Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone confirmed he met with Leonard Fournette following a disappointing 2018 campaign, and the team and running back patched up the crumbling situation.
"I had a meeting with Leonard -- I wanna say last week," Marrone said Wednesday, via the team's official website. "We had a good meeting. I'm not going to speak for Leonard, but when he left that meeting ... I think he's in a really good place. That's encouraging and I'm excited about that."
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported last week that Fournette met with Jags EVP Tom Coughlin and the rest of the team's brass to clear the air after the running back's disastrous campaign.
Coughlin chastised Fournette and fellow running back T.J. Yeldon for behavior on the bench in the season finale. Prior to that, Fournette was suspended for getting into a fight versus Buffalo. The running back also missed half the season due to injury. When Fournette was on the field, he wasn't effective, earning a minuscule 3.3 yards per attempt.
Things got so bad with Fournette in Jacksonville that some thought the Jags were ready to cut bait on the former No. 4 overall pick after just two seasons.
Marrone said Wednesday that the hire of running backs coach Terry Robiskie was made in part to help Fournette improve both on and off the field.
"Sometimes you meet people in life that have a special quality," Marrone said Wednesday when asked about Robiskie's possible influence on Fournette. "They're able to relate to people -- all different types of people. They're able to communicate. They're to establish a trust, establish a relationship ... next thing you know, that person's always getting the most out of people. There are times I've been able to do that and there are times I haven't been. Terry is a person who has been able to do that and shown that through his whole career of over 40 years in this league. He's the best guy I know who has that type of ability."
If Robiskie can help keep Fournette's head on straight and motivate the young running back to get in shape before the season, perhaps his Jags career can still be turned around.