Leonard Fournette, Jaguars Agree to 4-Year Rookie Contract

The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a contract with 2017 first-round pick running back Leonard Fournette. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Fournette agreed to the fully guaranteed four-year rookie deal with the Jaguars. Rapoport also noted there is "no offset language" in the contract. 

The Jaguars selected Fournette fourth overall to boost a rushing attack that ranked 22nd in yards and tied for 29th in touchdowns. 

Based on the NFL rookie wage scale for 2017, per Spotrac, the total value of Fournette's deal is $27.15 million with a $17.9 million signing bonus. 

Jaguars assistant director of college scouting Paul Roell said he believes Fournette shares some similarities with arguably the NFL's best running back of the last decade after the team drafted him. 

"When that kid hit LSU campus, he was a star from day one," Roell said, according to ESPN's Michael DiRocco. "Adrian Peterson was another one from my past from Oklahoma. Those guys are special. We just want special playmakers. A game-changer. That is what Leonard Fournette is. You don’t wait to take those guys."

Fournette was one of the biggest stars in college football during his three-year stint at LSU. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry for the Tigers and finished sixth in the 2015 Heisman Trophy voting when he had 1,953 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. 

The Jaguars need help on offense if they hope to take a step forward in the AFC South. They haven't finished in the top 10 in points per game since 2007, which also happens to be their last winning season.

Fournette gives them a powerful, dynamic playmaker who will boost the running game and ease the burden on quarterback Blake Bortles.