“It Can Get Lenny Into Trouble A Lot”
July 12th, 2022
Interesting take here from a Bucs coach about a guy general manager Jason Licht just handed a giant sack of Team Glazer loot.
Freelancing happens on the football field. Jason Pierre-Paul was known for it, Devin White has plenty of that in him, and Joe was even told Gerald McCoy liked to dabble. But it happens on offense, too, and it’s a good way to get Tom Brady furious — unless you’re good at it.
Bucs running backs coach Todd McNair says Leonard Fournette is a guy who goes off script. McNair told local media that it often gets Lombardi Lenny into trouble but he succeeds enough with it to balance out the negative.
“Lenny has a knack. He’s got a feel for, you know, kind of getting open sometimes, and I’m saying sometimes doing the ad-libbing. Sometimes it gets him in trouble. He does the wrong thing at the wrong time,” McNair said.
“… … [Brady and Lenny] got a little street ball, little feel for each other, and it can get Lenny into trouble a lot because he ends up in the wrong place a lot, at the wrong times. So it’s a gift and a curse, a plus and a minus, but him and Tom are comfortable together. Tom has always thrown a lot of balls to his running backs, New England and all. You know him and Lenny have that rapport.”
That streetball feel for the game is often unteachable, McNair said, and instinctive feel is something offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich craves in a running back. McNair added that Leftwich often says a running back with a strong feel in the passing game “can play ball with Tom.”
It was an intriguging take from McNair, and a window into why Ronald Jones, a guy without much feel, is now playing for the Chiefs.
This is Fournette’s third season with Brady after arriving following training camp in 2020. Joe suspects the Brady-Lenny feel should improve and lead to more efficiency and productivity in the passing game.
July 12th, 2022 at 10:48 am
I see 20 total Tuddies for 7 . Barring injury of course . Go Bucs !
July 12th, 2022 at 11:36 am
My feel-good Bucs story of the day.
GO BUCS!!!
July 12th, 2022 at 12:14 pm
Love it. Go Lenny!
July 12th, 2022 at 12:27 pm
They call it freelancing, but we recognize it as playmaking. You look for those traits in your best athletes. He is going to have a big year, because the offense is likely to go through him in the future when we dont have the GOAT. Gotta let him do his thing.
July 12th, 2022 at 1:25 pm
It’s gotten our offense out of trouble as well
July 12th, 2022 at 2:56 pm
Lenny and Brady have put a tremendous amount of work into it. He went from balls bouncing off his head, to the most targeted back in football. It’s easy money, and high percentage. I’ll take a five yard swing pass, over a low percentage deep ball all day long. I think it’s very possible that Lenny has 2000+ scrimmage yards this year.
July 12th, 2022 at 3:41 pm
The Bucs and Brady are very lucky to have Lenny.
Lenny is the most complete back that Brady has ever had in his career.
I expect Lenny to equal his last year in Jacksonville with over 1000 yards rushing and over 500 receiving. I do expect him to have 10 plus TDs this year as well.
July 12th, 2022 at 7:23 pm
I know who my first rb in fantasy will be this year.
July 12th, 2022 at 7:29 pm
Feed the beast, Hope he has 1200 rushing and 700+ receiving- that means we own TOP, keeps the D fresh and leads to lots of TD’s in the red zone
July 12th, 2022 at 10:33 pm
Old news