Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially release running back Leonard Fournette

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced they have officially cut ties with running back Lenoard Fournette, releasing him after the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Fournette was not released with a post-June 1 designation to spread out the cap hit; the team officially opened up $3.5 million in cap space with the release of Fournette.

Fournette signed with the Bucs in 2020 and was the lead running back in Tampa Bay for three seasons while playing with the quarterback who recruited him, Tom Brady.  The 28-year-old recorded 668 yards on 189 carries in 2022, averaging just 3.5 yards per attempt. The running back also caught 73 passes for 523 yards with three touchdowns, bringing him up to 1,191 yards from scrimmage on the season. A No. 4 overall pick of the 2017 draft, Fournette has twice rushed for 1,000 yards throughout his career.

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