Ben Margot / Associated Press
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette posted a meme on Friday involving Bucs quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bruce Arians.
Fournette agreed to a one-year contract on Wednesday with a base salary of $ 2 million, per Ian Rapoport from the NFL network. The contract could reach a maximum of $ 3.5 million with incentives. The team has yet to officially announce the deal.
The signing came just two days after the 25-year-old was released by Jacksonville, where he spent his first three seasons in the NFL in Jacksonville.
As a member of the Jaguars, Fournette ran twice over 1,000 yards. He compiled 1,674 total yards and three touchdowns in 2019 for the Jaguars, setting career highs in all categories in addition to scores.
The Fournette-Jacksonville divorce seemed more about a personality conflict than anything else. The Jaguars have spent most of the offseason trying to trade him amid rumors he has a tough personality. They also offered starting photos, calling it essentially worthless in the commercial market.
Fournette maintained that he was misunderstood and only receives the flack for his desire to win, by Michael DiRocco from ESPN:
“At the end of the day I want to win. Who doesn’t want to win? I come from a 2017 season with a team that had 10-6, we had [a good] talent level, then the next two years collapsed. So I just want to touch on a lot of things too, especially since the media came out and said I was an angry guy. # 1, would you be mad if you lose week after week? This is one of my biggest problems; I get upset when we lose and it takes a while to get over it. I expect, like everyone else, if you put on the job, you want the W, but a lot of times last year it didn’t turn out that way.
“I guess they misinterpreted that, and don’t get me wrong, I was upset about the loss, but that’s just the winner in me. He’s any guy who plays at that professional level of sport.”
Adding Fournette is a no-brainer here for the Buccaneers, who are scooping up talent at minimal cost. While he wasn’t the superstar Jacksonville was hoping for taking him 4th in the 2017 Draft, he’s at the very least an average to above average NFL starting halfback.
It’s possible, if not likely, that the LSU product will be even better in Tampa Bay playing in a loaded attack starring Tom Brady, Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski, among others.
Fournette’s addition gives Bucs another backfield option, as Ronald Jones II returns and LeSean McCoy was signed earlier in the offseason.
