Fournette High on Dolphins; Baker's Message
There's a lot of attention these days being paid to running back Dalvin Cook, now a free agent after being released by the Minnesota Vikings.
Another veteran running back looking for a new team is former Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick Leonard Fournette, and he was a guest on "Good Morning Football" on Wednesday and it maybe not that much of a stretch to suggest he wouldn't mind joining the Miami Dolphins if it turned out there was mutual interest.
There are dots to connect here, starting with the fact that Fournette's two NFL teams have been the other two in Florida, the Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Then there's his relationship with cornerback Jalen Ramsey from their time together in Jacksonville.
And then there's the fact he's obviously impressed by the talent that Miami has assembled, which came out when he was asked which team around the NFL had the best roster.
"So I'll be rolling with the Miami Dolphins," Fournette said. "For me, bringing a guy like Jalen over there, his attitude. I played with him in Jacksonville, played against him when he played with the Rams, I know what he brings to the table. And with Tyreek (Hill), Jalen, the young guys they have, they're gonna do a tremendous job and the defense is not bad. And I can't wait to see what Jalen brings, and I'm very excited for him. A new home, a new place for him, it's gonna be very exciting for him.
"If Tua stays healthy, they can make a good run."
Ramsey and Fournette played together with Jacksonville in 2017 and 2018 and at the start of 2019 before Ramsey was traded to the Rams, and they helped the Jaguars reach the AFC Championship Game in 2017, losing against the New England Patriots (a team that included GMFB co-host and former Dolphins DB Jason McCourty).
"When I first got drafted, he DM'd me, he said, 'Man, listen, I know you're on the same missio,' " Fournette said. "I'm trying to win a championship. I want to go to the Super Bowl. We fell short to the wonderful Patriots. But overall just playing with him, you know? His children are like my kids, man. He's been my brother since I first entered the league. And he's a wonderful guy. I'm happy to see how he's flourishing right now. He's a man of God. I love that about him. And it's my guy."
WHY FOURNETTE BE A FIT FOR DOLPHINS?
While Cook clearly is a better, more well-rounded running back than Fournette, one could make the argument that adding Fournette would make more sense.
The reason is that the Dolphins don't have a big back on the roster, and the 6-foot, 228-pound Fournette would fill that void.
Fournette has been without a team since the Buccaneers released him March 15, one year after they re-signed him to a three-year, $21 million extension.
"I'm getting calls, but you know right now I feel like the market for the running backs is not where it should be," Fournette said. "And we're gonna go about it since Saquon (Barkley) made it a topic and how he feels about it, but I have been getting calls but just the money has to be right right now. I'm not asking for a whole whole bunch of money, but it has to be fair for running back because we take a lot of pounding.
"We gotta block catch and run the ball. You got to be smart. I played with a six-time, seven-time champion (Tom Brady), and if you're not able to protect him, you shouldn't be on the field."
Co-host Kyle Brandt closed the discussion with this simple statement: "Miami, come on now. Never mind Dalvin. Lenny."
BAKER SENDS MESSAGE
Linebacker Jerome Baker sometimes posts cryptic message on social media, but the one he made Wednesday seemed pretty straightforward.
While we certainly can respect Baker taking ownership of his performance, it's not like he was terrible for the Dolphins in 2022.
He started every game for a second consecutive season and finished second on the team in tackles with 104, just four behind Elandon Roberts. Baker wasn't used a blitzer quite as often, and his four sacks, six tackles for loss and seven QB hits represented his lowest totals in those categories in three seasons.
The upcoming season will be a big one for Baker, who is set to carry a $14.9 million cap number in 2024 but with no guaranteed salary — meaning the Dolphins could release him next offseason and save almost $10 million of cap save with $5 million of dead money.
