Jacksonville Jaguars Might Trade Leonard Fournette

Just a couple of days following his appearance in public in which he lobbied for Can Newton’s arrival to Jacksonville, Leonard Fournette might be leaving the Jags.

According to Adam Schefter and his sources, the franchise from Florida has been negotiation with other organizations about the possibility of trading the running back.

“Jaguars have had trade discussions with other teams regarding RB Leonard Fournette, league sources tell ESPN. Fournette is due $4.16 million in base salary in 2020. It’s a situation that bears watching as this week’s draft approaches,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

Jaguars have had trade discussions with other teams regarding RB Leonard Fournette, league sources tell ESPN. Fournette is due $4.16 million in base salary in 2020. It's a situation that bears watching as this week's draft approaches.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 18, 2020

It is a bit of shock for all the NFL fans because Fournette established himself as the most lethal weapon of the Jags. He did have some problems with discipline in the opening two years as well as with his health, but all that seemed sorted by now.

Fournette is about to enter the last season of his rookie deal. Once coming to the NFL, the fourth pick at the 2017 draft signed a four-year deal worth $27,150,842, with a $17,866,067 signing bonus.

What might be the reason for his shocking departure, are his public appearances in which he interferes with the club’s free agency plans. He recently suggested that the Jags should sign Cam Newton. That wouldn’t be a problem if the team didn’t already choose Gardner Minshew as the first QB and someone who will be the starter in the future.

“Cam went to the Super Bowl,” Fournette said. “He’s a great guy. I’ve been knowing Cam for a minute now. And like I told some people that talked to me, it’s no disrespect to [Gardner Minshew]. I’m just trying to get in the best position as a team as we can [to] win.”

This could be a hint that there are major problems within the organization, or merely a way for Fournette to force a trade as some suggest. So far, he never spoke about leaving Florida, and didn’t comment team’s decisions, which is why all this doesn’t make too much of a sense for the fans.

In his rookie year, Fournette showed fantastic potential, recording 1,040 rushing yards, for 9 touchdowns, and was instrumental in the playoffs once Jacksonville reached the AFC Championship Game in which they lost against the Patriots. During three playoff appearances, the RB had four scores with 242 yards on the ground and had a major role in eliminating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Round.

In 2018, Fournette played just 8 games due to an injury, but the previous season was his best so far. With 1,152 rushing and 522 receiving yards, he established himself as one of the best attackers in the league.

Meanwhile, his Jaguars have been on the downhill in the preceding two years. After an excellent 2017 season, in which they also won the AFC South division, the expectations rose enormously. However, what came afterward produced massive frustrations among the fans. In 2018 and 2019, Jags posted consecutive losing seasons, finishing last in the division.

Four-year $88 million contracts given to Nick Foles during the previous free agency turned out to be one of the worst moves of the franchise in its history. The former Super Bowl MVP picked up an injury that completely destroyed his season, and the team had to trade him to the Chicago Bears. Instead of having a normal and quiet summer, it seems that the Jags will have a lot of work. If by any chance, Fournette leaves, the entire philosophy of their play would have to be changed. And that isn’t easy at all.