Leonard Fournette - Pro Football Rumors

Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin Done For Year

December 20th, 2021 at 1:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Chris Godwin‘s season is over. On Monday, the Buccaneers announced that the wide receiver has been diagnosed with a torn ACL, ruling him out for the remainder of the season as well as the postseason.

Godwin was forced out in the first half of last night’s game against the Saints with a knee injury. As recently as this morning, the Bucs were optimistic about his outlook — doctors believed that he was dealing with an MCL sprain that would only shelve him for a few weeks. Unfortunately, it’s far worse than that. Godwin is now set for surgery and an offseason of rehab as the rest of the Bucs push for another title.

As expected, Godwin has been a focal point of Tampa’s offense this year. Through 14 games, he notched 98 catches for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns (as well as one rushing TD). Even with the impending return of Antonio Brown, his presence will be sorely missed.

On the plus side, the Bucs have received better news regarding fellow star receiver Mike Evans and running back Leonard Fournette. Their hamstring injuries may cost them time, but they should be ready to go sometime before the playoffs (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

The timing is doubly bad for Godwin since he’s months away from free agency. Before the injury, he was poised to shatter the WR market. He’s currently fifth in the league with 1,103 yards, trailing only Cooper Kupp, Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams, and Tyreek Hill. Up until the injury, he was in line for something similar to his breakout 2019 — 1,333 yards with nine scores.

The Bucs, now without Godwin, remain in the NFC South driver’s seat at 10-4. They’ll have a chance to clinch on Sunday when they face the Panthers.

Buccaneers Re-Sign Leonard Fournette

March 26th, 2021 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: The Buccaneers are keeping the band together. On Friday, GM Jason Licht struck a new one-year deal with running back Leonard Fournette (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Fournette is set to earn $3.25MM with the chance to reach $4MM via incentives. Apparently, that was enough for Fournette to say no to the Seahawks and other suitors.

The former No. 4 overall pick found his way to the Bucs after the Jaguars dropped him last summer. Serving as Ronald Jones‘ backup for much of the year, Fournette shined as the starter from Week 15 onward. In the regular season, Fournette averaged 3.8 yards per carry in 13 games. He also reeled in 36 passes for 233 yards, giving him 600 all-purpose yards for the year. He saved his best for the playoffs, collecting four touchdowns and 448 yards from scrimmage in four games.

The Buccaneers’ high-powered passing offense certainly had something to do with his resurgence. With the Jaguars’, Fournette faced stacked boxes on 39% of his carries from 2017-19. In Tampa, he’s got tons of offensive weapons around him to keep defenses honest.

Some wondered if the Buccaneers would be able to keep their core in tact after their Super Bowl victory. But, in the last month, they’ve held on to Fournette, Chris Godwin, Shaquil Barrett, Lavonte David, Rob Gronkowski, Ndamukong Suh, and other key pieces. Next, the Bucs will look to re-sign wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Buccaneers’ Leonard Fournette Considering Seahawks Offer

March 16th, 2021 at 10:03am CST by Zachary Links

So far, the Buccaneers have kept most of the band together. Meanwhile, running back Leonard Fournette is considering a competitive offer from the Seahawks, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter).

The former fourth-overall pick was unceremoniously let go by the Jaguars at the end of the 2020 preseason. He ultimately had to settle for a one-year, $2MM deal with Tampa Bay, and he served as Ronald Jones‘ backup during the early parts of the season. Fournette filled in as starter in Week 15, and he didn’t let go of that role through the rest of the season and playoffs. He brought his best during the postseason, collecting four scores and 448 yards from scrimmage in four games.

“We’ll see,” Fournette said of his Bucs future in a recent interview. “Right now, I’m just enjoying the process right now with this W with this organization and my team. You never know what the future holds for me right now, you know? I wound up ending on a great note. I’d love to be back. We’ll have to talk to my agent and see what they’re talking about.”

The Seahawks recently decided against franchise tagging Chris Carson, which would put them in the market for help at running back. Of course, quarterback Russell Wilson would probably prefer the team to put more of their resources towards building a stronger offensive line.

RB Leonard Fournette Discusses Future With Buccaneers

February 11th, 2021 at 7:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a playoff run that saw him score four total touchdowns, Leonard Fournette could be eying a pay increase in 2021. However, when all is said and done, the running back would like to stick with the Buccaneers.

“We’ll see,” Fournette said during an appearance on ESPN (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “Right now, I’m just enjoying the process right now with this W with this organization and my team. You never know what the future holds for me right now, you know? I wound up ending on a great note. I’d love to be back. We’ll have to talk to my agent and see what they’re talking about.”

The former fourth-overall pick was unceremoniously let go by the Jaguars at the end of the 2020 preseason. He ultimately had to settle for a one-year, $2MM deal with Tampa Bay, and he served as Ronald Jones‘ backup during the early parts of the season. Fournette filled in as starter in Week 15, and he didn’t let go of that role through the rest of the season and playoffs. He brought his best during the postseason, collecting four scores and 448 yards from scrimmage in four games.

Aaron Jones, Chris Carson, and Kenyan Drake sit atop the free agent market, but Fournette could easily slide into that second tier of free agent running backs. It’s conceivable that the Buccaneers could look to pay up for Fournette’s services; Ronald Jones only has a year remaining on his contract, leaving 2020 third-rounder Ke’Shawn Vaughn as the only long-term answer at the position. On the flip side, the Buccaneers may find it’s more responsible to pursue ring-chasing veterans instead up paying up to retain Fournette.

Buccaneers Interested In Re-Signing Leonard Fournette

February 7th, 2021 at 4:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers would like to bring Leonard Fournette back for another season (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). As it stands, Fournette has just one game — the Super Bowl — left on his contract.

Fournette joined the Bucs on one-year deal worth up to $3.5MM in September. Over the last year, he’s served as a solid RB2 behind Ronald Jones II, notching 3.8 yards per carry in 13 games. Fournette also snagged 36 passes for 233 yards, giving him 600 all-purpose yards for the year.

As the centerpiece of the Jaguars’ offense, Fournette faced stacked boxes on 39% of his carries from 2017-19. With the Bucs, he’s surrounded by a number of offensive weapons, forcing defenses to keep things honest. Fournette’s stats don’t exactly jump off of the page, but the Bucs like what they’ve gotten out of the former No. 4 overall pick.

Still, the Bucs may look to lock up Jones for the long haul, which would cut into available funds for Fournette. Some wondered if the former Jags star would leapfrog Jones this year — he responded with 5.1 ypc for a career season.

NFC South Notes: Bucs, Forbath, Saints

September 17th, 2020 at 5:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Currently in the Buccaneers‘ concussion protocol, Chris Godwin may miss their Week 2 game against the Panthers. But the 2019 breakout wide receiver still looms as a candidate to sign a lucrative extension. The fourth-year wideout is willing to be patient ahead of his next contract, with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com noting (Insider link) the former third-round pick is willing to negotiate with the Bucs through the franchise tag or ahead of free agency. In April, Jason Licht said the team wants Godwin around for the long haul.

The Bucs already authorized a $16.5MM-per-year deal for Mike Evans — one of just two players ever to start a career with six straight 1,000-yard seasons (along with Randy Moss) — and the receiver market has ballooned since. A Godwin deal could come in north of $20MM annually, which would put Evans in a bit of a strange spot. With Godwin and Evans a big part of Tom Brady‘s two-year Tampa Bay commitment, the younger of the two Pro Bowl Bucs wideouts stands in good position as his contract season begins.

Here is the latest from Tampa and other NFC South cities:

Lavonte David began negotiating with the Bucs on another extension nearly three weeks ago. The sides have not made much progress, but Fowler notes David wants to retire as a Buccaneer. The 2012 second-round pick signed a five-year, $50.25MM deal in 2015. David joins Godwin as a contract-year Buccaneer, so the team will need to address one of these deals before free agency — in order to keep the franchise tag free for the other. David, 30, led all linebackers with 724 solo tackles during the 2010s and can conceivably push for a deal in the Bobby Wagner neighborhood ($18MM AAV).
Godwin and Evans represent a key reason why Leonard Fournette opted for a Tampa stay. The former Jaguars running back said the weapons the Bucs possess played a role in him agreeing to head to south Florida, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. As the centerpiece of the Jaguars’ offense for a while, Fournette faced stacked boxes on 39% of his carries from 2017-19, Palmer notes. Fournette received six touches in his Bucs debut but figures to become a bigger part of the offense in the games to come.
In addition to trading for Rob Gronkowski, the Bucs made another move to accommodate their new quarterback. They have given Brady’s trainer, Alex Guerrero, an office at their facility, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. The Patriots did this at one point too but removed the TB12 co-architect’s office later. Guerrero is working with Brady, Gronk and several other Bucs, per La Canfora, who adds that some believe the Pats souring on Guerrero helped lead Brady out of New England.
The Panthers worked out Kai Forbath on Thursday. Second-year kicker Joey Slye, whom the team went with over former Pro Bowler Graham Gano, made all three of his field goal tries in Week 1 but missed a PAT. Slye missed four extra points last season. Carolina does not have a kicker on its practice squad.
Panthers rookie UDFA Sam Franklin has moved from linebacker to safety, according to defensive coordinator Phil Snow (via The Athletic’s Joe Person, on Twitter). Franklin’s primary role still figures to be special teams this season. He played 18 special teams snaps against the Raiders compared to just two on defense.
The Saints worked out defensive lineman Anthony Zettel on Thursday. The journeyman D-lineman signed a one-year Vikings deal earlier this year but did not stick on their roster.

NFC South Notes: Saints, Clowney, Bucs

September 9th, 2020 at 6:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Before Jadeveon Clowney signed with the Titans, the Saints attempted to orchestrate a sign-and-trade in order to land the star edge rusher — but the NFL put the kibosh on such a maneuver, as Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com write. In the proposed scenario, an unidentified team (widely believed to be the Browns) would have signed Clowney to a one-year deal with a $5MM signing bonus and a $10MM base salary.

Clowney then would have been dealt to the Saints in exchange for a second-round pick, per the NFL scribes. The mystery team would have absorbed the $5MM signing bonus on its salary cap, giving the cap-strapped Saints the breathing room they would have needed in order to acquire Clowney. But the league office gave word it wouldn’t approve a deal that amounted to trading cap space.

“We felt like we got close,” Saints head coach Sean Payton said, via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “We weren’t able to match the money, and that’s one of the challenges every year. Mickey (Loomis) and Khai (Harley) did a great job working with (Clowney’s agent).” The Ravens may have also attempted a sign-and-trade strategy to land Clowney, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk indicates Baltimore tried to arrange a similar strategy involving the Jaguars. Tennessee ultimately landed Clowney on a one-year, $13MM pact that includes $2MM in incentives.

Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans is dealing with a hamstring injury and could be a game-time decision for Sunday’s tilt against the Saints, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Evans ended last season on injured reserve with a hamstring issue, but he hadn’t missed any time during camp, so the injury must have flared up recently. If Evans is forced to miss Week 1, Chris Godwin could see even more targets than usual, while Justin Watson and Scotty Miller would likely become more involved in Tampa Bay’s offense.
The Buccaneers‘ backfield split became extremely murky following the addition of Leonard Fournette, but head coach Bruce Arians says Ronald Jones is still the club’s starter, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Of course, Arians has been anything but fully truthful when it comes to running back touches over the years, but Jones should at least get the first snap of 2020. Arians said Fournette will have a “situational role” in Week 1 (Twitter link via Pewter Report), while LeSean McCoy should still be a factor on passing downs. Tampa Bay also worked out a number of running backs, including veteran Kenjon Barner, earlier this week, tweets Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com.
Saints owner Gayle Benson has thankfully recovered after contracting COVID-19 in August, as Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk writes. The 73-year-old Benson was not forced to spend any time in the hospital while quarantined, and was still able to take part in team business.

Buccaneers Sign RB Leonard Fournette

September 3rd, 2020 at 9:46am CST by Rory Parks

The Bucs got their man. Shortly after it was reported that Tampa was pursuing former Jacksonville RB Leonard Fournette, the Bucs agreed to terms with the 2017 first-rounder, per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Grant Gordon of NFL.com).

It will be a one-year deal worth up to $3.5MM. Fournette will take home a base salary of $2MM and will have the chance to earn an extra $1.5MM in incentives based on rushing yards and playing time. Plus, since Fournette’s deal with the Jags did not include offset language, he could still pocket the $4.2MM that he was due to earn this year prior to being waived by Jacksonville if he wins his grievance against his former club.

Tampa was said to be interested in Fournette earlier this year and reportedly engaged in trade talks with Jacksonville. Ultimately, the Bucs were able to acquire him without sacrificing any draft capital, but their RB room has become pretty crowded. In addition to incumbent Ronald Jones, Tampa added Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Raymond Calais in the draft and signed veteran LeSean McCoy in July.

Prior to the Fournette signing, the team continued to tout Jones as its RB1, but Fournette is clearly the better back, even if he hasn’t quite lived up to his status as a former No. 4 overall pick. And since McCoy was signed for the veteran minimum, some have speculated that the Bucs could release him, though Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says that Shady remains in the team’s plans (Twitter link). Fournette did pick up 76 receptions out of the backfield last year, but he may see most of his work on first and second downs while McCoy becomes a third-down/passing game complement.

Fournette added 265 carries for 1,152 yards in 2019, good for a career-high 4.3 yards-per-carry average. He now has a prime opportunity to truly break out in what is shaping up to be a prolific offense.

Buccaneers Pursuing RB Leonard Fournette

September 2nd, 2020 at 5:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s add another team to the list of potential Leonard Fournette suitors. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the Buccaneers are among the teams “making a push” for the running back. Albert Breer of TheMMQB is hearing similar things, with the reporter tweeting that Tampa Bay has “emerged as a serious suitor” for Fournette.

The Buccaneers’ offense has received a major makeover this offseason, with Tom Brady, LeSean McCoy, and Rob Gronkowski joining wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. However, thanks to the team’s lavish spending, the front office doesn’t have a whole lot of financial flexibility; Greg Auman of The Athletic estimates on Twitter that the Bucs could only offer Fournette around $1.9MM without having to make another move.

While Tampa Bay may have added McCoy, the team has continued to tout Ronald Jones as their starter. The former second-rounder had a breakout campaign in 2019, finishing with 724 rushing yards and six scores on 172 carries. Of course, that production doesn’t hold a candle to Fournette, who finished last season with 1,152 rushing yards on 265 carries. He also added 76 receptions for 522 yards.

The 25-year-old was waived by the Jaguars earlier this week, and we’re naturally hearing about potential suitors. Earlier today, we heard that the Patriots could be a fit for the running back. Meanwhile, the Bears reportedly won’t pursue the former fourth-overall pick.

Patriots Interested In Leonard Fournette

September 2nd, 2020 at 3:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Leonard Fournette cleared waivers Tuesday and has at least one suitor as a free agent. The Patriots have expressed interest in the former No. 4 overall pick, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets.

The Pats saw 2018 first-rounder Sony Michel miss time again during training camp, and although recent signing Lamar Miller has been cleared and 2019 third-round pick Damien Harris has impressed, New England’s backfield is somewhat muddled as the regular season approaches.

Despite the Jaguars waiving Fournette, he should garner interest from more than just the Patriots. The LSU product has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume. He played a key role in helping a Blake Bortles-quarterbacked team to the 2017 AFC championship game, where the Jags narrowly lost to the Patriots.

Last season, Fournette rushed for a career-high 1,152 yards. However, he has only cleared 4.0 yards per carry once in a season (2019) and slumped through an injury- and suspension-marred 2018 slate. Fournette, 25, does not offer much in the passing game, but the Patriots have a veteran passing-down specialist in James White.

New England returns Michel, Rex Burkhead and White from its 2019 rotation but signed Miller last month. Miller is attempting to return from a torn ACL. Neither he nor Michel is eligible to be stashed on the Pats’ reserve/PUP list.

Thus far, however, the Patriots represent Fournette’s only known suitor. The Bears, who are without David Montgomery currently, are not looking to sign him.