Jacksonville Jaguars: Which Leonard Fournette shows up in 2019?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are wondering which version of Leonard Fournette shows up and plays the 2019 season.

Training camp opens for the Jacksonville Jaguars next week. There is plenty of excitement surrounding the arrival of Nick Foles, as the new starting quarterback. However, Jacksonville must be wondering which version of Leonard Fournette shows up and plays in the 2019 season.

Rookie Fournette played much better than last season’s version by a wide margin. In 2017, he rushed for 1,040 yards in 13 games. Last year, meanwhile, Fournette rushed for 439 yards in just eight games played.

Injuries have played a major role in Fournette’s football career. In 2016 as a junior at LSU, he played in seven games. He missed the bowl game due to a nagging ankle injury.

As a Jaguars player, he has missed 11 regular-season games. Last season, he battled an early hamstring injury and was suspended for his actions during the game in Buffalo. So, which version will Jacksonville see when Fournette shows up next week to camp?

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Remember, the running back’s contract guarantees were voided because of his behavior in Buffalo. Fournette has filed a grievance against Jacksonville to have them re-instated. Nothing has been made public concerning that situation to this point.

Expect Jacksonville to give Fournette every opportunity to return to his rookie version. He has hit his reset button in his offseason training. Fournette traveled to Wyoming to reunite with his former college trainer Ben Iannacchione.

Jacksonville hedged their bets by adding several new running backs this offseason. There’s no doubt that Fournette is the best running back on the current roster. Would the Jaguars be contemplating whether to install the running back by committee philosophy?

Doug Marrone, via Pro Football Talk, has glowing plans for Fournette in 2019. Charean Williams quoted Marrone:

"“I just see Leonard Fournette playing a major role in what we’re trying to get accomplished and being a workhorse for us and feeding him the ball and making sure he’s practicing as a three-down back,” Marrone said."

Marrone made these comments before Melvin Gordon made his demands for a new contract or trade demand. Let’s speculate, if Gordon sits out the Los Angeles Chargers training camp, would the Jaguars make a deal for him? It probably depends upon how well Fournette’s training camp progresses.