Jaguars Plan to Move Forward With Leonard Fournette
The Jacksonville Jaguars did not pick up Leonard Fournette’s fifth-year option, but general manager Dave Caldwell believes Fournette is still a big part of the Jags offense. Jacksonville was shopping Fournette for over a month with no serious trade offers from suitors. The running back is coming off his best season as a pro rushing for a career-high 1,152 yards and totaling 1,674 yards from scrimmage. Jaguars team reporter John Shipley talks with Madelyn Burke about Fournette’s role with the team.
Read the Full Video Transcript:
Madelyn Burke: Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell said the team will move forward with Leonard Fournette on their roster in 2020, despite off season trade speculation. I'm joined now by Jaguar's reporter John Shipley. And John, they say where there's smoke, there's fire. So how serious was this Jacksonville team about trading Fournette?
John Shipley: There is definitely some interest in moving Fournette, but it really seemed as if it was kind of a one sided interests. You know, there were teams even during the draft and said, yeah, the Jaguars called us about Fournette, but we'd never really made a move. It's on. The Miami Dolphins were one example of a team. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were another example. And once a lot of teams that needed a running back filled their need for running backs, v AD the draft such as the Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs, the market for Fournette simply just dried up. And that really made a trade kind of unsustainable.
Madelyn Burke: Jacksonville didn't pick up the fifth year option on Fournette, despite him coming off a career year. A career high. Fifteen games, a career best one thousand one hundred fifty two rush yards, three touchdowns and a career high. Seventy six catches for five hundred twenty two receiving yards. So what are you expecting to see from the running back this season?
John Shipley: Absolutely. I think last year was a big year for Fournette both on and off the field. I think he realized the level of work that he needs to put in as he prepares for the season. You know, last year he spent time up north as he prepared for the season and he came in in the best shape of his career. So I think you should expect good things from Fournette once again this year. And with the inclusion of Jay Gruden, an offensive coordinator, and a improvement along the offensive line that the Jaguars are internally projecting to happen, his touchdowns spike as well.
Madelyn Burke: Well, coming off that career year, plus the fact that he's said to be a free agent in twenty twenty one, I'm sure there will be big things for Leonard Fournette on the field in 2020. John Shipley, thanks so much for the time.
John Shipley: Thank you. Appreciate it.
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