Leonard Fournette was the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. While that may have been a little too high in hindsight, Fournette has been a very productive back in his first three seasons. He has had two seasons with over 1,000 yards rushing. The only time he missed that benchmark was when he only played eight games in 2018. Leonard Fournette only has two career fumbles, both of which came in his rookie season.
In 2018 Leonard Fournette ran for 1,152 yards and three touchdowns. He also hauled in 76 receptions for 522 receiving yards. Fournette is a great player that would help out the Patriots offense immensely. The Patriots have plenty of cap room and Fournette will be fairly cheap, so that is not an issue. Belichick loves workhorses who do not cough up the ball, and Leonard Fournette certainly fits that description.
If Fournette is so good, why would the Jaguars release him? Well, they are frankly trying to lose this season. That team would love to add Trevor Lawrence with the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft next season. Since they aren’t competitive, they also do not want to pay his $4M salary in 2020. Doug Marrone is trying to change the culture and Fournette could use a change of scenery. Fournette is also injury prone, missing 12 of his first 48 games in the NFL. He has never played a full 16 game season. Lastly, Fournette has had some disciplinary issues with the team. These are small issues Bill Belichick could handle with ease.
Damien Harris is getting a lot of hype right now, but Leonard Fournette is a legitimate star in the NFL. He has impressive numbers each season and has done so with horrible franchise. Fournette could do some serious damage alongside James White in the Patriots system.