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Jaguars waive former No. 4 pick Leonard Fournette

4 years 3 months 2 days ago Monday, August 31 2020 Aug 31, 2020 August 31, 2020 8:20 AM August 31, 2020 in News
Source: NFL
Photo: ESPN/YouTube

The Jacksonville Jaguars waived running back Leonard Fournette, according to the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

Fournette had been selected to play a major role on the team, but his efficiency didn't live up to the draft status.

The NFL reports that in 2019, Fournette rushed for 1,152 yards on 265 carries with three TDs, averaging a career-best 4.3 yards per carry in 15 games. In his three seasons in Jacksonville, the 25-year-old compiled 2,631 yards and 17 TDs on 666 attempts, for a 4.0 yards-per-carry average.

Fournette's time in Jacksonville wasn't smooth sailing as he navigated run-ins with management and attempted to bounce back from ineffective play. A notable low occurred in 2018, when the team suspended Fournette for one game following a fistfight with Bills defender Shaq Lawson.

The Jags had already declined Fournette's fifth-year option, which would have offered $4.167 million in base salary. He's subject to waivers after being cut by Jacksonville, the NFL reports.

One day before waiving Fournette, the Jaguars traded star pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue to Minnesota, as the defensive end had been attempting to leave Jacksonville for months.

Though Fournette didn't appear to be a key player in the Jags long-term plans, it's still somewhat of a shock for the team to cut ties with a year left on his contract.

The move proves that Coach Doug Marronne and his staff have confidence in 2019 fifth-round pick Ryquell Armstead, former Saint Devine Ozibo, and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden favorite Chris Thompson as a pass-catcher.  

Fournette is the latest member of the 2017 Jaguars squad that nearly made the Super Bowl to be shipped out of town. This chapter of his NFL career illustrates the precarious nature of selecting a running back high in the draft. 

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