The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed Leonard Fournette. Should they brought in a running back to help in the passing game instead?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing back another player from last season’s Super Bowl win. Leonard Fournette agreed to a new one-year contract. The Buccaneers have continued to bring the band back together but was this move a mistake.
The Buccaneers signed Fournette after he was cut by Jacksonville before the start of last season. It was a one-year prove-it deal and Fournette was solid for the Buccaneers. He was solid during the season, but his best play was during the playoffs. Fournette was affectionately called Playoff Lenny and then Lombardi Lenny by teammates.
The problem with the Fournette signing is that it means the team still hasn’t addressed its biggest offensive need. Fournette did as well as he could during the playoffs when he played on obvious passing downs. Unfortunately, he is not a natural receiver and he is not great in pass protection.
The same issue arises with the team’s other lead back Ronald Jones. Fournette got his chance in the playoffs mainly because he was the lesser of two evils and LeSean McCoy was clearly not able to contribute. His playoff stats of 18 catches for 148 yards are a little misleading. His catches were not always clean and could have been knocked away.
Perhaps he gets better with another season in the offense, but it is probably more likely that the Buccaneers just went with the safe and comfortable option. There were other options for passing game running backs on the open market.
James White recently re-signed with the Patriots for a low money contract. If the Buccaneers went after him with a better offer than they are paying Fournette, perhaps they could have secured his services.
He is familiar with Brady and is originally from Florida so he might have been open to playing in Tampa Bay. His playoff pedigree is well known and hard to match. Although he is comfortable with the Patriots and the team’s system, he might have jumped at a chance at another Super Bowl run if he was offered more guaranteed money.
Another option for the team could have been Phillip Lindsay. Lindsay joined a crowded backfield in Houston so he may have also been fine splitting carries with Jones. He gives the team big-play ability and he is competent in the passing game. He is not as established as White but is more fluid than Fournette.
Other names the team could have gone after are Jamaal Williams who played the hurry-up offense running back for Green Bay last season. He’s now in Detroit, but the team could have pursued him sooner. Duke Johnson has made a career as a receiver out of the backfield and so has Dion Lewis. Both may be on the downside of their careers, but they both might have enough left for one big season.
Maybe Tampa Bay will still look at one of these options or will try to draft a running back with receiving potential. It is important because Tom Brady loves throwing to running backs. For the offense to continue to improve, a running back he can depend on during passing plays would be crucial.