The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to hit training camp in full swing this year as they aim to return to the Super Bowl. The 2022 regular season will be crucial for the Buccaneers, as franchise Tom Brady looks to take the rest of his life from a football career and turn it into another championship.
Overall, the Buccaneers roster appears to be set. While there are clearly areas of strength and weakness, most key positions do not appear to be in a major battle at camp. The addition of Kyle Rudolph will certainly spice things up in the tight ends room, but Tampa primary focus in camp will be getting everyone back into game shape before the regular season.
Having said that, a few players will have to prove themselves at camp. Rudolph, for example, will be looking to demonstrate that he still has enough left in the tank to contribute to Tom Brady's offence. But there is one Buccaneers player who has come under scrutiny ahead of camp: running back Leonard Fournette.
With that in mind, here are the reasons why Leonard Fournette is the Buccaneers player with the most to prove heading into the 2022 NFL training camp.
Buccaneers Player with Most Proven in Training Camp
Leonard Fournette was accused of being (significantly) overweight before training camp. According to reports, Fournette, who usually weighs around 230 pounds, was closer to 260 pounds. Fournette's weight has become a major topic of discussion among Buccaneers fans since social media took off with that narrative, and he'll need to prove that there's nothing to worry about.
A 30-pound weight gain is obviously a major concern for any NFL player, but especially one who relies on agility and explosiveness like Fournette. Adding 30 pounds to his frame would make his life in Tampa Bay backfield much more difficult. The same report that revealed his massive weight gain also stated that Buccaneers coaches were not pleased with the revelation, implying that Fournette will be pushed even harder throughout training camp.
Fournette has denied gaining such a large amount of weight, but fans won't know for sure until he steps on the scale at camp. One thing he can do to silence his critics is to arrive at camp with a chip on his shoulder and put in the effort. Sure, making an internet meme will help in the short term, but if Fournette arrives at camp looking overweight, there will be a serious problem in Tampa.
The Buccaneers in particular considered handing Fournet a three-year, $21 million contract this past offseason. Repaying them by coming out of camp and not showing up in playing condition would be a slap in the face to the veteran who is trailing.
After setting fire to Jacksonville just a few years after the Jaguars were selected with the fourth overall pick in 2017, Fournette rediscovered her career at Tampa Bay over the past two seasons, though most notably in 2021. Last year, Fournet registered 14 sports. Scoring 812 yards and 8 rushing touchdowns on 180 carries. He also added two receiving touchdowns, bringing his season tally to 10.
It's difficult to imagine Fournette in this situation with camp about to break after such a productive season. He'll do everything he can to change the narrative, but if he truly weighs 260 pounds, it may be difficult for Fournette to regain the trust of the coaching staff and fans.
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