Blount has made himself some money recently

[IcyPatriot]

 

[hwc]

Of course, we never really know how things will go, but as an outside observer, I would guess that both Blount and the New England Patriots will be highly motivated to do a long-term deal. He's only 27 years old and he's the type of back who will always be a nice complement to whatever else the Pats have at the position. No doubt that Belichick values Blount's style of running.

And, most of the stupid franchises that put a priority on making a big splash on opening day of free agency are also stupid enough to go after the "glamour" back rather than somebody like Blount. Plus, Blount already knows what it's like to play for one of the stupid franchises.

 

[supafly]

As much as I personally hope that Blount is retained, I also think that he falls way below both Talib and Edelman in terms of priorities.

In a perfect world, we sign all 3--and add in Fletcher too.

 

[ATippett56]

The Pats will have to seriously evaluate their roster to see where they need to trim the fat.

The New England Patriots can start by cutting a 32 year old Isaac Sopoaga who was inactive against the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game.

Snaps: How New England Patriots replaced Brandon Spikes - ESPN Boston

Toss in a 34 year old Adrian Wilson who was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

Adrian Wilson could be released due to hamstring injury

 

[ATippett56]

Stevan Ridley: Rotation has New England Patriots' RBs fresh - ESPN Boston

Unlike last year, when Ridley played a running-back-high 45 percent of the offensive snaps, followed by Danny Woodhead (34 percent) and Vereen (12 percent), there has been a more even distribution in 2013.

The breakdown:

Ridley – 359 of 1,273, 28.2 percent
Vereen – 315 of 1,273, 24.7 percent
Blount – 306 of 1,273, 24.0 percent
Brandon Bolden – 279 of 1,273, 21.9 percent

 

[varjao]

I'm past Ridley. I hope he can get us more yards this season and maybe next, but if we are relying on him to be the primary back for the next years we are screwed, apart from the fumbling issues he can't stretch.

I hope Blount stays and I would be totally ok with a trade involving Ridley, he still has value on the market.

 

[Fencer]

On LeGarrette Blount: “He’??s kind of unique. He’??s really a halfback in a fullback’??s body. … He’??s got good lateral quickness, good vision good acceleration and he’??s a big guy who can run with power. He really has a lot of different ways he can beat you — run over guys, run around them, can outrun them and he has very good vision. He finds holes that a lot of times aren’t that evident but when you study the play closely, you can see how quickly he can find it and get in it and get through it.”

http://itiswhatitis.weei.com/sports...ke-it-easy-for-teams-to-disguise-defense/That sounds to me like it goes even a step beyond "He's been playing really well, and I salute him for that."

 

[RIpats88]

in importance of retaining players, I put

1. Talib, 2. Edelman, 3. Blount.

but really, how much can a RB cost? its generally the most disposable position in the NFL where teams can sometimes find guys off the street who can perform. If we can get him for the kind of contract Woodhead got that would be great.

 

[Fencer]

And here Blount claims that there's a concrete reason for his recently improved play -- personal coaching from BB to lower his pad level.

“Bill [Belichick] told me -- he said the only thing I wasn’t doing right was running with a lower pad level,” Blount said Saturday. “So, I changed that and I started breaking more tackles, started getting a lot of extra yardage after contact.”

LeGarrette Blount doing most damage up the middle - ESPN Boston

 

[PatsFan2]

Blount just turned 27 in early December.

I would love to sign him to a 3 or 4 year deal and make him the feature back.

Make Ridley earn the job back.

I know small sample size, but the last few games Blount has run better than Ridley ever has.

What a turn of events and most of us thought Ridley was the second coming. Does Blount make him look average or what? Has Ridley ever broken a long one? If he has I dont remember...give Blount a little crease ad its lights out. I hope we given Blount a Three year Extension.

 

[mayoclinic]

And here Blount claims that there's a concrete reason for his recently improved play -- personal coaching from BB to lower his pad level.

LeGarrette Blount doing most damage up the middle - ESPN Boston

On the plus side:

- Blount seems to fit nicely into the Pats' culture and approach
- BB obviously likes him
- He credits BB with helping him develop as a RB
- Aqib Talib is his best friend in football, and gave input on the trade last spring

On the minus side, it's unlikely that the Pats can match what he can get on the open market. The question is whether they can come close enough.

 

[Brady6]

Not a cap guy but does this seem like a fair comparison:

BenJarvus Green-Ellis Contracts, Salaries, Cap Hits, & Transactions

Do we give him 3m per year?

I think it is really going to be hard to gauge Blount’s value on the free agent market, he is ranked 95th on the top 100 free agents list which seems rather low considering his performance in recent weeks.

NFL Trade Rumors - Top 100 - 2014 NFL Free Agents NFL Trade Rumors - |
NFL Trade Rumors - 2014 NFL Free Agents List: 51-100 NFL Trade Rumors - |

These are some of the other names on the market:

• Ahmad Bradshaw
• Andre Brown
• Ben Tate
• Darren McFadden
• Donald Brown
• James Starks
• Joique Bell
• Jonathan Dwyer
• Knowshon Moreno
• LeGarrette Blount
• Maurice Jones-Drew
• Rashad Jennings
• Rashard Mendenhall
• Toby Gerhart
• Willis McGahee

Not to say that it is a strong class of free agent RBs but it is certainly better than the 2012 class that Green-Ellis was part of which consisted of a top 5 of Michael Bush, Cedric Benson, Mike Tolbert, Peyton Hills and Green-Ellis.

 

[PatsFan2]

Which RB does LeGarrette Blount remids you of?

He reminds e of a faster version of Jerome Bettis.

 

[hwc]

Can you imagine an offseason to coach up Blount on a few pass routes slipping out of the backfield? Adding one or two of those in a game would multiply the problems of defending him. We know, from his kick return duties, that he has decent hands.

 

[Zeus]

Blount is 27 but there's not a lot of wear and tear from his last two seasons. However, he does not have a track record of being a dependable, productive player over the long haul.

The big question is - how will a contract affect his attitude, coachability and productivity? It's a crapshoot at best.

Some team will likely overpay (because somebody always does). If the Patriots ride him to the championship, his value will skyrocket.

RBs are fungible for the most part. Does this include Blount or does his combination of size, power and speed make him a rare commodity? The reality is that he has had a handful of strong performances here but (as they say) it's a very small sample. I think the Patriots will be cautious with Blount.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I would love to see Blount back, but I can't see it realistically happening. I fully expect him to chase top dollar on his next contract (and rightly so, I would do the same in his shoes). Ridley and Vereen are both entering the final years of their contracts, so any money that's tied up in Blount basically guarantees that one or both of them will walk after 2014. Then again, I'm kinda pessimistic for this offseason in general. I expect to lose Talib, Blount, and Wendell, while extending McCourty and maybe one of the running backs early.

Luckily, I think this drain will be largely offset by improvements across a number of the first/second year guys on the roster, plus the injured guys getting healthier, plus another solid draft. It sucks to see talent leave, but as long as you're drafting 2 starters per year, you'll stay ahead of the drain and keep your salary cap in order.

 

[ATippett56]

I expect to lose Talib, Blount, and Wendell, while extending McCourty and maybe one of the running backs early.

I expect to retain Talib while cutting Wilson (Adrian), Kelly, Sopoaga, which amounts to over $6 million in salary cap savings. I also expect to retain Fletcher, Hoomanawanui while extending Gostkowski's contract (at least three years) and restructuring the last year of his current contract (convert $2 million base salary into a signing bonus), which amounts to $1.5 million in salary cap savings based upon a three year contract extension.

As for Blount, Edelman, Wendell ..........

 

[conway]

I think the Pats will let both Blount and Talib walk. Players that have had off field issues are best kept to short-term deals. Save the high dollar long term deals for guys we feel confident won't be any trouble and will stay motivated, preferably guys we groomed from day one, like McCourty. We have enough depth in the backfield and the secondary that the losses won't be too traumatic, even if we aren't successful in drafting or signing cheap replacements.

I also expect them to let Wilfork go. Too much money committed to a guy whose age and health is starting to become an issue at a position that is not sufficiently critical to justify big dollars, especially with the move to the 4-3.

 

[PatsFan2]

I think the Pats will let both Blount and Talib walk. Players that have had off field issues are best kept to short-term deals. Save the high dollar long term deals for guys we feel confident won't be any trouble and will stay motivated, preferably guys we groomed from day one, like McCourty. We have enough depth in the backfield and the secondary that the losses won't be too traumatic, even if we aren't successful in drafting or signing cheap replacements.

I also expect them to let Wilfork go. Too much money committed to a guy whose age and health is starting to become an issue at a position that is not sufficiently critical to justify big dollars, especially with the move to the 4-3.

I dont think this Fan base share your sentiments on Talib he's been a model citizen here.

 

[PatsFan2]

Its proven RB is a dime a dozen position, if some Team want to overpay for Blount let em we still have Rildley and Bolden. Our Two Key FA's next year are Talib on Defense and Edelman on Offense. Everybody else can be replaced!