The Pittsburgh Steelers should be very familiar with the work of Leonard Fournette. In three meetings with Pittsburgh, Fournette has scored six times and averaged 128 yards on the ground. These performances could turn out to be tryouts for his future team.
The Steelers ranked 29th in the NFL last season with 90.4 rushing yards per game. This is an area where they need to improve. Some believe that James Conner is the answer at running back, but injuries plagued his season in 2019. He put up good numbers in 2018, but it is hard to be completely sold on the Pitt product. If you have a choice between Conner and Fournette, the answer is clear.
Fournette bounced back after missing time in 2018 with a strong campaign in 2019. He finished with 1,152 rushing yards and 76 catches for 522 yards. Despite only scoring three times, Fournette averaged 4.3 yards per carry and showed his ability to be a duel-threat.
He would be a massive upgrade for Pittsburgh, but could a trade even get done?
Do Steelers have enough assets?
There are two issues standing in the way. The Steelers have limited draft capital in 2020 and Fournette could be a short-term project. These are questions they will have to answer before a deal could be made.
Pittsburgh has just six picks in Thursday's draft, including none in the first round. This could go one of two ways for the Steelers which is why they must contact Jacksonville for their star back. The Jaguars currently have 12 picks in 2020. They could be looking for draft stock in 2021 which puts the Steelers in great position. If the Jaguars want to add more picks this year, it is hard to think of a way for the Steelers to make it work.
Second, do the Steelers want to pay Fournette or he is a short-term option? Fournette has one-year left on his contract and an option for 2021. Once he has completed his rookie deal, there is no doubt that Fournette will want to get paid. If the Steelers view him as a long-term guy, they will have to pay for it.
The Steelers have Ben Roethlisberger for two more years. Adding Fournette could show that Pittsburgh is willing to go for it one last time before their Hall of Fame quarterback calls it a career. Either way, they will have to upgrade the running back position. I
f Jacksonville wants to deal Fournette and the price is low, the Steelers would be foolish to not take advantage.
Follow Us
Subscribe