Round 2 In New England For Lombardi Lenny
July 19th, 2023
Hmmmm, the Bucs’ running game was miserable last season and the greatest head coach in NFL history is interested in signing the guy who had the most carries and catches out of the backfield for Tampa Bay.
Joe is referrring to Leonard “Lombardi Lenny” Fournette now in New England for a visit and a workout for coach/GM Bill Belicheat, per NFL Network.
Fournette visited the Belicheats in the spring of 2022 as a free agent after two glorious seasons in Tampa. The story goes that Tom Brady didn’t like that and firmly told Lombardi Lenny to stay with the Bucs. Joe was told by a trusted source that Fournette was exactly the kind of player Belicheat loves, and that served as a little extra motivation for the Bucs to bring Lenny back to Tampa with a new deal.
And now Fournette and the Patriots are sniffing each other again.
Of course, fellow free agent running back Dalvin Cook has been rumored to have New England’s interest. Joe wonders if Belicheat is a playing a leverage game in one or both directions.
Joe hopes Lombardi Lenny finds a team prior to training camp. Joe has seen video of him training hard.
July 19th, 2023 at 1:34 pm
Good luck Lenny.
I wish he would return to Tampa. We need a real RB2.
Sneak Vaughn and Edmonds are both below mediocre.
July 19th, 2023 at 1:47 pm
4Net was a fun personality with interesting perspectives. He didn’t have any juice last year. I think it is a long-shot he gets picked up.
July 19th, 2023 at 1:49 pm
I liked him.
Curious about Cook too.
July 19th, 2023 at 2:09 pm
Thank you Lombardi Lenny for everything you did for the Bucs team! Last year he couldn’t stay healthy, and showed very questionable vision at times. I think his body is starting to break down from the mileage. Hope he proves me wrong and catches on somewhere, but I believe the Bucs can replace his production with a younger back.
July 19th, 2023 at 2:09 pm
I’d love to see him re-sign with the Bucs too. We’re making a mistake if we expect an improved running game with only White & Vaughn in the stable. The others MAY contribute, but I won’t hold my breath on that one.
July 19th, 2023 at 2:18 pm
It’s a bleak market these days for top running backs looking for a third contract.
Fournette cannot be blamed for one of the worst offensive lines in football last season, utterly decimated by injuries and retirements … nor can he be faulted for not getting a huge number of yards on the ground.
But JBF and others keeps ignoring the fact that Fournette led the entire team in yards gained, was the second leading receiver in yards, and was second on the team in scoring touchdowns last season.
The fact that Fournette is no longer on the Bucs roster probably has mostly to do with the horrible market for older running backs. He’ll sign somewhere, but for considerably less money than in his last contract with the Bucs … who knows, maybe even the Bucs will re sign him.
July 19th, 2023 at 2:20 pm
I do too, if he does well this season it’ll help prove his lack of production was more about the ragtag o-line last season.
July 19th, 2023 at 2:43 pm
i wish Cook was coming to the Bucs!
July 19th, 2023 at 2:46 pm
@ DR
“We’re making a mistake if we expect an improved running game with only White & Vaughn in the stable.”
Exactamundo amigo…
Don’t forget the UDFA from a DivII school and the other UDFA with a congenital heart issue.
How can anyone look at this running back group and pretend it is anything other than below mediocre?
July 19th, 2023 at 2:50 pm
Yawn. Lenny’s washed up. Bet he doesn’t make the team.
July 19th, 2023 at 2:52 pm
Not eating Mama’s cooking this off season huh Lenny? Funny how being unemployed motivates a guy.
July 19th, 2023 at 3:21 pm
He’ll get near vet minimum
July 19th, 2023 at 3:21 pm
Tucker has been posting vids of his workouts since the end of mini-camp, click my name for the compilation. The video is from 7/10/23.
July 19th, 2023 at 3:25 pm
I’m happy he’s actually training this off-season instead of eating and playing video games all night.
As he admitted to doing last off-season.
I still love Fournette.
He ran hard for us. Every carry.
He was an integral part of our Super Bowl run.
Long live Leonard Fournette!
July 19th, 2023 at 3:38 pm
Dooley … Very cool. I suspect though that just about all NFL RBs could put up the same type of video. Tucker was apparently very impressive at Syracuse, but I can’t figure out why he declared for the draft after his junior year (he did considerably better in his sophomore year) with his medical situation. Besides, several writeups that I read said that he wasn’t particularly fast or powerful, and not that great in pass protection. All those taken together don’t scream ‘Hey Sean, declare for the draft early & you’ve got ROTY made’.
July 19th, 2023 at 3:39 pm
Dooley … Very cool. I suspect though that just about all NFL RBs could put up the same type of video.
July 19th, 2023 at 3:40 pm
Dooley … several writeups that I read said that he wasn’t particularly fast or powerful, and not that great in pass protection. All those taken together don’t scream ‘Hey Sean, declare for the draft early & you’ve got ROTY made’.
July 19th, 2023 at 3:42 pm
BTW, Sean was impressive in college overall, but he did considerably better his sophomore year.
July 19th, 2023 at 3:48 pm
Last 5 to 10 years Bill Belichick has been less than average at identifying and acquiring talent.
Great coach.
C- guy at identifying talent.
July 19th, 2023 at 3:48 pm
Outta gas
July 19th, 2023 at 3:49 pm
@DR
150k gamble is less than paying a household name for the name whether they still have juice in the tank be damned. Also, don’t just limit your exposure to write ups, go watch the kid play. From his sophomore year to last college season, the kid racked up yards and scored a lot and I’m almost certain that’s what our front office is excited about, not articles.
Our run game is going to be propped up by the sum of the parts in the RB room, not the antiquated 1998 need for a “bellcow” and again I’m not going to sit here like I know better than the folks at 1Buc. So I’m going to sit, wait to see and hear how these guys are performing and the status of our RBs.
July 19th, 2023 at 3:58 pm
Let’s blame Lenny for a piss poor OLine and TEs that can’t block. It’s not Lenny’s fault he was caught in the backfield at the handoff. If he signs with the Pats he should have a good year. Bucs are dumb for not trying to re-sign him. The Bucs do not have enough experienced depth at RB.
July 19th, 2023 at 3:58 pm
@DR
Watch Tuckers’ tape playing WITH the heart ailment and let me know what you think. I don’t read articles to evaluate players unless it’s an interview, usually game tape is a better projection of on-field talent than what a columnist writes. Speed and explosion are probably his best physical talents, and that’s evident on tape
I mean take Joe for example, he’s written about Rachaad White a ton and if that was your only source of information on the player you’d think we’re parading a bum out to be our lead RB.
July 19th, 2023 at 4:27 pm
Sean Tucker is very similar to MJD out of college. It remains to be seen if the NFL is a safe for him.
July 19th, 2023 at 4:39 pm
Legarrette Blount II.
July 19th, 2023 at 5:09 pm
Bill Belichick is the most overrated coach in NFL history because he has a losing record as a head coach without Tom Brady
July 19th, 2023 at 7:16 pm
Buc4ever – Fournette wsntrd to be released. The Bucs didnt choose not to sign him, he was already under contract. Wish Lenny the best. Stevenson is the guy in NE, Fournette might not get much time the way Bilecheat uses his backs.
July 19th, 2023 at 7:31 pm
Does every other NFL team’s fan blog site obsess over former players, or us it just this one?
July 19th, 2023 at 7:47 pm
Him and cook in the same backfield would be something, they always have fresh legs on the field. Blount left here and did pretty good in New England
July 19th, 2023 at 7:53 pm
@ Buc4ever
Fournette was not a free agent.
Lenny was released by our GM because he requested to be released from his contract.
Then we used the money to sign Fieler, Neal and Gains.
July 19th, 2023 at 8:33 pm
Kappa to the Bengals
Marpet to retirement
Jensen goes down day 2
That’s 2022 to me.
I think Lenny might have one season left, maybe. I’d rather see what Cook has left, Lenny was too lumbering last year but for one game. We need a back that can thrive in Canales’ outside zone. They sure are going all in with White but his skill sets seem to match what Canales will need.
My question is about this offensive line. Mauch just a plug and play? Can Tristan be an all pro at LT? Goedeke at RT? Is Jensen healthy? We’ve seen how having the best O-line wins championships
July 19th, 2023 at 9:40 pm
Good luck Lombardi Lenny. I wouldn’t mind having you back.
July 19th, 2023 at 9:45 pm
“the greatest head coach in NFL history”
PUHLEEZE!!! Let’s review “the greatest head coach in NFL history”.
He coached for 5 years in Cleveland. He had ONE winning season and FOUR losing seasons! Overall record in 5 years 36-45 FIVE GAMES BELOW .500!
That’s really great eh?
Then he goes to N.E. and finished 5-11…what a freaking great job again.
The next year Brady gets the nod and the team goes flips that record to 11-5.
Belichick who MAY be in the discussion for greatest DC LUCKS out…Brady was a freaking 6th round selection. NOBODY with the PATS deserves any major props for having the “Luck of the Irish”!!!
So BB provides awesome defenses…Brady does ALL THE REST!
July 20th, 2023 at 9:06 am
I wonder if Lasagna Lenny shows up to New England like he did here, and wonder why he was not as effective as he was 20 lbs lighter. Bill will not put up with any of that fat on his roster.
July 20th, 2023 at 9:35 am
Good luck with that.
If Belecheat can get him to stop dancing around in the backfield which I doubt. Maybe he can help them. Wondering what the numbers would be.
Go Bucs!
July 20th, 2023 at 9:46 am
@Dooley
Odd to me that none of the vid appears to be anywhere near one Buc.
Probably some legality issue IE not from the teams sources.
I also imagine his agent wants everyone to know Tucker is alive and well …not in a hospital somewhere.
Go Bucs!
July 20th, 2023 at 11:46 am
Our anointed RB1 is trash
Fournette is a stud and a winner
This team is clueless