Less than 36 hours after being waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars, running back Leonard Fournette has hit the free agent market.
Fournette went unclaimed, ultimately being passed on by 31 teams.
The Jaguars’ decision to waive Fournette on Monday morning was quite the surprise. The 25-year-old New Orleans, La., native rushed for 1,152 yards on 265 carries over 15 games last year while adding an extra 522 yards on 76 receptions. Despite amassing nearly 1,700 scrimmage yards, he found the end zone just three times during a season in which the Jaguars saw roster turnover on both sides of the football en route to finishing 6-10.
In his three-year career, the LSU product has made 36 starts, recording 800 touches (receptions or carries) for 3,640 scrimmage yards and 19 touchdowns.
Less than an hour after he was waived, Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone held a press conference and was asked about the reasoning behind the move. He said the move was strictly talent-related and had nothing to do with anything off the field, adding, “At the end of the day, I’ve got to be able to field a team that gives us the best chance to win.”
Marrone added that the team tried to trade Fournette, confirming speculation that arose prior to the NFL Draft. However, the Jaguars were unsuccessful in their attempts to move him.
“We couldn’t get anything,” explained Marrone. “A fifth, a sixth … anything.”
As Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac explains, because Fournette’s base salary guarantees were voided due to a team suspension, the team was able to clear $4.17 million in cap space by merely waiving him. He’s now free to sign with another team, though it will surely be for significantly less than the $4.17 million he was going to be owed in Jacksonville.
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