Leonard Fournette was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars. We’ve talked about that on the fantasy show but we didn’t dive into the implications enough. I think there’s a reason why the Jags cut him outside of getting sick of Fournette’s personality. I believe in Ryquell Armstead and so does Jacksonville.
Ryquell Armstead can dominate in a lead running back role with Jacksonville. Armstead was one of my favorite running backs in the 2019 NFL Draft. It was a weak running back draft class but I thought the former Temple product was a real standout.
I’ll share my predraft notes on Armstead below:
“The running backs were awful too. Just no athletic burst from anyone. The only running back that’s probably worth anything at this game is the Temple back. Ryquell Armstead just runs hard. 24 yards rushing isn’t sexy but Armstead doesn’t mess around. No dancing, just hit the hole and bruise.”
Armstead, 23, runs hard. No messing around. Armstead is coming for blood on every carry. At Temple, he posted a 1,098 yard, 5.2 per carry average, and 8 touchdown Senior season for the Owls. I was really impressed with him in college and felt like a back that could get it done with a sizeable workload.
Armstead didn’t have a ton of success as a rookie. The Jags offensive line was putrid but a 3.1 yard per carry average isn’t great. I do believe we can expect a lot more from Armstead. He’s got adequate speed and is willing to get his nose dirty. I think there’s a chance he can become someone like Chris Carson and improve as a pass catcher over time. He caught the ball well at the combine.
