The Jaguars led the league in rushing attempts last season and their biggest free agent acquisition was guard Andrew Norwell, so it seems unlikely that they’re going to be changing their approach in 2018.
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett wouldn’t mind seeing running back Leonard Fournette tweak his approach a bit in order to take as many of those carries as possible. Fournette missed three games during his rookie year -- two with injuries and one because of a disciplinary matter -- and Hackett said he “almost took sometimes too many hits.”
Hackett stresses that he doesn’t want any major changes to Fournette’s style, but hopes the running back has gained a better understanding of the offensive system that will leave him “able to protect himself and get more out of each run play.”
“I don’t want him to change,” Hackett said, via ESPN.com. “I want him to be him. I want him to do his style. I never want him to change. I just want him to be able to understand the system more so he can run even smarter but still never lose that aggressiveness. That’s what makes Leonard Leonard. That’s what gets everybody excited, makes me excited [and] makes me want to call another run.”
Fournette has cut weight heading into his second season and says he feels he has more burst than he did last season. Should that and a keener understanding of the game lead to fewer early collisions with defensive players, it should bode well for the Jaguars’ chances of a second straight trip to the postseason.