After Aaron Jones signed a four-year, $48 million extension with the Green Bay Packers, focus turns to the rest of the running backs in free agency. With a fairly shallow pool of ground game talent in the 2021 NFL Draft, it’s more than likely that a team bolsters their backfield in free agency. Could one of those teams be a landing spot for Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette?

Leonard Fournette Landing Spots

Leonard Fournette has had a tumultuous NFL career. The fourth overall pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2017 NFL Draft exploded onto the scene as a rookie. His 1,040 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns helped the Jaguars reach the AFC Championship Game in his rookie season. However, a combination of injuries and suspension limited his effectiveness for the Jaguars thereafter.

After forcing his way out of Jacksonville prior to the 2020 NFL season, he landed in Tampa. He made an immediate impact but struggled during the rest of the regular season. Still, his postseason play — including 135 yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl win over Kansas City — gave a timely reminder to the league of what a devastating force he can be. It’s likely that the Buccaneers RB is welcomed back to Tampa Bay but if Leonard Fournette does leave, where are some potential landing spots?

Could Leonard Fournette stay in Florida with the Miami Dolphins?

From Jacksonville to Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers RB has made Florida his home during his NFL career. Could his next home be, well, right at home? There’s no doubt that the Miami Dolphins are in the running back market. They were the team that was most commonly linked to Aaron Jones prior to his contract extension with the Packers. Most NFL mock drafts — including my own four-round a for Pro Football Network — have them selecting a running back.

Their offense struggled last year when they suffered a catastrophic run of running back injuries. At present, their depth chart consists of Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed, Matt Breida, and DeAndre Washington. Despite the inconsistency, Fournette would give the Dolphins a physical threat in the backfield that they don’t have currently. They also have the cap space to play with, having already got 61 players signed to their roster and an estimated $27.1 million available.

Could Leonard Fournette take flight with the New York Jets?

Another AFC East team with a clear running back need is the New York Jets. They could be a legitimate landing spot for Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette. Their running back room was led by Frank Gore last year who is also a free agent. Another part of the running back rotation last year — Josh Adams — is also a free agent. They had a failed flirtation with Le’Veon Bell, which came to an end early last season.

The Jets are in rebuild mode. In addition to new head coach Robert Saleh, they have hired former 49ers passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur as the offensive coordinator. When discussing the 49ers offense early last year, LaFleur described passing game success as starting with the run game. Therefore, there can be an expectation that the Jets will look to establish the run game to create success for whoever starts under center in the 2021 season.

Alongside Ronald Jones, Buccaneers RB Fournette helped create that passing success for Tom Brady this year in Tampa Bay. The Jets have the cap space to make them a viable landing spot for Leonard Fournette this spring.

Could Fournette stay in the NFC with the Seattle Seahawks?

Speaking of teams that like to establish the run, no team has become more famous for running the rock than the Seattle Seahawks. Could they be a legitimate landing spot for Leonard Fournette? They certainly have a history of employing a physical running back with excellent results. Marshawn Lynch became the poster boy for running back physicality during his seasons in Seattle.

There is certainly a need there, too. Chris Carson has been the primary back in Seattle and he is expected to test free agency. Although his estimated market value is less than Fournette’s, it could cost less to bring Fournette in than it would cost to retain Carson.

Other potential landing spots for Leonard Fournette

In addition to the teams mentioned above, the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Detroit Lions are all teams to keep an eye on as potential landing spots for Leonard Fournette. He is the big, physical, running back that fits the mold of a Steelers running back.

The Detroit Lions recently used Adrian Peterson in their offense as a foil to D’Andre Swift. That could be a role that Fournette takes on in the Detroit offense. Finally, the Patriots have evolved their offense to be more ground-game-focused. With Cam Newton returning for another year, Fournette would give them a power run option that would maximize Newton’s skill set under center.

What is Leonard Fournette’s market value in free agency?

What would any of the landing spots above have to pay to secure Leonard Fournette’s services? As per Spotrac, the market value for him is $8.1 million per year. This figure is derived by taking the average of players with similar statistical production at a similar age. The $8.1 million/year would make him the eighth highest-paid running back in the NFL.

It’s worth considering that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB is coming off a one-year, $2 million deal following his original rookie deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. That market value might be a little high, and it’s a more reasonable expectation that any new deal may meet somewhere in the middle.

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Oliver Hodgkinson is an NFL Draft analyst and staff writer for Pro Football Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @ojhodgkinson.

Leonard Fournette Landing Spots: Potential suitors for Buccaneers RB