Buccaneers’ Super Bowl Odds Unchanged After Signing Fournette – Are They a Better Bet With the RB?

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers have held steady as a +1500 bet in the Super Bowl odds after signing running back Leonard Fournette
• The fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Fournette was waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars this week after three disappointing seasons
• We’ve got you covered with Super Bowl odds and analysis in the wake of Fournette’s signing in Tampa Bay

It took little time for Leonard Fournette to find a new home. After being released by the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this week, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft quickly signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the addition of Fournette gives the Buccaneers some much-needed depth in the backfield, the move has failed to move the needle on the squad’s Super Bowl odds, which have held steady at +1500.

Odds to Win Super Bowl

Odds taken September 3, 2020

Lengthy Jacksonville Drama Finally Ends

Fournette had reportedly been on the trade block throughout the offseason, and after finding no takers, the Jaguars elected to part ways with the 25-year-old, who was set to enter the fourth and final year of his rookie contract this season. The Jags’ decision came despite Fournette’s solid production last season, when he ranked seventh in the NFL with 1,152 rushing yards, to go along with 552 receiving yards.

Marrone says he doesn’t define a good running game by yards, but being able to run the football when you want to and scoring points.” #Jaguars had 3 running TDS in 2019.

— Eugene Frenette (@GeneFrenette) August 31, 2020

Despite establishing career bests in both those departments, concerns were there as to how Fournette was going to fit into Jacksonville’s offensive scheme moving forward. Concerns had also emerged over Fournette’s impatience after back-to-back losing campaigns in Jacksonville. But the former LSU star did little to help his own cause last season, tallying a career-low three rushing touchdowns while appearing in a career-high 15 games.

Fournette’s Role in Tampa Bay Still Unclear

So, should sports bettors be expecting Fournette’s performance to improve dramatically in Tampa Bay? The short answer is maybe.

While the contract the Buccaneers have given Fournette, which could pay him as much as $3.5 million this season, suggests the team has a substantial role awaiting him in Tampa Bay, it remains unclear just how substantial.

Pegged as a +350 bet to land in Tampa Bay after getting waived by the Jags, Fournette joins a crowded Buccaneers backfield that has plenty of work to do to improve on last season’s 24th-ranked 95.1 rushing yards per game, and is likely to face competition for playing time. Ronald Jones is likely to emerge as the most likely rival to cut into Fournette’s playing time and is joined by rookie Ke’Shawn Vaughn and veteran LeSean McCoy in the mix.

Re: The Bucs and Fournette – They made Ronald Jones the starter at the beginning of camp. LeSean McCoy looked pretty good mixing it up as a pass catcher, can go first and second down. Dare Ogunbowale is a special teams captain. They just spent a third-rounder on Ke’Shawn Vaughn

— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) September 2, 2020

And with just over a week remaining until the start of the 2020 NFL season, and little time to get acclimated to the Buccaneers offense led by Tom Brady, Fournette is likely to be slowly eased into his new role. While that means fewer touches for Fournette this season, it will likely result in a boost in the number of touchdowns he scores. With Brady at the helm, the New England Patriots ranked among the NFL’s top ten in scoring runs in each of the past four years and tallied 17 total rushing TDs last year.

Fournette Has Plenty to Prove

While at first glance, the addition of Fournette appears to be a low risk, high reward proposition for the Buccaneers, the enigmatic 25-year-old still must prove his value as a team player before measuring how big an impact he will have in Tampa Bay. That includes becoming accustomed to being a role player instead of the superstar and adapting to the team’s offensive scheme instead of the other way around.

Jaguars did all they could to trade RB Leonard Fournette in the spring and then again this summer. But as Jaguars’ HC Doug Marrone said today: "We couldn't get anything, a fifth, a sixth, anything. We couldn't get anything."

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 31, 2020

In the short term, what is happening in other camps is likely to have a greater impact on the Buccaneers’ value as a +1500 Super Bowl than Fournette’s signing.

Buccaneers Avoiding Controversy

The ongoing drama swirling around the status of star running Alvin Kamara, who has been mysteriously absent from New Orleans’ training camp, has raised questions about how prepared the Saints are to defend their title as NFC South champions. And Baltimore’s forced decision to part ways with All-Pro safety Earl Thomas has done little to boost the Ravens’ Super Bowl hopes.

Reminder: Only one player in NFL history has recorded 2,000 rush yards, 2,000 receiving yards, and three Pro Bowl selections through their first three seasons.

Alvin Kamara. pic.twitter.com/ogCC9EKoG1

— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) September 1, 2020

However, as the season progresses, and Fournette adapts to his new role, whatever it may be, it is tough to see how this move will do anything but give the Buccaneers yet another lift, both on the scoresheet and at the sportsbooks. For sports bettors already high on the Buccaneers, the time to get in on them in the NFL futures is now.