Leonard Fournette said that he stayed in fantastic shape during the offseason and was ready to go when called upon. The 28-year-old running back was not lying.
Fournette, who spent the first three years of his career in Jacksonville, spent the last four years with Tampa Bay. Although the Buccaneers signed him to a three-year, $21 million contract in March 2022, they chose to release him from their roster 359 days later.
Despite his 5,082 career rushing yards and 51 total career touchdowns, no team chose to sign Leonard Fournette during training camp. He remained unsigned until Tuesday.
The Buffalo Bills decided to bolster their backfield by signing Fournette to the practice squad. It is expected that he could be promoted to the active roster as soon as Sunday night. Likely next week.
Fournette will provide a hard-nosed, bruising presence alongside James Cook and Latavius Murray. He may not receive the bulk of carries right away, or ever, but Sean McDermott and Ken Dorsey will be thrilled to have a 228-pound running back to turn to when necessary.
When an NFL team signs a player to the practice squad, it usually comes with some contingencies. It’s often like taking a flier. If a player is in shape and ready to roll, great. If not, it’s a low-cost risk.
In the case of Fournette, it is more to get him up to speed with the Bills system. Any concerns about his conditioning — something that has plagued him in the past — were dispelled during his first practice with the Buffalo Bills.
Not only did Fournette look lean and mean from a weight standpoint, he looked strong. His legs, particularly his thighs, are the size of tree trunks.
A.J. Dillon, Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson are known for having the biggest legs in the NFL. Fournette is either right there with them or not far behind!