The Jacksonville Jaguars have been cleaning house. That much was made 100% clear during the 2019 season when they traded away superstar cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams for a haul of draft picks. It didn't stop there though. They have cut ties with a few bigger names and more could follow, including Leonard Fournette.
Yannick Ngakoue is probably the one with the most speculation surrounding him. However, he isn't the only one. Another star being mentioned in trade discussions is Fournette.
The running back has had some injury and consistency issues early in his career. He's still an elite-type talent who has shown just how good he can be a number of times.
It appears Jacksonville is ready to move in a different direction though. And with that in mind, what teams should go after the running back?
Here are three teams that should consider pursuing a trade with Jacksonville for Leonard Fournette.
3. Detroit Lions
Honestly, this one was probably the easiest choice for me. The Detroit Lions need a running back.
Bo Scarbrough showed some promise last year, but not enough to convince anyone that he's the answer.
Meanwhile, Kerryon Johnson had a very disappointing follow up to his rookie year.
Fournette is still just 25, and his 4.3 yards per carry was better than either Scarbrough and Johnson. Meanwhile, his 1,152 rushing yards was more than Johnson, Scarbrough and Ty Johnson (1,053 combined).
The argument against the Lions might be that they went 3-12-1 in 2019. So why would they trade for a running back when they were so far from the playoffs?
Well, you can't really look at the full season. What you have to do is look at the beginning of the season.
Through the first eight games, the Lions were 3-4-1. So what changed in the last eight games that made Detroit go winless? Matthew Stafford went down.
With Stafford at quarterback, Detroit is a totally different team. They were legitimately in the playoff hunt, and he was playing at an MVP type level.
Seriously, Stafford had 2,499 yards and 19 touchdowns compared to only five interceptions. And he did that in eight games.
Add a legitimate star running back to the offense and great things could happen. No reason Detroit couldn't make a playoff push.
2. Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are pretty obvious too. They lost Todd Gurley this offseason. Not only that, but Brandin Cooks too.
This is a team that's been depleted a little bit lately. They could make people forget about all of that by adding a star running back to the team though.
Darrell Henderson has nice potential, but he might not be ready yet. Leonard Fournette is on the last year of his rookie deal. Why not trade for him now and see if if he's the right fit while he's still pretty cheap?
Despite the struggles last year, Los Angeles can still be a serious contender. Adding Fournette makes that all the more obvious.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers already made a massive addition this offseason. Of course, we're talking about the move they made at quarterback … re-signing Blaine Gabbert.
Seriously though, Tom Brady was a massive signing that immediately makes Tampa Bay a Super Bowl contender.
They have an elite passing game now. And Ronald Jones II is a really solid running back.
Imagine Fournette with Brady though. A true power back. Remember what LeGarrette Blount did with the New England Patriots when Brady was the quarterback?
Fournette is a much better all-around threat but still someone that can get those tough yards.
Adding him to that offense would push Tampa Bay from contenders to damn near favorites. Pull the trigger.
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