NFL Teams that could really use Leonard Fournette or Kareem Hunt

The demise in value of NFL running backs has been a hot topic of conversation in recent months, but the fact of the matter is that teams still need production from their backfield. Proven commodities like Fournette and Hunt remain unsigned, but it seems like only a matter of time before they are called back into action. Here are a few teams who could use their services.

Baltimore suffered an early season blow to their backfield depth chart when J.K. Dobbins went down in Week 1 with an Achilles injury. The Ravens figure to mix and match with Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, but both have had injury concerns of their own in the past. It wouldn’t hurt them to take a flier on a veteran runner.

It seems like Miami is content to try and win games through the air, while patching things together in their running game. Raheem Mostert is a solid player, and the team is hoping to get rookie Devon Achane up to speed sooner rather than later. With that said, the Dolphins are in win-now mode, and may want to have a little more insurance in the building.

The Bengals signaled their commitment to Joe Mixon as their starting running back by opting not to bring in any significant competition. The decision to continue to rely on Mixon makes sense, but the depth chart behind him is pretty barren. Fournette or Hunt would make a huge difference for an already explosive offensive.

It’s going to be interesting to see what happens with the Jonathan Taylor situation. By all accounts, it seems like he is going to be willing suit up for them after he’s off the PUP list. There’s too much bad blood between Taylor and the organization to ignore though, and the Colts would be smart to add a veteran back to the room.

Dallas has talked often about keeping Tony Pollard fresh. It’s tempting to go away from that strategy considering how fast the back is, but they really will need to monitor his workload. There isn’t much competition in the Cowboys backfield for those scraps right now, which makes them a possible destination for Hunt or Fournette.

It’s amazing how perceptions can change after one week. The Rams were projected to be one of the NFL’s laughingstocks heading into the year, but a stunning victory in Week 1 has somewhat changed their outlook. If Los Angeles wants to compete in 2023, they’ll need to strongly consider a veteran back. Cam Akers rushed 22 times for 29 yards in Week 1.

Minnesota communicated their faith in former backup Alexander Mattison, as they released Dalvin Cook. Mattison had an average performance as the fulltime starter in Week 1, but wasn’t anything to write home about. Even if Mattison is able to pick up his level of play, the Vikings would be well served to bring in an established rusher behind him.

It’s somewhat ironic that Tampa Bay makes this list, considering that they elected to part ways with Fournette last offseason. The Bucs seem content to let second year back Rachaad White find his way, but they may change their tune down the road. Tampa Bay is in an extremely winnable division, and might want to bring Fournette back for his familiarity with the team.