If the New Orleans Saints are still in the market for LSU homecoming stories, it appears there will soon be another on the market.
Former St. Aug Purple Knight and LSU star Leonard Fournette is expected to be cut by the Tampa Bay Bucs as a salary cap casualty, according to a report from Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
Fournette was set to enter the final year of a 3-year deal signed prior to the 2021 season, after he starred on Tampa Bay's run to the Super Bowl in 2020 alongside Tom Brady. The legendary QB has since retired and the Bucs now find themselves with serious salary cap implications to manage, making the RB an obvious choice to depart.
Fournette, 28, has been a productive player in his three seasons with the Bucs, logging 1,847 yards and 17 rushing TDs on 466 carries. He's also added 1,210 yards and 5 more TDs receiving on 178 catches. The veteran was phased out later in the year in favor of young RBs Rachaad White and Ke'Shawn Vaughn. Fournette was also at the center of a scuffle in the Saints' Week 2 loss to the Bucs that resulted in the ejections of both Saints CB Marshon Lattimore and Bucs WR Mike Evans.
Fournette spent his first three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars after he was selected No. 4 overall in the 2017 draft, but was then cut unceremoniously after three seasons.
Should there be mutual interest, a return to his native New Orleans could make sense for Fournette and the Saints. Star running back Alvin Kamara is facing an uncertain future with a court date looming that stems from an alleged assault prior to the 2021 Pro Bowl in Las Vegas. Regardless of the legal outcome, a suspension is likely, necessitating a reliable option behind him. Mark Ingram served in that role in the 2022 season, but he will be entering his age 33 season and is recovering from a knee injury that ended his year. His failure to convert on a third down late in a Week 13 loss to the Bucs was also a flashpoint in a result that ultimately doomed the Saints' postseason hopes.
Related
If so, it'd mark yet another homecoming for a former LSU star. There were two such storylines in the 2022 season, with veteran safety Tyrann Mathieu returning home, and Louisiana native Jarvis Landry also signing in New Orleans. The results were polar opposites for both. Landry started with a 100-yard explosion in a win over the Falcons, but suffered an ankle injury in Week 3 that ultimately cost him a majority of the season. Mathieu, meanwhile, got off to a slow start but appeared in all 17 games and was an anchor on a Saints defense that vastly improved as the season went on.
All said, Fournette represents a potential short-term option who could fit the Saints' apparent goal of winning an NFC South title in a year where simply finishing over .500 might be enough. The Bucs earned that title in 2022 with an 8-9 record.
The Saints could also look to a young RB in Eno Benjamin, who was brought in on waivers late in the season but wasn't involved much in the latter stages of the season. They could also look to the draft, for which they'll have a prime opportunity to survey that talent this week during the NFL Draft combine out in Indianapolis.
Related
