Despite the Patriots being looked at as a solid landing spot for Leonard Fournette, New England is not expected to pursue the former first-round running back, according to Mike Giardi of NFL Network. Following the Jacksonville Jaguars waiving him earlier in the week, Fournette went unclaimed on Tuesday, which now paves the way for him to be a free agent and sign wherever he chooses in the NFL. That next step in his career, however, doesn't appear likely to happen in Foxborough.
The Patriots do have a pretty deep stable of running backs currently on the roster, albeit without the pedigree of Fournette, who was taken No. 4 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft out of LSU. Sony Michel, however, is a former first-round pick of New England's and has shown flashes of being the club's workhorse back over his two-year tenure. Also on the roster is second-year back Damien Harris and the 2019 third-round choice out of Alabama has been putting together an impressive training camp that could even vault him above Michel on the depth chart as the club's starter later this year.
Of course, James White continues to be a constant as New England's pass-catching back along with veteran Rex Burkhead, who also helps out on special teams. Lamar Miller rounds out the notable names in the Patriots backfield. On top of those backs, Cam Newton, who is currently on the inside track to claim the Patriots' starting quarterback gig, should get his fair share of carries as well, especially in the red zone.
The Patriots are just the latest team to be out on Fournette. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay shut down any potential interest in the 25-year-old on Tuesday saying, "He's a good player, but we feel good about the guys we have in-house." With that in mind, you can at least cross off two teams in Fournette's hunt to find a new club.
