TAMPA, Fla – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have just signed former fourth draft pick Leonard Fournette, who the Jacksonville Jaguars did without on Monday. However, coach Bruce Arians said Ronald Jones was the team’s first turnaround, stating that veteran LeSean McCoy would still occupy a spot on the list.
“If you can get a player of that caliber – I’ve had great reviews from people who know him and who have coached him – he’ll be just right and we’ll see what role happens and how quickly it can happen.” “Arians said Thursday of Fournette.“ But RoJo is our type, Shady [McCoy] is ready for his role so over time it will just be about building roles and having enough good players to finish this thing off. “
When asked how the signing of Fournette and McCoy could be viewed as indicting Jones – especially since Jones’ hands are still in the works – Arians said, “It’s his job. Nothing has changed for him. We just have one added damn insurance and [we’ll] see what kind of roll he can cut out. But RoJo – it’s his job if he wins or loses it. He already has it so he’s gotta screw it up. I don’t see that. “
Arians said the role of Fournette was yet to be determined, but due to the high injury propensity of the position, the coach thought the team could take a step and later work out a role for Fournette.
The Bucs will rely on their floor play to create play-action opportunities for quarterback Tom Brady. They’ll also frequently use running backs in passing – something Brady has done throughout his career – and they see Fournette as a well-rounded player who can add to all three downs. (Jones has seen mostly first and second place action last year, though Arians thinks he’s more like a three point deficit.)
Since Fournette has to undergo a physical exam and pass three consecutive COVID-19 test days and the team has both Sunday and Monday off, Fournette can train on Tuesday at the earliest. Arians anticipates that Fournette will meet with coaches and teammates once he passes the COVID-19 tests and may play the New Orleans Saints in Week 1.
“I think right away,” said Arians. “He’s a very smart player and all I’ve heard from the guys who coached him [is] he will pick it up very quickly. We’re not going to force him – we don’t have to force him – so let’s just let him get it at his pace. If I know him he’ll be pretty quick. So we’ll try to get him up to speed asap and see if he can play a role for next week. “
In three NFL seasons, Fournette was banned once, disabled for one game and saw a guarantee in his contract void. When asked about character problems, Arians said he didn’t have any.
“Don’t be afraid to give a second chance,” said Arians. “The people I trust have given him good grades in everything that is important to me.” I can’t tell what’s going on in Jacksonville, but all I can say is [with] What is happening in Tampa fits in perfectly. “
Buc’s inside linebacker Devin White played with Fournette at LSU and credited him for beating him down as a pro. The two also split when the Bucs took on the Jaguars in Week 13 last year.
“He’s different. He can play in any system. He catches the ball, he can let the ball run, he can get between tackles, he can play in space – we only get one goddamn soccer player,” said White. “He’s a workload. I remember when we were planning the game – it was all about him. They have great players – DJ Chark, a receiver who plays for LSU, plays for these guys – but our entire schedule [was] If we stop this guy we’ll win the football game, we have to make him do other things, make him uncomfortable, we have to rally to the ball. “
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