As has been a common occurrence since Tom Brady left the Patriots for the Buccaneers, a handful of players made their way from New England to Tampa Bay this past offseason.
But for a moment earlier in the spring, it looked like a player might say goodbye to Central Florida in favor of Foxboro.
Leonard Fournette visited with the Patriots less than a week after becoming an unrestricted free agent. The power back ultimately did not join Mac Jones’ arsenal of weapons, however, as he elected to re-sign with the Bucs on a three-year contract.
In fact, Fournette apparently decided to stay in Tampa Bay before he even left New England. Perhaps an inquiry from star quarterback Tom Brady gave the 2017 first-round pick the clarity he needed to make a call about his NFL future.
“What’s your ass doing up there?” Brady asked Fournette during the RB’s Patriots visit, per The Athletic’s Greg Auman.
New England proceeded to address its running back needs through the 2022 draft, double-dipping at the position by taking Pierre Strong Jr. in the fourth round and Kevin Harris in the sixth. As for the Bucs, their offense led by Brady, Fournette, Mike Evans and company figures to be one of the league’s most formidable units once again this season.
