3:56pm: The Patriots officially announced the deal.
12:52pm: Blount’s one-year pact with the Patriots features a minimum base salary ($760K), plus a $100K signing bonus, a $100K roster bonus, and up to $1MM in incentives, a source tells Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
11:07am: A familiar face will return to the Patriots’ backfield for the 2016 season, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, who reports (via Twitter) that New England has re-signed running back LeGarrette Blount. It’s a one-year deal for Blount, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Blount, 29, had a brief stint in Pittsburgh in 2014, but has otherwise spent the majority of the last three seasons with the Patriots. In 2015, he ran for 703 yards on 165 carries (4.3 ypc), picking up six touchdowns on the ground and adding one more through the air. Blount missed New England’s playoff run, having been placed on injured reserve in December due to a hip injury.
The Patriots’ backfield is filling up for training camp, with free agent signee Donald Brown joining the mix and Dion Lewis returning from a season-ending injury of his own. James White, Brandon Bolden, and Joey Iosefa remain under contract as well, and it’s possible New England will use a draft pick on a running back.
Still, assuming Blount earns a spot on the 53-man roster, he’s a good bet to see a decent workload. Blount’s 378 carries for New England from 2013 to 2015 are easily the most for any Patriots running back during that three-year span.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
For what Blount seems to offer on the surface, it’s pretty interesting he keeps getting work with the model NFL franchise. Perhaps it’s Blount’s unflattering appearance that keeps his price tag down, where New England is unafraid to pounce despite having a reputation it moves on from players. Blount at a league-minimum salary represents a value buy.
I wonder if this take the Pats out of the running for a back in the mid rounds, which everyone seems to think they will target. They’ve got a nice little crop of RBs, so I guess a lot will depend on where they think Dion Lewis is health wise.