Report: Bucs Passed On Fournette
April 26th, 2020
“No thanks, we’re good.”
It seems the Bucs could have had a young, established running back. But the team passed.
Per Jeremy Fowler of BSPN, the Jags called the Bucs and dangled Leonard Fournette in the face of Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht.
It seems Licht had his heart set on his third-round pick from Illinois by way of Vanderbilt, Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
Bucs get their running back. The Jags called them about Leonard Fournette, I’m told, but Tampa Bay opted to fill the position through the draft, with Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 25, 2020
Three things left unsaid from Fowler:
1) What was the ransom for Fournette? What did Jags general manager Dave Caldwell try to lift from Licht? Or was Caldwell just chumming the waters to see what fish would bite?
2) When did Caldwell call? We know from Caldwell’s own words that Licht called him Thursday night to try to trade up in the first round. From what Fowler wrote, Caldwell called Licht on Fournette. Or did this happen in the same conversation… or another?
3) Why would the Jags want to dump Fournette and is this the same reason why Licht would rather throw a Hail Mary at Vaughn? Generally, teams don’t actively shop good players on cheap/rookie contracts. Fournette seems to have worn out his welcome in Jacksonville and perhaps Licht knows why and wants nothing to do with him as a result.
Joe just hopes for the Bucs’ sake the team has an adequate run game and/or Fournette blows chunks this fall. Otherwise, Bucs fans will have a conniption (unless they win ballgames).
April 26th, 2020 at 5:14 am
FOURNETTE is probably a cancer in the locker room!
April 26th, 2020 at 5:22 am
The Saints signed Jameis to a one year deal
April 26th, 2020 at 5:37 am
Winston to the Saints? Blood!!!!
April 26th, 2020 at 5:38 am
“What do you get when you match the greatest offensive mind/playcaller Sean Payton with the greatest anticipation passer in the NFL?
Next 10 years
6000 passing yards avg per year
40 tds avg per year
12 ints avg per year
And minimum 5 superbowls ”
Kobe Faker
April 26th, 2020 at 5:39 am
Obviously, Winston will give all details, hope Arians and brady come up with some awesome fire power!
April 26th, 2020 at 5:41 am
Sean Payton one of the overrated coach in the league man have just 1 Superbowl with all his weapons and Drew Brees
April 26th, 2020 at 5:45 am
Kobe stupid!, please, give it up! We all know you’re a Winston knob polisher. Hell, now you can be a Saints knob polisher! Great day for you man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 26th, 2020 at 5:51 am
Well, he won’t start ahead of Brees, for one. If he does, that’s a guaranteed 4-6 TOs every year for us.
(HINT: Winston is not a Buc anymore!)
Fournette, while talented, is being shopped for a reason. No thank you.
April 26th, 2020 at 5:52 am
Shouldn’t it be “from Vandy by way of Illinois”, instead of the other war around like you wriote? We got him from Vandy, by way of Illinois…
April 26th, 2020 at 6:00 am
I bet Colt45 is having shot of Lysol Watered-back!!!
April 26th, 2020 at 6:01 am
Dude only reason they signed winston is to get information and they know hes mad at us he will be spilling the beans on everything he knows about our team to saints.
April 26th, 2020 at 6:09 am
Fournette is a bum. There is a reason why Jacksonville hasn’t been able to trade him.
April 26th, 2020 at 6:10 am
The saints are smart. They know when a QB goes down they will get something for him. In the mean time he gets to train and learn under Brees and Payton. Win-Win. Don’t think he will be their long term guy.
April 26th, 2020 at 6:25 am
wow this is straight up a fugg you to the bucs…
the one place he shouldn’t sign, he did…
very passive aggressive move by jaboo…
he is now the enemy…and possibly a rat as well…
April 26th, 2020 at 6:30 am
Good move by the Jamies, Payton wanted the playbooks agnd signed him on a 1 year deal, they’re afraid of Bucs 😂😂 and desperate to win the division
April 26th, 2020 at 6:33 am
Word is not that Fournette will be released. Not that it matters. We can’t afford him.
As to Winston, he worked out in the off season with Brees for years. This was where he planned to go all along.
April 26th, 2020 at 6:35 am
what do you think they paid jameis for the year?
April 26th, 2020 at 6:47 am
i just read it’s a very economical one year deal to fit into the saints already tight cap…
he could have just stayed with the bucs for 5 mil a year, and studied under brady for a couple years, while recovering from the lobotomy and attending his brainwashing sessions during the offseason to not turn the ball over
April 26th, 2020 at 6:48 am
egos always get in the way of things…
and often interfere with success
April 26th, 2020 at 6:48 am
So now we have a two year shot at a SB with Brady and the Saints have a decade plus with Jameis while we rebuild.
April 26th, 2020 at 6:48 am
Bucs would be wise to a sign Devante Freeman if they can get him on a reasonable contract
April 26th, 2020 at 6:59 am
I’m quite sure that Fournette is a head case that we simply didn’t want.
Good move by Jameis……with Brees on the edge of retirement it gives him a future starting opportunity…..sort of like the Bridgewater deal.
We didn’t want him so he’s free to go wherever he can….that’s the way it works.
April 26th, 2020 at 7:16 am
1sparkybucs 😂, you mean saints that have opportunity of winning Superbowl 12 +years with Drew Brees and won just 1 ?
April 26th, 2020 at 7:16 am
We were tired of the roller coaster ride and Winston needed a fresh start. Going to the Saints however (of all teams) ouch!
April 26th, 2020 at 7:23 am
Saints, PLEASE PLEASE play JW both games we meet so that we’ll set a new record for most passes ever picked in a 2 game division rival meeting. It’ll be at least 10!
April 26th, 2020 at 7:39 am
Fournette is a cancer. My neighbors son in law coached fournette for 2 seasons in Jaxsonville. He said he is a total diva. Doesnt like to practice and always has an excuse. Sounds like a swaggy Baker! We all know how that worked out in Tampa. I am proud of Licht. Shows he is learning from past mistakes!
April 26th, 2020 at 7:42 am
JW move is purely intel.
At this point he’s behind Hill.
April 26th, 2020 at 7:48 am
JW move is purely intel.
At this point he’s behind Hill.
Hahaha hahaha 😆. The racists on this site are so funny
April 26th, 2020 at 7:50 am
All those people that hate Jameis Winston are all actually going to have a real reason to dislike him. Good for JW I hope he blossoms in New Orleans and the Bucs have to play him for the next 12 years.
April 26th, 2020 at 8:05 am
Its called Arrogance ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Arrogance comes in many forms……..
In Fournette’s case (if rumors are true)……….it’s the “spoiled millionaire athlete” level of arrogance.
Imagine your whole life if everyone has been telling you that you’re special since middle school football???????
Antonio Brown is the supreme classic example of this………..
April 26th, 2020 at 8:09 am
Hail Mary at Vaughn? Sometimes I wonder if you’re even a buccaneers fan. jJust because you did not have this guy highly rated doesn’t mean that our administration didn’t have him highly rated. Remember you’re the blogger nd they’re the football professionals; I trust their scouting opinions much more than those of this site.
SMH.
April 26th, 2020 at 8:10 am
The only way JW wins a Super Bowl is on the bench. He is the Saints 3rd option. And don’t forget, the Bucs know JW. Good move by JW? LOL!! It’s the only move he could make. You JW lovers are delusional. Or drunk.
April 26th, 2020 at 8:13 am
Infidel he will be the Saints starter when Brees retires and he will be their #2 this year. Hill is gimmick QB. Very smart move by Payton and Jameis.
April 26th, 2020 at 8:14 am
Fournette is a knucklehead.
April 26th, 2020 at 8:26 am
🚨🚨🚨1sparky nailed it. JW for Brady was trading 15 years for 2. Very short sighted. If the Bucs literally don’t win a Super Bowl (not playoffs, super bowl, trophy, rings + parade) this would be the biggest blunder since Doug Williams. 🚨🚨🚨
April 26th, 2020 at 8:40 am
Sorry to hear that about Fournette. And while I am happy for Winston for finding work, I seriously think that all these “professional” GMS/seers that
are so negative toward the Buc changes should go to saintsfan.com, or to
another team’s site and be professional a,,holes.
April 26th, 2020 at 8:54 am
Saints have very little cap room.
Whether Jameis ends up being their starter next year or not is still a big question mark. I am sure that Sean Payton hopes he can be starter and at a good salary that would be beautiful for the Saints.
As he is not on our team, I hope when he plays the Buc’s that the games where he had some early turnovers come forth and true like they did on a decent number of games here.
I don’t mind him some success overall though.
April 26th, 2020 at 9:06 am
The two questions that matter-
Why are they trying to dump him?
What did they want in return?
When this whole thing broke, it struck me as very odd that they were trying to get rid of their running back. It’s not like they have someone backing him up. Probably best to stay away
April 26th, 2020 at 9:10 am
Pugs n Bucs –
LoL. Wow. Do you think Jameis was going to be here for 15 more years? He wasn’t going to last one.
If they didn’t get Brady they were going to give him one more chance to not be a turnover machine that cost them 2 to 4 games every year.
He was gone and then they were going to have to draft another quarterback. There’s no way they were going to pay him a massive contract. That is idiotic given what he has shown. He can’t stop panicking and turning the ball over. It’s been five years.
So instead pay Brady for to try to win a Super Bowl and get a young quarterback next year to sit behind him.
Absolutely the correct move
April 26th, 2020 at 9:27 am
Winston to saint is Peyton wanting time learn bucs offense cause they could not stop it. JW will be 3rd string and may not make it after he tells them the system Bucs have
April 26th, 2020 at 9:41 am
Wow JABOO going to to the saints taking a major pay cut wanting 30mil lol.. Now getting a 1yr contract less than 5mill “Oh wait forgot you BALLIN THO” !!
April 26th, 2020 at 9:45 am
Funny Winston wanted $30 million a year from Bucs but now will settle for what $5 million a year. He got served some humble pie. Hope he gets the fresh start he needs, but Bucs are better off with him. When Brady is done and we possibly win a super bowl I see Bucs getting Aaron Rodgers. Don’t see him staying much longer in Green Bay.
Fournette is a head case. Smart move by Licht. I’m sure B.A. had a big say in that. He’s looking for guys who fit the locker room and culture he’s building in Tampa.
April 26th, 2020 at 9:53 am
I agree 100% with this post…
SC Bucs Fan Says:
April 26th, 2020 at 8:09 am
Hail Mary at Vaughn? Sometimes I wonder if you’re even a buccaneers fan. jJust because you did not have this guy highly rated doesn’t mean that our administration didn’t have him highly rated. Remember you’re the blogger nd they’re the football professionals; I trust their scouting opinions much more than those of this site.
SMH.
April 26th, 2020 at 9:57 am
Wishing Jamie’s good luck in rebuilding his career except when they play the Bucs. Once you cut someone, you have to emotionally let them go and accept their moves after that and their responsibility is to do what’s best for them and their family, not to do what’s best for the team who cut them. He did not demand a trade to our division rival, he was cut, had no job and took one where he found an opportunity just as any of us would do.
April 26th, 2020 at 10:06 am
c2asante:
that’s not what happened – u sound crazy…
he wasn’t cut…contract expired and wasn’t resigned…
he wanted 30 mil a year and is signing with the saints for like 3 or 4 mil for 1 year…
huge discrepancy in pay…
also, your blue collar mentality of finding work is not the standard that nfl millionaires go by when looking for a job…2 different worlds guy…jameis should be worth about 40-50 mil already and he’s only 26
and…
he is going there to be milked like a cow for the bucs playbook…
in fact he probably already forwarded the entire playbook to payton via email already
April 26th, 2020 at 10:08 am
where do these people come from and post on the board…?
are these new found bandwagoneers…?
#BuccaneerBandwagoneers
April 26th, 2020 at 10:35 am
Fournette = character issues, a bad influence in the lockerroom.
April 26th, 2020 at 10:43 am
Pass!! He’s a cancer!! In his rookie contract with a team that played him all the time and he’s still bitching!! Besides my brother used to play for them so he watched Vaughn a lot and told me that o-line he ran behind at candy was AWFUL!! He said Vaughn could turn a tackle in the backfield into a touchdown!! This kid is good and my brother said they got the pick if the draft!! Of course those are words of a fan!!!
April 26th, 2020 at 10:59 am
My guess is that Vaughn will be the (positive) surprise in this Bucs’ draft.
April 26th, 2020 at 11:06 am
You Winston lovers need to move over to the Saints, if anyone thought Winston would be great for 10 years he would be the starter. Hell why didn’t the Bengals sign Winston and trade Burrow to the Dolphins for multiple picks since Winston is a future 10 year all pro. Americas Turnover Machine Crab Legs Winston is gone sorry bout your luck.
April 26th, 2020 at 11:10 am
Fournette is a total diva (per reports) and has rubber bands for ankles. Like was said in the article, teams don’t dump young, tall players on cheap rookie deals. Unless of course, said player is a train wreck.
April 26th, 2020 at 11:10 am
talented ** not tall
April 26th, 2020 at 11:57 am
I agree with those who say we cut JW so he was free to find the best job he could.
I also agree with those who harbor no ill will against JW. However I can’t root for him at all as long as he is a Saint, whether they’re playing us or not. They are our main competitors. I want to see them lose EVERY game.
If he had gone to LA or some other AFC team I could have cheered him. But in our DIVISION…in our Conference…are you kidding me. I hope he loses every game he plays in a Saints uniform.
He certainly has the right to pick the best situation for him…we have the right to cheer against our biggest rival!
April 26th, 2020 at 12:16 pm
Tvan101 and we got a 43 year old wash up quarterback that played bad the last 2 years and was carried by a running game and a defense . Brady has never blown out any team in the superbowl because he couldn’t and he wasn’t the reason why they went to those superbowls . Now he was a good game manager I will give him that but what happened in the Gaints games . And don’t tell me no Elie Manning we all know it was there defense . But the Patriots defense played good against the Gaints and Brady could win it . Those are facts … in the Falcons game that was the coaching of Bill Bilachect and the bad Coaching for the Falcons . Facts….
April 26th, 2020 at 1:40 pm
He had his chance….chances…..see ya soon….
April 26th, 2020 at 2:41 pm
Kobe Faker Says:
April 26th, 2020 at 5:38 am
“What do you get when you match the greatest offensive mind/playcaller Sean Payton with the greatest anticipation passer in the NFL?
Next 10 years
6000 passing yards avg per year
40 tds avg per year
12 ints avg per year
And minimum 5 superbowls ”
Hahaha, dude are you suffering from the Corona and your brain is fried? To think JW is “greatest anticipation passer in the NFL?” You have to be on some serious drugs.
April 26th, 2020 at 3:14 pm
Fournette is trash and a bad egg. We don’t need that in our locker room
April 26th, 2020 at 5:58 pm
I get the feeling that Fournette is not worth the hassle and Devonta Freeman will not cost us any picks. Do the right thing Licht and get at least ONE proven running back. Sheesh, what a mess.
April 26th, 2020 at 7:58 pm
Let Shameis go be #3 for the Saints. They just gave Hill a lot of money to be a #2. Who cares where he plays at this point. I’m just glad he’s not our headache anymore. Next years draft should have some good QB’s and our OLine is so much better with Wirfs.
Our offense is about to change drastically with TB12 versus Shameis. He wont be able to give too much info to the Saints. Here’s hoping he fills them will all our old plays and we come out looking 1000 times different.
We have had a great offseason. I was hoping for a better RB in the draft but Winfield was too good to pass up. Hopefully Vaughn can help RoJo and our kid from Louisiana has a chance to be our gadget trick player. Overall, I’m extremely happy with how things turned out. Plus we will still add a couple of vets for cheap who are ring chasing.
April 26th, 2020 at 8:00 pm
A veteran RB will probably be added to help out our young guys and Dare will be let go to make room. Theres several solid options to choose from that’s available right now.
April 26th, 2020 at 10:12 pm
I can’t blame the Bucs, Fournette, he isn’t what we really want because he has too much ego. He expects things to go his way and doesn’t work hard enough for it.
April 26th, 2020 at 10:58 pm
I’m actually pretty upset we didn’t ship a draft pick for Trent Williams. He’s immensely better than Donovan Smith. Williams and Wirfs bookends? Get outta here
April 26th, 2020 at 11:02 pm
And as much as I love OJ, we should shop him for a killer safety like Jamal Adams. If I were Licht, I would of shopped OJ and a pick for Adams, and Donovan Smith (clear cap space) and a pick for Trent Williams
April 26th, 2020 at 11:32 pm
Where was Williams going to play, unless you put Wirfs at right guard? The Bucs aren’t going to pay Donovan Smith $14 million to sit on the bench and the Bucs surely are not going to pay a reliable starter $14 million to go away. That’s not even factoring in Williams’ salary.
Ask yourself this: Why did the 49ers pass on Wirfs for Williams? They could have had Wirfs for the next 10 years and a whole lot cheaper for the next five years.
April 27th, 2020 at 9:17 am
I for one wouldn’t mind seeing a heads up trade OJ Howard for Leonard Fournett. Both need a change of scenery, and would have benefit for both teams
April 27th, 2020 at 10:48 pm
Maybe its still not to late to trade Howard for Fournett. After all Fournett had a hell of a season.