JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars are ready to move on from running back Leonard Fournette.
A person familiar with the decision says the Jaguars are actively looking to trade the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t made its plans public.
The person said Fournette could get moved before or during the NFL draft, which begins Thursday night. ESPN first reported Jacksonville’s desire to part with the former LSU star.
If Fournette gets traded, he would join quarterback Nick Foles (Chicago), defensive end Calais Campbell (Baltimore), cornerback A.J. Bouye (Denver) and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus (free agent) as starters Jacksonville has dumped in the last six weeks. The team also traded cornerback Jalen Ramsey (Los Angeles Rams) last October.
Disgruntled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has publicly asked to play elsewhere and could be another trade option for Jacksonville.
Fournette, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is due to make $4.17 million in 2020. If he stays in Jacksonville, he would count $8.64 million against Jacksonville’s salary cap. The Jaguars would take on $4.47 million in dead money by trading him.
Coaches have seemingly grown tired of dealing with Fournette, whose ability is often overshadowed by his baggage.
Still, the 25-year-old running back is coming off a career year. He topped 1,600 yards from scrimmage in 15 games last season, carrying 265 times for 1,152 yards and catching 76 passes for 522 yards. He only scored three touchdowns. He also fumbled just once.
Ngakoue, meanwhile, goaded minority owner Tony Khan into a Twitter exchange in hopes of escalating his public trade demand.
It may have backfired.
Khan, the team’s senior vice president of football administration and technology and the son of majority owner Shad Khan, eventually told Ngakoue to “show me the compensation. I’m sure you’re really driving up the price.”
Ngakoue has been vocal about his displeasure with the franchise since the end of last season and has repeatedly said his time in Jacksonville is done. The Jaguars placed the franchise tag on Ngakoue last month, a move that would guarantee him about $18 million next season.
But Ngakoue has refused to sign the tender in hopes of forcing a trade.
COLTS: Former Baltimore Colt Mike Curtis passed away Monday morning at his home in St. Petersburg, Fla. surrounded by loved ones, according to his caretakers and family members. He was 77 years old.
Known to fans as “Mad Dog,” Curtis was born James Michael Curtis in Washington, D.C. He played football for Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, before heading off to Duke University where he was an academic All-American.
Curtis played 11 seasons with the Baltimore Colts before joining the Seattle Seahawks expansion team and then for two more years with Washington.
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