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Leonard Fournette was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday and is now looking for a new NFL home after three years in Florida.
The 2017 first-round pick continues to ascend in the league and his pass-catching skills were taken to the next level last season. Fournette was targeted 100 times through the air, while grabbing 76 balls for 522 yards. He also accumulated 1,152 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 265 attempts — averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
So, should Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots make an attempt to add depth onto an already deep running back crew?
Yes — for a couple of reasons. The Patriots could sign him on a cheap deal and they have a few injuries that could impact this group mightily. New England is also the betting favorite to sign the elite running back.
Any team that signs Fournette off waivers can get him for $4.1 million in real-life and cap money, according to Spoctrac. After New England’s league-high opt-out situation, the Patriots have over $31 million in cap space. Fournette’s too talented of a player to pass up on such a small potential contract situation.
Sony Michel and Lamar Miller have potential to compete with some of the league’s best running backs, but they both are at high risk for injury. Michel is spending training camp on the PUP list after having foot surgery in the offseason. Miller missed the 2019 campaign with a torn ACL and is far from a sure thing at this point, even though he just got off the PUP list.
If Michel and Miller can’t start the season or miss time, the Patriots will rely on James White, Damien Harris and Rex Burkhead to hold the backfield down. It’s easy to look at the backfield and think the Patriots are stacked, but one or two injuries could change the complexion of the offense.
Due to Tom Brady’s departure and the lack of time to work together as a team, there’s a strong possibility the Patriots rely on a run-heavy scheme. Fournette would be the largest back (6-foot, 228 pounds) in the mix and he would be a staple in the offense immediately.
New England has the money and lacks the offensive power they’ve had in the past. It only makes sense to add another extremely talented back to the mix and pound the rock for at least the start of the season.
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