Leonard Fournette Free Agency: Will Playoff Lenny Join the New England Patriots?

Leonard Fournette Works Out With the Patriots

The New England Patriots have seemingly been trying to sign Leonard Fournette for years, narrowly missing out in 2020 when Playoff Lenny decided to follow the G.O.A.T (Tom Brady) to Tampa Bay in search of a Super Bowl.

Luckily for the Patriots, Tom Brady is no longer in the league to steal away players and there are no visible blockers between them and Leonard Fournette - but will New England sign Fournette whilst Dalvin Cook is still on the market?

New England Patriots Dalvin Cook Odds

As of 5 AM Eastern Time on July 20th, the New England Patriots are still heavy favorites to sign ex-Vikings Running Back 'Dalvin Cook' posting odds of +150 on DraftKings Sportsbook, but fans are beginning to wonder if Bill Belichick has moved on from the All-Pro in search of a cheaper fill-in. How did Fournette and Cook compare stat-wise in 2022?

Dalvin Cook 2022 Stats

Dalvin Cook broke his single-season rushing record in 2022, in part due to his managing to stay healthy and playing the first full season of his career. Cook posted an impressive 1,173 rushing yards with an additional 295 receiving yards during the 2022 campaign and managed to make fantasy owners happy by finding the End Zone 10 times.

It's clear that Dalvin Cook is still one of the top Running Backs in the NFL at the moment and his addition to the New England could help the Pats bridge the talent gap in the AFC East and take some pressure off Mac Jones, especially after they missed out on signing ex-Cardinals Reciever Deandre Hopkins.

Leonard Fournette 2022 Stats

Leonard Fournette has only eclipsed 1000+ rushing yards in a season twice in his career and the last time was back in 2019 when he was playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars. His 2023 was not as stat-heavy, but Fournette still posted 668 rushing and 523 receiving yards throughout the campaign, putting him just 227 yards behind Cook in total yards from scrimmage. Fournette also managed to hit paydirt 6 times throughout the season, splitting his touchdowns evenly between rushing and receiving.

Although on paper Leonard Fournette is not at the same caliber as Dalvin Cook, his pass-catching ability out of the backfield may make him a better RB2 behind New Englands' Rhamondre Stevenson' who is known for his devastating ability to break through tough Defensive fronts and hit a second gear in the open field.

Will New England Sign Fournette or Cook?

Bill Belichick is a master of throwing curveballs and consistently does the complete opposite of what the media expects him to do, however, in 2023 one thing is clear - the New England Patriots need talent. The AFC East has become one of the most competitive divisions in football and despite holding the throne for so many years, the Patriots are sitting at the bottom of the power rankings. If the Patriots want to compete with Josh Allen in Buffalo, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in Miami as well as the recent signing of Aaron Rodgers in New York, they need to make some changes fast.

Both Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette would be a step in the right direction for the Patriots' offense and the unsettled nature of the Running Back market in 2023 may play to their advantage. With names like Ezekial Elliot on the Free Agency market, and Saquon Barkley potentially holding out, the Patriots could get a steady workhorse like Fournette or the All-Pro Dalvin Cook for a bargain. Luckily for Patriots Nation, it looks like New England will snap up at least one of these two Running Backs.

Who Should the New England Patriots Sign?

If I was to play General Manager for the day, I'd be shipping a container of cash over to Dalvin Cook and hand-delivering him his new blue, white, and red jersey. Despite Fournette potentially being a better logistical match within Bill O'Brien's system, the New England Patriots, in my opinion, should be going for broke to sign Cook to a deal.

Since the departure of Tom Brady, fans in New England have watched their team slide on a downward spiral and the gap between them and Super Bowl contention fade further away each and every year. Whilst other teams in the division are making huge moves in the NFL Draft or Free Agency, the Patriots seem content at drip-feeding talent into the fold and banking on their system to make magic happen like the days of old. Unfortunately for the 2023 Patriots, Mac Jones is not Tom Brady and Bill Belichick cannot rely on Brady's magic to transform would-be Walmart greeters into Super Bowl Champions in 2023.

Bill Belichick is undoubtedly the greatest coach of all time, and I'd be the first to argue for building a statue in his honor directly in front of the NFL Hall of Fame. Despite this, Boston sports fans are notorious for having a short-term memory and another season without a post-season appearance may have fans calling for a change. It's time for Bill to alter his ways, pay over the top for a big name like Cook, and swing for the fences in 2023.