Getty Bills running back Leonard Fournette at Raymond James Stadium on November 06, 2022.
The Buffalo Bills have yet to see Leonard Fornette take the field since he was signed on October 30, but one insider believes the veteran running back could soon be taking a big role in the running game.
The Bills signed the 28-year-old free agent after a neck injury to Damien Harris left a hole in the backfield. Fournette was signed to the practice squad and the Bills chose not to elevate him for the November 5 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, but WKBW sports director Matt Bove believes that will change for a critical Monday Night Football game.
Leonard Fournette Could See Significant Carries
In the hours before the Bills faced off against the Broncos on November 13, Bove took to X to predict that Fournette would earn an elevation from the practice squad and play a meaningful role in the offense.
“This is just my opinion but I’d imagine Fournette is active for the Bills tonight. And if he plays, I think he’ll get a decent amount of snaps,” Bove wrote.
The 28-year-old has remained a productive running back, taking 189 carries for 668 yards with three touchdowns last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Fournette had a strong presence in the passing game as well, making 73 receptions for a career-high 523 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Fournette said he had interest from other teams in free agency but decided that Buffalo was the best fit for him.
Leonard Fournette cannot believe the league allowed him to join the #Bills and play alongside this teammate.
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“I had a couple teams reach out to me. But I really wanted to do what’s best for me, a fresh start out here in Buffalo,” Fournette said, via USA Today’s Bills Wire. “I have a lot left in the tank to play, it was all about the right opportunity.”
Bills May Need Strong Running Game
If the Bills decide to elevate Fournette from the practice squad by the 4 p.m. deadline on Monday, he could step into an important role. Nick Wojton of USA Today’s Bills Wire noted that the Bills may need a strong running game to counter the ground attack of the Broncos, who used ball control in their upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
“On the flip side of the Broncos offense, the Bills need to do the opposite,” Wojton wrote. “We know they’re going to want to pass the ball with quarterback Josh Allen. But whether it’s Allen or running back James Cook, someone has to move the ball on the ground. Against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, Buffalo’s offense was one dimensional and made the game a lot easier for the Bengals defense.”
The Bills ran for just 68 total yards in last week’s loss to the Bengals, with Allen accounting for 44 of them. Cook took six carries for 20 yards while veteran Latavius Murray ran just two times for four total yards.
Monday’s game could give the Bills a chance to break out of their recent offensive slump and jump back into the playoff picture. Heavy projections powered by Quarter4 give the Bills a 73% win percentage against the Broncos, with a predicted point spread of -6.5.