The Jacksonville Jaguars are apparently shopping running back Leonard Fournette, and the Buffalo Bills are a team that has been mentioned as a potential destination.
And it makes perfect sense.
The Bills employed a backfield of Devin Singletary and Frank Gore this past season, and while Singletary had an impressive rookie campaign, Gore showed his age, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry.
As a result, Buffalo parted ways with Gore in free agency, and now the Bills are in need of a change-of-pace back to put alongside of Singletary.
So why not Fournette?
Fournette is coming off of a 2019 campaign with the Jaguars in which he rushed for 1,152 yards and three touchdowns while logging 4.3 yards per attempt. He also hauled in 76 receptions, improving as an all-purpose back.
Jacksonville is strapped financially, which why the Jags may want to cash in on Fournette's trade chips now to avoid having to pay him big money in the near future.
Meanwhile, the Bills are a team on the upswing and are certainly in need of more pieces on offense. They took a big step toward doing that by acquiring wide receiver Stefon Diggs in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings last month, giving Buffalo a rather impressive receiving corps of Diggs, John Brown and Cole Beasley.
But with the AFC East up for grabs after Tom Brady's departure from New England, the Bills may need to go for broke.
Of course, that's not to advocate for selling the farm for Fournette, because he is not an elite running back. But he is a good player who can boost Buffalo's offense and make Josh Allen's job that much easier under center.
Right now, the Bills' backfield is a major question mark. They have T.J. Yeldon and recent free-agent addition Taiwan Jones behind Singletary, neither of whom inspires much confidence.
Yes, Buffalo can always draft a halfback, but wouldn't the Bills prefer a proven rusher who can instantly step in and provide the ground game with some balance?
Fournette certainly comes with risks. He has never played a full season in three years in the NFL, and in 2018, he rushed for just 436 yards while averaging a meager 3.3 yards per tote in eight games. That season, Fournette dealt with injuries and was criticized by the Jaguars for being out of shape.
Obviously, he rebounded in a big way in 2019, but Fournette comes with some concerns and has never really been too efficient of a runner, averaging four yards per carry on the dot through his first three seasons.
But the thing is, unlike Jacksonville, Buffalo wouldn't even be asking Fournette to carry a major load. He would essentially be splitting carries (give or take) with Singletary, and his newfound ability to catch passes out of the backfield makes him a dual threat.
The Bills can employ either Singletary or Fournette depending on the situation, and they can confuse and confound defenses by using both backs in conjunction.
Fournette seems like a natural fit for Buffalo, and assuming that the cost isn't too ridiculous, the Bills should try and acquire him.
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