The Jacksonville Jaguars certainly had a disappointing 2018 season as they finished the year 5-11. This comes on the heels of a 10-6 2017 season where they won the AFC South and were just a few controversial calls from getting to their first ever Super Bowl. Now, the team could be heading into the offseason with a difficult decision on their hands.
While it is pretty obvious that the team will finally look to move on from quarterback Blake Bortles in 2019, they could be looking to make another big move. The team could possibly be looking into getting rid of second-year running back Leonard Fournette.
ESPN first reported Monday that the Jaguars had voided the remaining guaranteed money on Fournette's rookie contract signed ahead of the 2017 season. This means the team can release Fournette or trade him away without having to pay him the $7.1 million he is still owed on the contract he signed after being drafted fourth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.
The decision to release Fournette would be a shocking one, but it might be the best decision for the Jaguars to make.
Jacksonville made the call to void his guaranteed money after Fournette was suspended for a game after he got into an on-field altercation with Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Shaq Lawson on November 25. This also led to him not playing in the team's Week 17 loss to the Houston Texans.
During the 2018 season, Fournette played in just eight games and rushed for 439 yards and five touchdowns. His absence for half the season came from injuries and disciplinary reasons handed down from the team. Keeping a player that seems to have been that much of a problem this year would not be a good look for the Jaguars, especially if they are in the middle of a rebuilding process.
That is not to say that Leonard Fournette is a cancer to the Jaguars, but with reports of him having a bad attitude towards teammates and coaches coming out, it would be a mistake for the team to keep him around if he is clearly unhappy with his current position. We have seen other players express their grievances with a team and continue to play with that team and hurt the organization as a whole.
The Jaguars have proven that they can live without Fournette in the backfield. Midseason, they traded for Cleveland Browns running back Carlos Hyde. Hyde rushed for 3.3 yards per carry on 58 touches in the final eight games of the year. That is the same yards per carry average as Fournette, who had more than twice the amount of touches as Hyde. If they can rebuild their offensive line, life without Fournette would be just fine for the Jaguars.
Jacksonville could also benefit from trading Fournette, as a team with a big need at running back would certainly pay a good price for him. Remember, Fournette rushed for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns during his rookie season, so he could certainly make plays with the right system.
Releasing or trading Fournette might be a good move for the Jaguars to make, but it would also be a pretty good move for the running back as well. Fournette should be able to adjust to any system he would end up in and have a good comeback season in 2019, especially with the right offensive line in front of him.
With teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers needing to shore up their running back position in 2019, Fournette would certainly have his pick of the litter if he were to become a free agent earlier than expected.
It would certainly be a big move for the Jaguars to make if they were to cut or trade Leonard Fournette, but in the long run, it might be the most beneficial decision for both parties.
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