“Career Year” Set Up For Leonard Fournette
July 10th, 2022
Can you sign a left tackle off the street, put him in the starting lineup and win a Super Bowl with a very old quarterback?
Of course you can, and Ryan Harris is proof.
He was 39-year-old Peyton Manning’s left tackle during the Broncos’ Super Bowl season of 2015. Harris was plucked off the street in late May after an injury to the Broncos’ top left tackle, and he ended up winning the job and powered through the entire season as a starter.
Why is Joe talking about Harris, whose 10-year career wasn’t very memorable? Because Harris was on CBS Sports HQ talking about how he strongly believes Leonard Fournette is poised for “a career year.”
Harris chatted about how the third year in a system with the same quarterback is huge for a running back and his ability to anticipate, which should increase Fournette’s speed and production.
It’s a strong take that too often gets overlooked.
Lombardi Lenny arrived just before opening day in 2020 and had to learn on the fly. He was cruising last season before pulling a hamstring. And now he’s set up at 27 years old to break out while he knows all the nuances of the offense.
And what should help Fournette rack up numbers is him being the clear top dog this season in the backfield. No more RoJo and the Bucs won’t hesitate to make him a bellcow, especially if they’re down Chris Godwin and Rob Gronkowski early in the season.
So what’s a career year for Lombardi Lenny? That would be about 275 carries for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, plus about 50 catches.
July 10th, 2022 at 11:44 pm
He could be more likely to get 1000 receiving yards than rushing yards. I do expect Lenny to have the year of his life.
July 10th, 2022 at 11:48 pm
I would predict 280 carries 1,400 on the ground,65 catches 650 yards.
2000 all purpose yards
July 11th, 2022 at 12:00 am
Since everybody else is making predictions, here’s mine: in the back half of the season, Rashaad White will be taking significant snaps from Fournette.
There you have it, predictions are bullsh!t, and I don’t even put any value in mine.
July 11th, 2022 at 4:08 am
Hell, I’ll bite and come out of left field. My prediction…..
Rojo finishes in the top 5 in Rushing in the AFC.
July 11th, 2022 at 5:10 am
We’ll see. He showed up to OTA’s looking like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Fat contract, ….l
July 11th, 2022 at 9:22 am
Yeah exactly predictions are like as well I’m sure everyone knows the saying but I don’t think Fournette is going to have a career year pretty sure white is going to be alot more involved than most people think.
July 11th, 2022 at 9:35 am
White is not taking snaps from Fournette, lads. We’d be lucky if White is as good as a rookie as Vaughn was. Please.
July 11th, 2022 at 9:56 am
The absolute disrespect shown toward Ali Marpet is disgusting. Marpet has played at an All-Pro level. He was very instrumental in holding down the left side of the line when Donovan struggled. He covered up for a lot of Smith’s mistakes. He also worked closely with Brady and Jensen in making the protections were communicated properly. He handled Aaron Donald! I don’t think a scrub can just walk off the street and accomplish that feat. Also, Continuity on the OL is important.
I’m so sick of the articles and comments thinking we can just plug and play a LG on the line. Protecting Brady’s from interior pressure is an absolute must to maximize success. Considering good OL players are scace in the league, why didn’t Stinnie generate any action by other teams? Stinnie is a fine backup, but he doesn’t have the chops to play a complete season. I love our OL Joe Gilbert. He said you gotta perform or you’re gone. One of the few coaches who actually holds his players accountable.
Be really careful when thinking there won’t be drop off at the LG position this year. Thanks for one example in Ryan Harris in how many years? In years past Brady could deal with less than stellar OL play. Peyton was 39. Brady is 45. Stop expecting him to always compensate for bad OL
July 11th, 2022 at 11:41 am
Lenny’s a banger. Kind of guy you want in the backfield. Has better speed than he’s given credit for. Nobody touched him in that Super Bowl run. GOBUCS GO Lenny.😄
July 11th, 2022 at 3:47 pm
Bucsfan13,
Think you’re a bit jacked up on Marpet. No overt disrespect….but we have to move on. You just don’t casually replace an all pro. But we have both players and competiton. next man up.
July 11th, 2022 at 9:30 pm
“no such a thing as a bell cow no more
17 games and it’s running backs by committee
Playoff Lenny needs to be available in the playoffs
Receiving as important with his punishing runs
TB12 trusts Lenny and that means everything
The other RBd need to step up not only to produce but to keep Lenny fresh and healthy end of the season
Alot of ifs”
Kobe Faker
July 11th, 2022 at 9:49 pm
We need another back. Lenny is physical runner. He gives and takes punishment. No back can last when you are the best option on a run or pass plus being able to pick up the blitz and play as much as he does. He is the 2nd most important player on offense. He needs to be healthy for the playoffs. Don’t use him up. We don’t have another Super bowl back.
July 12th, 2022 at 3:50 am
I love playoff Lenny but this is a load of crap. Watch the playoffs and super bowl from 2020. Thru played together so well and it continued last year. We need better run blocking up front, matching the elite pass blocking, and watch his numbers take off, and watch the play action passes explode.