Leonard Fournette Minicamp Update Should Worry Bucs Fans

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a commitment to running back Leonard Fournette when they signed him to a three-year deal worth $21 million back in March. Early reports coming out of minicamp should worry fans, though, as the 27-year-old hasn't exactly looked great so far.

RB Leonard Fournette made his first appearance in the off-season and seemed to be a little heavy and struggled some in the heat, dropping a few passes. But Bowles said he looked fine, especially considering he hasn’t been here in their off-season.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) June 7, 2022

Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported that Fournette seemed to struggle in the heat and ended up dropping a few passes. This comes after the news that the former LSU Tiger is looking to drop 10-15 pounds before Week 1 after entering camp at the heaviest he has been since 2017 (240).

With Ronald Jones being swapped out for rookie Rachaad White this offseason, the Buccaneers are going to need Fournette to step up into a workhorse role. That's especially the case considering backup Giovani Bernard is much more known for work through the air rather than up the middle.

Fournette excelled at taking on that job in 2021, racking up 1,266 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns on 249 touches (14 games played). Tampa Bay has also finished second in the league in scoring in each of the last two seasons despite ranking outside the top 20 in rushing yards per game.

This will be a situation worth monitoring throughout the summer as Tampa Bay looks to make its second Super Bowl appearance in the last three years. The Buccaneers currently have the second-best odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at +750, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.