98.5 The Sports Hub staff report
The NFL rumor mill added another name on Saturday with word that the Jacksonville Jaguars have had trade discussions involving running back Leonard Fournette, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Drafted by the Jags with the No. 4 overall pick in 2017, Fournette is hitting the trade block after a 15-game 2019 campaign that included the seventh-most rushing yards in the NFL, with 1,152 yards. That total was a career-best mark for the 25-year-old, and Fournette also established career-highs in the passing game with 76 grabs and 522 yards through the air.
But Fournette may have upset some in the Jacksonville front office when he openly campaigned for the team to sign free agent quarterback Cam Newton as some ‘friendly competition’ for Gardner Minshew.
“Cam went to the Super Bowl,” Fournette said during a spot on ESPN’s First Take last week. “He’s a great guy. I’ve been knowing Cam for a minute now. And like I told some people that talked to me, it’s no disrespect to Minshew. I’m just trying to get into the best position as a team so that we can win. That’s all that was about.”
Asked about Fournette’s comments, Jaguars coach Doug Marrone didn’t seem to tip his hand when it came to being angered by the comments, but did note that Fournette and Minshew would have to talk about it if and when the time came.
“I mean, we all talk about men are all men and everything,” Marron told NBC’s Mike Tirico. “[But] when you are in that locker room, you’ve got to say, ‘Hey listen, I said this because I really think this is best for the team,’ and if you can’t say this is what’s best for the team, then you’re going to have issues.”
Entering the fourth year of his current contract, Fournette has a base salary of just over $4.1 million in 2020, but carries an $8.6 million cap hit and will have a club option for just over $10 million in 2021.
