Washington Football Team should avoid RB Leonard Fournette

There’s another high-profile running back option available on the market if the Washington Football Team is interested.

Earlier today, the Jacksonville Jaguars made waves when it was announced that they were releasing starting running back and former top-five pick Leonard Fournette. This caused many to speculate whether or not the Washington Football Team would show interest.

The Jaguars had reportedly been trying to shop Fournette to other teams throughout the offseason, but when it was revealed that he had no market at all, they had no choice other than to release him.

The release comes after a surprisingly solid 2019 season for Fournette, in which the 6-foot-0, 228-pound running back logged 1,152 yards and three touchdowns on 265 carries, good for an average yards per attempt of 4.3. Fournette also tacked on 76 receptions for 522 yards.

Of course, stats can sometimes be misleading, and it’s well-known that Fournette’s old-school, down-the-hill style didn’t offer much flexibility for the Jaguars, and ultimately didn’t move the needle for them on offense. The fact that no team was willing to trade even a late-round pick for him speaks to that.

Now, however, with Fournette a free agent, the prospect of acquiring him becomes a cheaper venture. And according to one reporter who spoke with an unnamed personnel executive, the Washington Football Team is one organization that might have cause to sign Fournette.

With that being said, the Washington Football Team would probably be better served avoiding Fournette and sticking with who they already have at the running back position, for a couple of reasons.

For one, Washington just drafted former Memphis running back Antonio Gibson, and Gibson is roughly the same size as Fournette, while boasting less tire wear and superior athleticism. Furthermore, Washington also has Bryce Love, another young back who Rivera has expressed confidence in so far this offseason.

Additionally, Fournette himself doesn’t seem to fit what Washington wants to do on offense. Fournette is a big, powerful back, but he’s not very versatile, and unlike players like Gibson and J.D. McKissic, he can’t move around the offense and help create confusion for opposing defenses. Fournette is a running back for run-first teams, and the NFL is moving away from that archetype.

Fournette will likely be signed eventually; he offers some utility as a workhorse back, and as teams experience more injuries, there will be some demand for a player of Fournette’s modest caliber. But the Washington Football Team has little to gain from signing a limited running back at this point in the offseason.