The exodus of key pieces from the Jacksonville Jaguars team that played in an AFC Championship game in 2017 is nearly complete, with Leonard Fournette being released earlier this week.
Fournette, coming off his second 1,000 yard rushing season of his career in 2019, was let go but he won’t be leaving the state of Florida. According to multiple reports on Wednesday night, Fournette is headed to the gulf coast of Florida to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and bolster a backfield behind Tom Brady that already has a young, promising running back in Ronald Jones.
It’s an agreement in principle on a one-year deal between Leonard Fournette and the Buccaneers, per source. https://t.co/c8zfr1VFFv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 3, 2020
The #Bucs and RB Leonard Fournette have an agreement in principle, source said. And Tom Brady has a new RB. A big-time one.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2020
Fournette himself confirmed the news on Twitter shortly after.
.@Buccaneers
#GoBucs pic.twitter.com/IEX9jXHQAf
— 7⃣ Leonard Fournette (@_fournette) September 3, 2020
As Adam Schefter reports, it will be a one-year deal for Fournette as the Bucs go all-in on this season to surround Brady with capable weapons. They’ve already brought in Rob Gronkowski out of retirement to pair him with the only quarterback he’s ever played for and LeSean McCoy this offseason, along with signing Ndamukong Suh to beef up the interior of their defense. The Bucs offense will have little in the way of excuses this season for a breakout year with Brady under center and everyone they’ve spent on to give him targets and ball-carriers around him. The question is whether it’s enough to overcome the Saints atop the NFC South this season.