Jags’ Marrone on if team is tanking: ‘I’m doing everything I can to make sure that we have the best team to win’

In a move that shocked many around the league, the Jacksonville Jaguars waived RB Leonard Fournette on Monday. The fourth-year player, who was the fourth overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft and whose fifth-year option was declined by the team in May, was rumored to be on the trading block this spring, but ultimately, according to Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone, there were no takers.

“My question was, ‘Can we get any value?’ and [the answer] it was we couldn’t get any,” Marrone said via a video call on Monday. “Fifth, sixth [round picks], we couldn’t get anything.”

As a rookie, in 2017, Fournette rushed for 1040 yards and nine rushing touchdowns and helped Jacksonville make it to the AFC title game. In 2018, Fournette struggled with injuries and was fined(later overturned) by then team president Tom Coughlin after Fournette, who was inactive due to an ankle injury in the season finale, sat on the bench. However, in 2019, Fournette had career-highs in rushing yards(1152), receptions(76), and receiving yards(522). Now, without Fournette, the Jaguars will turn to Ryquell Armstead and Chris Thompson, and Marrone feels those guys can help Jacksonville more than Fournette could in 2020.

“I just feel like [with] the skill set of the guys that we have being used the right way, [they] will be able to give us more production and give us a better opportunity to win games,” Marrone said. “That’s exactly what I feel and exactly what I’ve seen on tape.”

Some might believe Jacksonville could be tanking after waiving the 25-year-old Fournette. However, Marrone said that is not the case.

“I can’t speak for anyone like I said I’m not going to speak for anyone else,” he said. “But if that’s the case(tanking), then the realization is that if that happens, I’m not going to be here. Right? At the end of the day, if I don’t win enough games or do enough with this team, I don’t foresee me still being employed. So I’m doing everything I can to make sure that we have the best team to win football games. I mean that’s as simple as I can be on it.”

Marrone is right. Jacksonville does need to win for him to keep his job. I don’t think Jacksonville is tanking, but it’s clear they wanted to get Fournette out of their locker room. He was the best running back on Jacksonville’s roster, so this is a move, according to Jacksonville, that is addition by subtraction.