Rapaport: Blount and Pats have mutual interest

[meatface]

Would like to see him get a paycheck. Guy bought into the patriot way totally.

NFL Teams really arent paying guys who arent first tier free agents, which I find to be surprising.

 

[PatsBoy12]

If it wasn't for his no-show in the Superbowl, he wouldn't have had a bad postseason at all. The Falcons defense was really, really good, the whole team had to play rope-a-dope against it for an extended period of time before they were able to start executing plays against it. Blount was a victim of the O-line being outmatched for most of the first half forcing us to use Brady's quick-draw ability as our primary offensive tactic for almost the entire game. That wasn't his fault at all, he just couldn't overcome it as well as the all-time greatest can
.

I was a little sad that Blount never got a chance to redeem himself after the bad fumble early in the Superbowl but the game just evolved in a way that it would be idiotic not to put the game 100% on Brady's arm, and that meant that you wanted White out there most of the time for his receiving skills and there was no chance for Blount to get his own back.

I hear what you're saying, but I just wanted to point out that it wasn't just the ATL game. He averaged less than 3ypc against the Steelers as well. He did a little under 4ypc against the Texans, but they didn't really feature him in that game. That was Lewis' domination.

Blount is serviceable. He adds just enough of what the offense needs to keep defenses honest. He isn't someone teams fear or game plan for when they're studying the Pats. We need more explosiveness and power in the same back and he's not entirely the answer. He's simply the closest we have, while being somewhat underwhelming in both aspects. He wore down on the back nine last season as well. I believe that and the lackluster overall playoff run cost him the money he desires.

To be certain, however, I want him back. But I find that it's mostly because I like him for the kind of teammate he seems to be and the fact that there is much love between the sides more than anything on the field. He has completely fallen in line with the Patriot way and, if contracts are doled out based on sentiment, he'd be one of the highest paid players on the team. But it's based in part on past performance and future projections. Both are somewhat in question for what Blount likely wants, especially if he's looking for Burkhead money. And NE is apparently not the only team that believes this if we're judging on interest received. His market hasn't even been lukewarm. I agree with those wishing he could cash in - the guy has only made an estimated 6.5 mil in 7 seasons - but that simply just may never happen for him unfortunately. I think he ultimately signs with NE for around what he got in 2016 with tons to be made in incentives, and we see similar, if only slightly less statistical output, in 2017. He is what he is.

 

[Simpelton]

And there you go back to judging performance on yards per carry. Gonna have to give an excellent post a disagree for that, disappointing.

I just think yards per carry is an imperfect judge of performance for any running back who isn't being asked to be a primary source of field position. It just is not Blount's fault he shares a team with the best quarterback ever, and that quarterback does most of the heavy lifting on yardage. It just ian't

 

[RobertWeathers]

Also: that siht that went down in Pittsburgh.

It is fascinating how he has been pretty damn productive, a positive influence in the locker room and overall good guy playing for one of the most demanding coaches in NFL history who runs a very disciplined, structured program. Clearly that is what he responds to.

Other teams just might be saying, "BB might be the only coach and NE the only place Blount can behave and play well at."

 

[PatsBoy12]

And there you go back to judging performance on yards per carry. Gonna have to give an excellent post a disagree for that, disappointing.

I just think yards per carry is an imperfect judge of performance for any running back who isn't being asked to be a primary source of field position. It just is not Blount's fault he shares a team with the best quarterback ever, and that quarterback does most of the heavy lifting on yardage. It just ian't

That's fine. But what I question is what did you see, irrespective of ypc, that makes you say he didn't have a bad playoff run, which is something many many people have agreed he did? This is starting to feel like Aaron Dobson all over again, albeit not as extreme. I'm one who likes to think I'm as fair as possible to every player, Patriot or not, and I just don't see how you can argue Blount has a good playoff run. Twice on the galling the Patriots chose to hand off to White, a much smaller back who has a far longer history of falling on first contact than what we saw in the SB, over Blount. I remember the camera even panning to Blount on the OT carry (IIRC) as if the producers were thinking the same thing. Why would they do that if Blount was not underperforming? White's damage in the SB was mostly as a pass catcher, just like it was in the regular season.

Anyway, I respect your right to feel how you wish. I, however, don't take back anything I've said. Blount is not the long-term answer and, mark my words, he is hardly a roster lock if they get someone else in camp who flashes consistently enough for them to move on. I love Blount as much as a lot of people on this board seem to, but I feel I've been extremely fair to him in terms of his performance regardless of what metric - ypc, eye test, other stats - you wish to use. Evidence is he's still sitting out there having not even visited another team. Even if the position is being devalued, that's pretty telling.

 

[Simpelton]

I know Blount is not the long-term answer. We don't need a long-term answer at every position. Especially running back which is an ephemeral position at the best of times. He'll do. Sign a UDFA after the draft or draft a few projects to develop and go.

 

[PatsBoy12]

We do at a position where there isn't one. EVERY back on the team is a FA after 2017.

 

[patfanken]

Blunt is what he is. He's been a great team mate and lockroom guy , and a good player. But the fact is that Blunt is a victim of circumstances. He plays the wrong position on wrong team. He is the wrong age at the wrong time in NFL history.

At his best he is a valuable member of the offense. He gets the tough yards, he pass blocks well, and he can catch it when they bother to throw it to him. Unfortunately for him he is not going to be the bell cow of this offense next season, just a member of of the chorus.....if he makes the team.

The Pats are doing right by LG in letting him see if he can find a team willing to pay him in the $3-4MM he's looking for and give him his last shot a big paycheck. If the draft comes a goes and we still need another RB, we can sign him again for about $1.5MM with the chance of another half million in incentives, with about 250 thousand in a guarantee thank you for past services if he doesn't make the team.

Last season LGB going into TC was viewed as a camp body by many. By the end of TC, it was clear that Blout was the best RB we had on the team and he had a VERY productive season. Well he'll have to make the team all over again if resigns here. It will be a great competition that not everyone will make, and that's before we potentially draft a RB.

 

[RIpats88]

To be fair as much as i love regular season blount he has been a non factor in the playoffs except against the colts

 

[willard]

^^^^ What? the game is to score more points than the other team. Only Patriot with more playoff touchdowns than Blount is Gronk by 1. He doubles up the second leading Patriot playoff rusher (Dillon)

I just don't get why folks knock him down. Career Patriot leader in rushing average on a team with a line built for passing.

Regardless of what the numbers say, fans have their prejudices.

 

[RobertWeathers]

To be fair as much as i love regular season blount he has been a non factor in the playoffs except against the colts

Not sure it's all him. They just happen to face faster, better run defenses in the playoffs.

Additionally while the Pats line is good, it won't remind anyone of the 1995 Cowboys

 

[TommyD4207]

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

What?

Lewis is a feature back. White is a 3rd down back.

 

[TommyD4207]

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.

Only one of your White assertions are correct.

 

[TommyD4207]

Don't give a damn about YPC

Welp.

 

[TommyD4207]

So,

1) you explain that as being all those goaline 1 ypc TDs.

2) And he didn't have as many 20+ yard runs as you would like.

Yet, as I pointed out, even calculating in those two above points you made, he STILL had a 3.9 ypc average.

I'm sorry, Tunie, but your contentions and SIMPLE MATH pretty much prove he had an outstanding regular season last year. And looking at his career, he is on an upward trajectory (as is clearly the opposite with Peterson).

I do agree, however, that (outside of the DeflateGate game) he has not been a good post-season RB.

.

.

3.9 ypc for the season, 3.4 ypc after Week 10, 3.1 ypc for the playoffs.

3.9 for the season was the lowest mark of his career. Every single person with a rushing attempt on the Patriots roster not named Tom Brady averaged more than 3.9 ypc.

 

[shmessy]

3.9 ypc for the season, 3.4 ypc after Week 10, 3.1 ypc for the playoffs.

3.9 for the season was the lowest mark of his career. Every single person with a rushing attempt on the Patriots roster not named Tom Brady averaged more than 3.9 ypc.

Situations:

1). They put him in a lot of 4th quarter- run out the game situations where the D knows what's coming and is playing 8 on the box. Everyone who watches Patriots games knows that.

2) Those goal line TDs decrease the ypc - even if they are successful.

The above two facts affect the ypc. I fully agree his postseason performance was not up to par, but they put too much on him in the first half of the season without Brady for 4 games and no Lewis for 9. He definitely wore down from the 299 carries. This year they are stacked at rb and he is a short yardage back who can get the 3 when they need it.

*Plus he punishes would be tacklers - don't discount the fact that opposing players dread having to be in his way.

 

[RayClay]

3.9 ypc for the season, 3.4 ypc after Week 10, 3.1 ypc for the playoffs.

3.9 for the season was the lowest mark of his career. Every single person with a rushing attempt on the Patriots roster not named Tom Brady averaged more than 3.9 ypc.

How many had 18 touchdowns? He got 1 yard. He got a touchdown. Better than 4 yards in garbage time.

 

[luuked]

So Rex whatever is going to have a bigger role than Blount?

Since he is also a ST player I would say this is a given.

 

[Simpelton]

^^^^ What? the game is to score more points than the other team. Only Patriot with more playoff touchdowns than Blount is Gronk by 1. He doubles up the second leading Patriot playoff rusher (Dillon)

I just don't get why folks knock him down. Career Patriot leader in rushing average on a team with a line built for passing.

Regardless of what the numbers say, fans have their prejudices.

Sounds like Mr. Blount is a true Patriot after all, lol

 

[Simpelton]

Welp.

Get back to me about YPC at any point when the running game is a major source of field position. Belichick doesn't do the conventional thing with play calling so we can't always rely on conventional stats to tell the story