Rapaport: Blount and Pats have mutual interest

[supafly]

I'm not one to cheerlead for contracts but Blount deserves a decent contract somewhere.

He wasn't drawing much interest before, let alone now on the wrong side of 30. He's going to hover around 1.5m a year, no matter where he goes, and he certainly isn't going to see a long term deal.

 

[supafly]

I guess Belichick may decide to go with no RB's signed for 2018: Lewis, Bulkhead, White and Blount.

No matter what happens with Blount, I still think a draft pick should be spent at the position, even if that means 5 RBs + Devlin at FB.

 

[slash83]

Too many times I've seen the running game fail on short yardage 3rd and 4th downs, not sure if this is on Blount or the O-line, but something needs to get fixed.

 

[BlueThunder]

They won't have room for a rookie. They aren't going with 5 RBs and a FB.

Stash him on the PS if he's any good.......The Pats are basically drafting for backup roles and young players to develop for the future. If they find a sleeper, he can replace one of the perceived starters. Maybe that is why LGB hasn't been resigned yet?

 

[Huckleberry1]

Stash him on the PS if he's any good.......The Pats are basically drafting for backup roles and young players to develop for the future.

I can see that if they are recovering from an injury but otherwise losing a rookie season tends to hurt the development of young player's.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Blount is not a dynamic back but he clearly has utility, as 18 touchdowns demonstrates. He does disappear against good defense's, especially in the playoffs, but until they find a good replacement he should be an option.

 

[BlueThunder]

LGB may still have another year in him.....but it's not like he hasn't had a lot of wear and tear.....We will find out how much is left on his tires should BB resign him....but planning for the future is what got the Pats to where they have sustained their status for over a decade......of course having TB as your QB didn't hurt

 

[Deus Irae]

No matter what happens with Blount, I still think a draft pick should be spent at the position, even if that means 5 RBs + Devlin at FB.

Tough to do that with the likely numbers game at the other offensive skill positions. Carrying 3 tight ends and 3 QBs, along with 5 wide receivers, doesn't leave a lot of room to maneuver the offensive numbers, unless this is the year where the ST-only guys get let go.

 

[supafly]

Tough to do that with the likely numbers game at the other offensive skill positions. Carrying 3 tight ends and 3 QBs, along with 5 wide receivers, doesn't leave a lot of room to maneuver the offensive numbers, unless this is the year where the ST-only guys get let go.

Yes, for sure. I agree that it will be difficult to keep 5, but I'm not sure how confident I am that any of Burkhead, White, or Lewis could be the lead back for any extended period of time, that's all. I would really like to see a rookie like James Connor taken in the middle rounds.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Yes, for sure. I agree that it will be difficult to keep 5, but I'm not sure how confident I am that any of Burkhead, White, or Lewis could be the lead back for any extended period of time, that's all. I would really like to see a rookie like James Connor taken in the middle rounds.

With the emergence of white, i could see lewis being cut.

 

[supafly]

With the emergence of white, i could see lewis being cut.

The thought has crossed my mind, as well. I just have a strong hunch that a rookie will be added one way or another, but who knows?

 

[Deus Irae]

With the emergence of white, i could see lewis being cut.

Why the hell would BB make that move? Lewis is the better player.

 

[maineman209]

They won't have room for a rookie. They aren't going with 5 RBs and a FB.

That's assuming that all the RBs currently under contract survive final cuts at the end of Camp. It ain't over till it's over.

 

[maineman209]

Why the hell would BB make that move? Lewis is the better player.

White is better at staying healthy.
White is the better receiver, by far.
White is better in pass-pro/blitz pickup.

Lewis is more exciting to watch.

 

[PatsBoy12]

With the emergence of white, i could see lewis being cut.

Nope. The Pats leaned very heavily on the two back receiving set out of the shotgun last season and I see it happening again in 2017. The two of them on the field together just gives the offense too much versatility and creates a lot of pressure on the D. Heck, even when only one is in the game it causes the D to have to make certain decisions. Unless Dion gets a serious injury, which is always a possibility with him, he's on the roster in 2017.

 

[maineman209]

Almost always happens in the same game the offensive line cannot protect Brady. Chicken or egg...do they struggle to protect because the other team knows they can't run against a base defense, or do they not run the ball well because the offensive line sucks/the passing game fails to establish its needed dominance to establish their running game.

Either way, I somewhat agree that I'd like to see a more consistently good running attack in the postseason, but frankly I'm not sure if many teams can really do that. It seems like you face better run defenses because holes just don't seem to open up. That has not just been a Blount issue; it has been an issue for the team for a long time, which is why they seem to have favored the short passing game (utilizing running backs like Vereen and White) rather that trying to establish the classic running game.

Unless you have Ezekiel Elliot or an equivalent, your average rushing yards per game will take at least a little hit during the playoffs. Even then, the 'Boys lost their first playoff game with Elliot.

 

[jah]

Nope. The Pats leaned very heavily no the two back receiving set out of the shotgun last season and I see it happening again in 2017. The two of them on the field together just gives the offense too much versatility and creates a lot of pressure on the D. Heck, even when only one is in the game it causes the D to have to make certain decisions. Unless Dion gets a serious injury, which is always a possibility with him, he's on the roster in 2017.

Problem is they just spent 3M on a guy who can also fit this role. Lewis has been my favorite Patriot since August 2015, but he is very vulnerable in the numbers game right now.

 

[Deus Irae]

White is better at staying healthy.

Yes

White is the better receiver, by far.

The numbers indicate otherwise: 56/67 (84%) for Lewis v. 105/145 (72%) for White

White is better in pass-pro/blitz pickup.

Not a determining issue

Lewis is more exciting to watch.

Lewis is a better running back, even when coming back from ACL surgery, and he'll be more than a year clear from that, in 2017-2018.

 

[maineman209]

Nope. The Pats leaned very heavily no the two back receiving set out of the shotgun last season and I see it happening again in 2017. The two of them on the field together just gives the offense too much versatility and creates a lot of pressure on the D. Heck, even when only one is in the game it causes the D to have to make certain decisions. Unless Dion gets a serious injury, which is always a possibility with him, he's on the roster in 2017.

Unless Foster or a rookie beats Dion out of his roster spot in Camp. Always a possibility.

 

[Dragda]

"Sky looks blue! Film at 11."

Not for people who live in Seattle