NFL training camps are finally here and the regular season will be underway in just a few short weeks. Despite that, there are still a handful of free agents out there that could be solid contributors to a team, and one such player is running back Leonard Fournette.
The No. 4 overall pick in 2017, Fournette has split the first six years of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Throughout his career, he has 4,478 yards and 34 touchdowns rushing with an average of four yards per carry, as well as 2,219 yards and seven scores receiving. Perhaps his most impressive stretch came during the Buccaneers' run to a Super Bowl LV championship, as he rushed for 300 yards and three touchdowns in four playoff games.
However, this past season was not Fournette's finest. He had just 668 rushing yards and three touchdowns, but the real kicker was his abysmal 3.5 yards per carry. The LSU product even lost the starting job to a rookie Rachaad White halfway through the season.
With Tampa Bay experiencing a major cap crunch this offseason, Fournette was one of the first casualties back in March. Over four months later, he's still looking for a new home. Whether that's due to his own underperformance or the general lack of interest in running backs across the league is unclear, but either way, the clock is ticking on him to land a deal.
With that said, here are three of the best destinations for Fournette as training camps begin.
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3. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers were a solid, but obviously flawed team in 2022. One of their biggest flaws was their poor rushing offense, which finished No. 30 in the league with an average of just 89.6 yards per game.
That flaw came to a head in the Chargers' embarrassing playoff loss to the Jaguars in January. With almost no run game to speak of, the Chargers could effectively run the clock out after taking a 27-point lead. In fact, they barely even tried to with just seven designed runs for a grand total of three yards in the second half.
Austin Ekeler is a great back, but he's more of a receiving back than anything. L.A.'s depth behind him, consisting of Joshua Kelley and Isaiah Spiller, isn't anything to write home about either.
Leonard Fournette won't solve those problems single-handedly, but he can form a solid 1-2-punch with Ekeler. New Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has coached a strong pair of backs from his time with the Dallas, and with Fournette in the fold, he could somewhat emulate that in L.A.
2. Dallas Cowboys
Speaking of the Cowboys, they are another solid fit for Fournette. Unlike the Chargers, the Cowboys had a pretty good rushing attack last year, ranking No. 9 in the league with 135.2 yards per game. However, there are still some concerns with the running back room heading into the season.
Tony Pollard is still great, but with the Cowboys releasing Ezekiel Elliott this offseason, they no longer have that 1-2 punch out of the backfield. The backs behind Pollard include Malik Davis, Ronald Jones, and Deuce Vaughn, who are all either unproven or barely played last year in Jones' case.
With Fournette, Dallas would once again have a capable No. 2 back behind their star. Additionally, he would also serve as insurance for Pollard, who suffered a broken fibula in the Cowboys' playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He would also be a relatively cheap option, and could easily have some success in Dallas.
1. New England Patriots
The market for Leonard Fournette has been pretty quiet since his release from Tampa Bay, but one team with confirmed interest is New England. The Patriots just hosted Fournette for a workout last week, and while a deal doesn't seem imminent, it's a good indication that they're interested. Even last year, Fournette paid the Patriots a visit before re-signing with the Buccaneers.
Rhamondre Stevenson is the undisputed No. 1 back after rushing for over 1,000 yards last season. Like other teams on this list, though, the depth behind that top back could use some work. All three of the Patriots' backup running backs, Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris, all played very sparingly last year, and the latter two are entering just their second season.
Fournette would be a quality option as a No. 2 back behind Stevenson. The Patriots need more offensive-skill players, and Fournette can help on the ground and through the air. For a cheap contract, it would be worth taking a flier on him.
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