Arizona Cardinals: Leonard Fournette would make a scary one-two combo with James Conner

With Leonard Fournette hitting free agency, the Arizona Cardinals have yet another running back to keep an eye on in March.

Per numerous sources, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will move on from Leonard Fournette, and he’s yet another running back who could pique the Arizona Cardinals interest. While Tampa won’t make the move until the 15th, general manager Monti Ossenfort may add the running back to his list of targets before free agency begins, given Fournette’s production since he entered the league in 2017. 

With just two 1,000 yard seasons under his belt, Fournette has not lived up to expectations as the fourth overall pick, but he also hasn’t been a bust. While the Cards already have a bruising 230lb back in James Conner on the roster, a player like Fournette would give Arizona a pair of sledgehammers capable of wearing down even the most durable defenses. 

Leonard Fournette could be a good fit for the Arizona Cardinals

This past season, Fournette averaged just 3.5 yards per carry on 668 yards. However, he enjoyed a remarkable season in the pass catching department, hauling in 73 receptions for 523 yards and 3 scores. 

Just two seasons ago, he had the best season of his career since he first came into the league in 2017. With 812 rushing yards (4.5 yards per carry), and 8 rushing touchdowns, Fournette showed he could be an ultra-productive back when splitting carries. Beyond his productivity in the running game, Fournette also amassed 69 catches for 454 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

Overall, the Cards could get a solid back capable of running between the tackles and making things happen out of the backfield. If they were to pursue and sign him, Fournette and Conner could become fixtures in head coach Jonathan Gannon’s and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s system early if they need to roll with a backup quarterback during the early weeks of the 2023 season. 

(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)

Source: Buccaneers to release RB Leonard Fournette, source says, Jenna Lane, ESPN.com.