Jaguars decline 5th-year option on RB Fournette
Saints add veteran DE Hunt
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, May 2, (AP): The Jacksonville Jaguars have declined to pick up the fifthyear option in running back Leonard Fournette’s rookie contract.
The decision Friday was no surprise because the team tried to trade Fournette over the last month. General manager Dave Caldwell had conversations with Tampa Bay and Miami, but neither made a worthwhile offer.
The deadline for teams to exercise the option is Monday.
Fournette is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is due to make $4.17 million in 2020. He will count $8.64 million against Jacksonville’s salary cap. The Jaguars would have taken on $4.47 million in dead money by trading him.
The former LSU star is coming off a career year. He topped 1,600 yards from scrimmage in 15 games last season, carrying 265 times for 1,152 yards and catching 76 passes for 522 yards.
The New Orleans Saints have signed free-agent defensive end Margus Hunt on Friday.
The 6-foot-8, 295-pound Hunt is a seven-year NFL veteran out of SMU who was drafted 53rd overall by Cincinnati in 2013.
He spent his first four seasons with Cincinnati, where he was limited by ankle and back injuries and never cracked the starting lineup. However, he has started 25 games in his past three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, including 15 games in 2018, when he had a career-high five sacks.
Hunt has 7 1/2 sacks in his career, along with seven passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and four special
teams stops.
The Chicago Bears signed veteran safety Tashaun Gipson to a one-year contract Friday.
Gipson has intercepted 23 passes and returned three for touchdowns over eight seasons with Cleveland, Jacksonville and
Houston. He was released Tuesday by the Texans after signing a three-year, $22.5 million prior to last season.
The 29-year-old Gipson had 55 tackles and three interceptions in his lone season with Houston. He started 14 games before landing on injured reserve because of a back injury.
Gipson spent the previous three seasons in Jacksonville after playing his first four in Cleveland. He made the Pro Bowl with the Browns in 2014.
The Tennessee Titans have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with veteran safety Ibraheim Campbell.
Campbell, who turns 28 on May 13, spent much of last season recovering from a knee injury before the Green Bay Packers activated him from the reserve/physically unable to perform list on Nov. 5.
He played seven games with three starts and had 15 tackles as well as two special-teams stops during the 2019 regular season. He had two tackles on defense plus three stops on special teams during the Packers’ two playoff games.
The 2015 fourth-round draft pick from Northwestern has played for the Cleveland Browns (2015-17), Houston Texans (2017), Dallas Cowboys (2018), New York Jets (2018) and Packers (2018-19).
The Denver Broncos have declined the fifth-year contract option on left tackle Garett Bolles, whose career-long holding habit has alienated fans, a person with knowledge of the decision said Friday.