During an appearance on PFT Live, Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye said that one of his observations about rookie running back Leonard Fournette is that he’s better off grabbing and “just holding on til the cavalry comes” than trying to get in Fournette’s way when he has a head of steam.
That’s the kind of back the Jaguars were looking for when they picked Fournette in the first round this year, but executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin has seen more to the rookie’s game in his early practices. Coughlin said that Fournette may be able to do more as a receiver than originally expected and that he’s proven responsive to concerns from the team about his weight.
“Powerful, strong, better hands than I ever thought,” Coughlin said, via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. “Good kid and a good worker. Came in, right after the draft, came in a little heavy, and we talked about it, and he comes in here at 227. He’s a guy that seems to practice well. I think he’s one of those guys that, if you’re in a circumstance, one up or one down in the fourth quarter, he can make a big difference. I think he’s still going to have a lot of gas in his tank, maybe be able to get some of those tough yards at the end of the game.”
Toughness has always been something Coughlin prizes and increasing it in Jacksonville has been a popular topic around the team this year. Fournette looks like he’s going to be a big part of that effort and everything else the Jaguars do this year.