listed the Tampa Bay Bucs as a suitor earlier in the week. While they will likely utilize a pass-heavy offense under Bruce Arians, Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and company, the Bucs have been active on the running backs market and their desire for rushers has been clear. Additionally, he proved to be a solid pass-catcher in 2019, garnering 522 receiving yards (ranked fifth among RBs) last season.

The Jags stunned the NFL community Monday by waiving the fourth-year tailback. While they did try to trade him around the draft period and showed their hand, moving on from a player two weeks before the season isn’t ideal. That said, the team decided to pull the trigger late as Doug Marrone told the media that the staff really liked what they saw out of the Jags’ other tailbacks in practice.

“Well, I think what happened was I tried to challenge everyone, coaches and scouts, to look at what we’ve been doing in practice. Not knowing how the players are going to come back, not knowing who we had, not having a lot of experience to them and that we’d have to make good decisions on what’s best for the team. Let’s not go ahead and say ‘well, because this player did this before, we’ll get the same type of results’,” Marrone said Monday.

“Really we’ve just tried to take the team and put the best team together from what we’ve seen in our practices. At the end of the day, I felt that was the best decision for our team and think it gives us the best opportunity with the skill sets that we have with the other players in there. I just felt that’s what’s best for the team. And doing it now, we’ve exhausted all trade opportunities and weren’t able to get anything there so I just felt we can now work on the team, the plan, and getting ready for the season.”

The other teams who are interested in Fournette aren’t known at the moment, but the Bucs definitely should have strong competition for his services. At just 25-years-of-age, his career could certainly take off with the right team, which is why many fans of the NFL will be monitoring him closely.

Leonard Fournette clears waivers, files grievance against Jags for over $4M

Leonard Fournette is now a free-agent. However, it appears he still has unfinished business with the Jags.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette went unclaimed on the waiver wire Tuesday. As a result, the 25-year-old is officially a free-agent who will have the luxury to sign wherever he wants.

However, while he finds a team he’ll also be looking to recoup his base salary of $4.167 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

As many fans can recall, the Jags made the decision to void the remaining guarantees on Fournette’s contract after he was suspended in 2018 for throwing punches at then Buffalo Bills pass-rusher Shaq Lawson. As a result, he was suspended for the following game for penalties of unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness. With his rookie deal being fully guaranteed, it’s not surprising that Fournette would look to recoup the money left on the table from his contract and ultimately time will tell if he gets it.

Fournette was abruptly waived by the Jags Monday morning after spending only three regular seasons with the team. Coach Doug Marrone told the media that it had nothing to do with any behavior or any off-the-field related issues, but was more so due to what they saw from their other tailbacks in practice.

Marrone also added that the team was unable to trade Fournette, meaning they exercised all options.

“Well, I think what happened was I tried to challenge everyone, coaches and scouts, to look at what we’ve been doing in practice. Not knowing how the players are going to come back, not knowing who we had, not having a lot of experience to them and that we’d have to make good decisions on what’s best for the team. Let’s not go ahead and say ‘well, because this player did this before, we’ll get the same type of results’,” Marrone said.

“Really we’ve just tried to take the team and put the best team together from what we’ve seen in our practices. At the end of the day, I felt that was the best decision for our team and think it gives us the best opportunity with the skill sets that we have with the other players in there. I just felt that’s what’s best for the team. And doing it now, we’ve exhausted all trade opportunities and weren’t able to get anything there so I just felt we can now work on the team, the plan, and getting ready for the season.”

Fournette entered 2020 with 2,631 career rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Some teams who seem to be fits include the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, and Kansas City Chiefs to name a few.

Marrone says decision to release Fournette was about what he saw on practice field

After the news broke that the Jaguars waived Leonard Fournette, Doug Marrone explains the team could find “no value” for the running back.

Monday morning Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone faced the media less than an hour after the news broke that the team was releasing former first-round pick Leonard Fournette.

With questions coming in left and right about the timing of the situation, Marrone was candid and forthcoming with his response, stating that the decision was based on what was seen on the practice field. He also added that the Jags had exercised every option to trade Fournette.

“Well, I think what happened was I tried to challenge everyone, coaches and scouts, to look at what we’ve been doing in practice. Not knowing how the players are going to come back, not knowing who we had, not having a lot of experience to them and that we’d have to make good decisions on what’s best for the team. Let’s not go ahead and say ‘well, because this player did this before, we’ll get the same type of results’,” Marrone said.

“Really we’ve just tried to take the team and put the best team together from what we’ve seen in our practices. At the end of the day, I felt that was the best decision for our team and think it gives us the best opportunity with the skill sets that we have with the other players in there. I just felt that’s what’s best for the team. And doing it now, we’ve exhausted all trade opportunities and weren’t able to get anything there so I just felt we can now work on the team, the plan, and getting ready for the season.”

Marrone added that the meeting between the two was also very professional.

 

This news is a little surprising as Fournette is coming off his best year in the NFL with over 1,600 all-purpose yards. However, the lack of interest in the former Louisiana State Tiger has been well documented since as far back as April. Basically, it sounds as though general manager Dave Caldwell couldn’t get anyone to bite on Fournette after having discussions around the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Jaguars running back room now consists of Chris Thompson, Ryquell Armstead, Devine Ozigbo, and undrafted rookies Nathan Cottrell and James Robinson. With Thompson being the oldest of the group and having experience under Jay Gruden’s system already, it feels as though he’ll be the new leader of the room.

As for adding a running back before Week 1, that feels unlikely at the moment, but ultimately time will tell.

Jaguars release Leonard Fournette

The Jags sent shock ways through the NFL by releasing Leonard Fournette Monday morning.

The Jacksonville Jaguars started the morning off with a shocker for fans, releasing running back and former 2017 first-round pick Leonard Fournette.

The Jaguars, who had discussions to trade Fournette around the time of the draft, have elected to make such a decision on their starting running back less than two weeks before the season opener against Indianapolis.

Fournette’s relationship with the Jaguars has been fractured for some time. When they were under the leadership of front office executive Tom Coughlin, the team attempted to void money from his contract during the 2018 season after multiple minor instances on and off the field. Fournette, a captain of the team, was suspended for throwing punches at Shaq Lawson Buffalo Bills in the same season.

Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, coach Doug Marrone is “trying to clean up the place” in what is a make or break year for him professionally. Clearly Fournette, still only 25 wasn’t a part of the team’s long-term future. That much was made clear through the decision the Jags made to decline Fournette’s fifth-year option earlier in the spring. However, nobody expected him to be released before the 2020 season.

Fournette had a much improved season in 2019, posting over 1,600 yards from scrimmage and leading the team in receptions. With his security valve gone, the pressure has now ramped up on Gardner Minshew to lead his team to victories this season. That said, one has to ask how committed the Jacksonville Jaguars are to fielding a winning product this year after annexing the focal point of their offense for the past three seasons.

Fournette’s release comes after the Jags lost another key member of their 2017 AFC Championship roster, Yannick Ngakoue. After months of being disgruntled, the Jags ultimately decided to ship him to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2021 second-round pick and a conditional 2020 fifth-rounder that can be upgraded if Ngakoue makes the Pro Bowl and/or if the Vikes go to the Super Bowl.