Nearly three years after taking Leonard Fournette with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars are shopping their star running back this offseason. As the 2020 NFL Draft nears, though, things reportedly aren’t going well.
The Jaguars started discussing trades involving Fournette earlier this offseason, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Now with the NFL Draft closing in, they’ve circled back with those teams to try and make a deal happen. Unfortunately for the Jaguars, they aren’t finding any takers.
Fournette received plenty of hype leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft, but he hasn’t lived up to the massive expectations. While he recorded two 1,000-yard seasons in his career, he is also only averaging four yards per carry through his first three seasons.
The 25-year-old hasn’t exactly been productive out of the backfield, either. While he hauled in a career-high 76 receptions this past season, Fournette turned 100 targets into only 522 receiving yards. He also struggled to find the end zone this past season, finishing the year with three scores in 15 games.
A lack of outstanding production isn’t the only concern with him. He caused friction in the locker room by suggesting the team sign Cam Newton, he nearly fought an opponent in the tunnel and he has durability issues.
Fournette is also entering the last year of his deal and carries an $8.6 million cap hit for the 2020 season. Any team that acquires him could risk him holding out or would likely need to let him hit the open market next offseason.
At this point, the Jaguars might have to settle for a Day 3 pick in return for a player they spent a top-five pick on just a few years ago.