TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers strengthened the running back position with the addition of Leonard Fournette, who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.
Fournette hit the practice field with his new team for the first time on Tuesday.
“I think just me coming to Tampa made perfect sense,” Fournette said. “I feel like they had all the keys that I needed and vice versa. I can help the team out, and also, they can help me."
“I think it’s probably one of my first seasons running in a six-man box – which is a smart part on me. I made sure all that was in consideration with me coming here. The coaching staff [is full of] great guys I’ve been knowing. Some of my coaches know them too, so it was a perfect fit for me,” he added.
Fournette, who rushed for 1,000 yards or more in two of his three seasons in Jacksonville, felt as if he had to carry the offense. That won’t be the case in Tampa.
“For the first time in my life, I really have a quarterback,” the former LSU star said of teaming up with Hall of Fame signal-caller Tom Brady. “That’s an eye-opener for me. Not a lot of pressure come will on me. I guess it will be on me and him and a lot of other guys on the offense."
“Especially when you have a lot of guys like Mike [Evans], Chris [Godwin], Gronk [Rob Gronkowski], Tom [Brady] and the O-Line,” Fournette added. “You can spread the ball to guys like that and it’s not just you. When the defense has to game plan, [it’s] against eight guys, not just one. I think that opens up a variety of things for a lot of guys on our team on the offensive side of the ball.”
How much will quarterback Brady hand-off to Fournette on Sunday in the season opener against the New Orleans Saints? Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians says that No. 28 will have a “solid role.”
“We’ll see, man,” Fournette said. “I’m learning. It’s not that hard. I’m understanding it, understanding what the coaches want, too, and we’ll see.”
Sunday’s game at New Orleans kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET.
