LeGarrette Blount

Fallout From Jay Ajayi Trade

October 31st, 2017 at 1:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins sent their starting running back of the past two years to the Eagles, and Jay Ajayi will join the team with the best record in football. The teams look to view the ball-carrier differently. Here’s the latest coming out of Miami and Philadelphia regarding this high-profile swap.

Miami was planning to look for running back help this offseason regardless of an Ajayi trade, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com tweets. Robinson writes the team has been doing its due diligence on backs, and it looks like Miami could well pursue a new starter for 2018. Miami saw Ajayi average just 3.4 yards per carry this season after debuting as a starter at 4.9 per tote. But the Dolphins handed him the ball on 138 of their 168 rushing attempts thus far. Damien Williams (12 2017 carries) and Kenyan Drake (10) are the next men up.
The Dolphins also don’t think Ajayi has much longer to play before the knee problems that dogged him coming out of Boise State catch up to him, Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com tweets. Ajayi fell to the fifth round partially because of concerns about his knees. But he played in 15 games last season, missing the one because of a disciplinary issue, and has suited up for each of the Fins’ seven 2017 contests.
Roseman said the Eagles did “the necessary medical work” on Ajayi and are comfortable with his knees, per Jeff McLane of Philly.com (on Twitter). Ajayi will take a physical upon arriving in Philadelphia tonight, and McLane notes he’s expected to be at Eagles practice on Wednesday.
Ajayi won’t turn 25 until next summer, and much like Philadelphia’s Ronald Darby trade, a key part of this deal was Ajayi being under contract through 2018, Howie Roseman said (via Zach Berman of Philly.com, on Twitter). LeGarrette Blount, though, will remain the Eagles’ starter, per the GM. Roseman added the Eagles being 7-1 puts them in a better position to unload a draft pick — their third 2018 selection traded away.
The Dolphins believe this trade will represent an addition-by-subtraction effect, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports. Ajayi’s “selfish” attitude contributed to him falling out of favor with the Dolphins, with Salguero reporting the running back on multiple occasions stormed out of the locker room after games due to discontent about his workload. Ajayi had four games featuring 27-plus touches, but three others (all Dolphins losses) featured fewer than 17. Salguero reports Ajayi complained to Dolphins running backs coach Danny Barrett but never addressed his concerns with Adam Gase.

Extra Points: Eagles, Blount, 49ers, Marks

August 25th, 2017 at 3:55pm CST by Zachary Links

There has been speculation that LeGarrette Blount could be on the Eagles‘ roster bubble, but the running back seems to think that his job is secure.

“Oh yeah. Without a doubt,” Blount said when asked if he feels like he’s a big part of the team’s game plan (via NFL.com). “And like I said, I’m excited and I love the opportunity that I’ve been presented here. Everybody’s been nothing but great towards me this whole entire time. And that’s a big thing for me, because you want to be comfortable with the guys you’re going to be working with every day.”

Earlier this week, coach Doug Pederson also characterized Blount as a “big part” of the offensive game plan. Despite some speculation to the contrary, it sounds like Blount’s spot is safe.

Here’s more from the NFC:

We now have details on the 49ers‘ deal with new defensive lineman Sen’Derrick Marks, courtesy of ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). It’s a pact with $1MM in base salary, $600K in per-game roster bonuses, and $400K available through incentives. Most notably, the deal includes no guaranteed cash, so the Niners won’t be on the hook for his deal if he does not make the 53-man cut on Sept. 2.
D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution looked at who is on the Falcons‘ roster bubble as the deadline approaches. The wide receiver group is one to watch as Justin Hardy, Nick Williams, and undrafted free agent Reggie Davis duke it out for one or possibly two spots. Through the preseason thus far, Davis leads the team with 114 receiving yards. However, coach Dan Quinn wants to find out if he can serve as a gunner on punt coverage. Meanwhile, as the Falcons look to replace Jalen Collins in the No. 4 cornerback role, CJ. Goodwin seems to have the leg up on Deji Olatoye and Akeem King. Former third-round pick Blidi Wreh-Wilson is among those listed as a longshot.
The Packers have to decide whether to keep Taysom Hill as a third quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers and Brett Hundley, Ryan Wood of USA Today writes. Hill, a 27-year-old UDFA, led two touchdown drives this preseason and boasts 4.4 second 40-yard-dash speed.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Giants

August 22nd, 2017 at 8:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While recent reports indicated LeGarrette Blount could lose his Eagles roster spot before the season gets underway, head coach Doug Pederson seemingly dismissed those insinuations today, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “LeGarrette Blount is a beast of a runner,” said Pederson. “I’m excited he’s here and he’s going to be a big part of our offense.” The Eagles signed Blount to a one-year deal that contains $400K guaranteed after he led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns a season ago. While there’s virtually no chance the 30-year-old Blount will match his 299 carries from 2016, he should be part of a Philadelphia backfield rotation that also includes Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood, and Donnel Pumphrey.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

Last year’s Josh Brown episode could potentially factor into the NFL’s dealings with suspended Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out. Brown, of course, was banned for only a single game even after admitting to abusing his ex-wife. Arbitrator Harold Henderson upheld Brown’s suspension at the time, and he’ll also be hearing Elliott’s appeal of his own six-game ban. “Mitigating factors” lead to the NFL suspending Brown for only contest, but the league has never disclosed what those factors were, per Florio.
D.J. Fluker isn’t going to earn a starting spot along the Giants‘ offensive line, and it’s possible he won’t even make the club’s roster, opines James Kratch of NJ.com. New York signed the 26-year-old Fluker to a one-year, $3MM deal ($1.5MM guaranteed) this spring, but he’s made no push to steal Big Blue’s starting right guard job from John Jerry. The Giants aren’t giving Fluker the opportunity to compete at right tackle, so the former first-round pick could be shown the door in favor of journeyman Adam Gettis.
The Redskins spent heavily on their defensive line this spring, signing both Terrell McClain and Stacy McGee to multi-year pacts. Thus far, McGee has been far more impressive in camp, but neither player has a lock on a starting job, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post writes. McClain, in fact, has performed so poorly that there’s been some noise he could be released, although that’s unlikely given the $7.25MM dead money hit that would come with the cut. Still, first-round rookie Jonathan Allen and others (such as Matt Ioannidis and Anthony Lanier) could be better bets for playing time.
After working out for the Bears last week, undrafted rookie linebacker Michael Scherer is set to audition for the Giants today, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). Scherer, a Missouri product, appeared in 26 games for the Tigers from 2014-15 before a knee injury ended his senior season after seven contests in 2016. Ranked as one of the 30 best undrafted linebackers following this year’s draft, Scherer has yet to land an NFL contract.

East Notes: Jets, Blount, Cowboys

August 20th, 2017 at 10:17am CST by Rory Parks

It has been assumed for some time that Josh McCown would at least open the 2017 season as the Jets‘ starting quarterback, but the team needs to give Christian Hackenberg a look this year in order to see what they have in him, and to that end, Hackenberg got a surprise start in last night’s preseason matchup against the Lions.

It did not go well. Hackenberg took a big step backward from his solid outing last week, going 2-for-6 for 14 yards. He was sacked twice, he fumbled once, and four of his five drives were three-and-outs. Although head coach Todd Bowles attempted to take some of the heat off Hackenberg by pointing out that the offensive line did not give him much of a chance, Brian Costello of the New York Post believes McCown won the team’s starting job last night, and he didn’t even have to take a snap to do it.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions, starting with more from Gang Green:

McCown was initially supposed to take more snaps in last night’s game than he did in the Jets‘ first preseason contest, but Bowles said he changed his mind on Thursday night, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Bowles said McCown “has played in a million preseason games” and therefore elected to give Hackenberg a shot. However, Mehta reports that McCown was told by a media relations advisor to not speak with reporters after the game, even though McCown was apparently open to talking. It is unclear what the team’s motivation in “censoring” McCown would be, but it is an interesting move just the same.
Unlike Hackenberg, Jets No. 3 signal-caller Bryce Petty performed fairly well last night, going 15-for-24 for 160 yards and leading two field goal drives. Per Mehta, Petty has secured a roster spot unless he suffers a complete meltdown over the next several weeks.
Mehta also observes that Ross Martin, who made a pair of short field goals last night to go along with a miss from 56 yards, remains the front-runner to win the Jets‘ kicking job over Chandler Catanzaro, who missed a 55-yarder in the preseason opener but did not get an attempt last night.
Eagles running back LeGarrette Blount is coming off one of his best seasons, but he struggled to find a new home in free agency this offseason, and the short-yardage specialist may be on the roster bubble in Philly, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (citing Matt Lombardo of NJ.com) writes. Although Blount does not really fit the Eagles’ offense, it may not be wise to cut him, as Wendell Smallwood has had difficulty staying healthy, Darren Sproles is 34, and Donnel Pumphrey is a fourth-round rookie.
Cowboys No. 2 QB Kellen Moore turned in another poor performance during last night’s contest against the Colts, and while the team continues to publicly support him, an unnamed source tells Clarence E. Hill, Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Moore will be the subject of conversation at personnel meetings this week. It is unclear what that means at this point, because the team will certainly not promote undrafted rookie Cooper Rush to the backup job, no matter how well he has played, and the Cowboys have not yet considered adding a proven free agent to compete with Moore.
It was a different story for Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith, who finally played in a football game last night after 596 days on the sidelines. Smith, who suffered a gruesome knee injury during the final game of his collegiate career on January 1, 2016, saw his draft stock plummet as a result and was ultimately scooped up by Dallas in the second round of the 2016 draft (he was originally considered a top-10, or even top-5, talent). The Cowboys knew 2016 would essentially be a medical redshirt year for Smith, but they also knew that, if Smith could overcome the injury, they could have something special on their hands. The nerve in Smith’s leg continues to regenerate, and as Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes, Smith looked solid in last night’s preseason game. He was in for 12 snaps, he moved well, and he was quick to the ball, further solidifying the team;s belief that he will be a significant contributor this year.

NFC East Notes: Redskins, Pryor, Eagles

June 28th, 2017 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

Will free agent addition Terrelle Pryor wind up being the Redskins‘ leading receiver in 2017? JP Finlay and Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic put the question up for debate. Pryor’s 55% catch rate last year wasn’t great, but Finlay argues that he couldn’t have done much better given the quarterbacks he had throwing to him. If Pryor was able to haul in 77 receptions for 1,007 yards with a rotating cast of unimpressive QBs, then he could put up even bigger numbers with Kirk Cousins throwing to him. On the flipside, Tandler notes that wide receiver Jamison Crowder and tight end Jordan Reed both figure to be targeted more than Pryor, giving the Ohio State product long odds of being the team’s top pass catcher.

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

Eagles running back LeGarrette Blount can earn $50K if he weighs in between 240-245 pounds on the team’s reporting date for training camp, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Blount’s one-year deal calls for $1.25MM in base pay, but he can earn a total of $2.8MM through incentives, including the summer weigh-in. Blount is coming off one of his best seasons, having achieved career highs in carries (299), yards (1,161), and touchdowns (an NFL-leading 18).
If a deal does not get done between the Redskins and Kirk Cousins, don’t be shocked if Washington leaks the last offer rejected by the quarterback, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. It’s likely that the final offer will sound impressive in comparison to what Cousins has accomplished so far on the field, so the Redskins can win some fan sympathy by giving a selective peek behind the curtain. An extension is currently viewed as a longshot and Cousins might be fundamentally unhappy with the team.
Could the Giants consider free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis? It would make for an excellent story, but James Kratch of NJ.com writes that it doesn’t make sense for the G-Men financially. Revis can collect his $6MM salary from the Jets by sitting on the couch and some have speculated that he would want $8MM from a team in order to actually play this year. Not only is that an unreasonable asking price for Revis at this stage of his career, but the Giants couldn’t fit that salary under the cap even if they wanted to make it happen.
Alterraun Verner, on the other hand, would be a more realistic option for the Giants, Kratch writes. Verner was apparently out of shape when he auditioned for the Jaguars in May, but he’d be an interesting slot option if he is now ready to play football. The Giants have a great slot corner in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but they don’t have a Plan B in the event of an injury.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Graham, Giants

May 18th, 2017 at 9:19am CST by Zachary Links

There’s no reason that the Eagles would re-open negotiations with Brandon Graham unless they are just looking to do a solid for him, though that could open a pandora’s box of future requests from other players, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Graham has outperformed his contract, but he still has two years to go on the deal and he has already made it clear that he will not be a summer holdout. In theory, the Eagles could shift some 2018 dollars into this year, but they’re already pretty tight against the cap. The Eagles could also guarantee some money that Graham was going to earn anyway, but that probably won’t do much to make him happy. At this point, Fitzgerald concludes that Graham’s best bet will be to crush it in 2017 and convince Philly’s front office to give him a lucrative extension next offseason that will allow him to retire with the Eagles.

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

The Giants are all-in on Paul Perkins after their lowball offer to LeGarrette Blount, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan writes. There was mutual interest between the Giants and Blount, but Raanan hears that the G-Men only came to the table with a minimum-salary offer. Ultimately, it seems that the Giants were only willing to add a power back if one would come to them on an exceptionally cheap deal. That didn’t materialize, so Perkins now projects as the starter with Orleans Darkwa and rookie Wayne Gallman as insurance. Shane Vereen, meanwhile, figues to be the passing-down back with Shaun Draughn as a potential failsafe in that facet of the game.
Redskins coach Jay Gruden believes that outside linebacker Junior Galette should be able to join the team by the end of July, as Nona Princiotti of The Washington Times writes. “He’s running and lifting, all that stuff right now,” Gruden said. “We’ll probably keep him out of the team stuff for OTAs but hopefully he’ll be full go at training camp.” Galette signed with the Redskins prior to the 2015 season but he has yet to play a down for D.C. The pass rusher tore his left Achilles tendon two summers ago and tore his right Achilles last year.
The signing of Blount will likely lead the Eagles to release Ryan Mathews.

Eagles Sign LeGarrette Blount

May 17th, 2017 at 9:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have signed running back LeGarrette Blount, according to a team announcement. It’s a one-year deal with a maximum value of $2.8MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The pact calls for $1.25MM in base pay with up to $1.55MM in incentives, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.

Last week, the Patriots used a May 9 tender on free agent running back, a little-known clause that could now impact the 2018 compensatory pick formula for the Eagles and Pats. However, it was said that teams with interest in Blount were looking into ways to circumvent the formula, so it’s possible that the Eagles will not give up much in that area.

The last compensatory pick is currently tied to a $2.05MM annual salary, so the Eagles will only sacrifice a 2018 comp selection if Blount earns more than that total. With $1.55MM of Blount’s deal is tied to performance, the Eagles could come away from this deal without hurting next year’s draft.

The Giants and Lions were known to have interest in Blount for a while, but the Eagles swooped in to sign the power back. As we explained earlier this month, the Eagles were a logical landing spot for Blount since Ryan Mathews could be let go this summer. Indeed, on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported that Mathews is expected to be released once he’s fully healthy. By cutting him, the Eagles will save $4MM in 2017 while carrying just $1MM in dead money. With Mathews gone, Blount and Darren Sproles will get most of the carries while Wendell Smallwood assumes the role of No. 3 RB.

The seven-year veteran is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career, having amassed career highs in carries (299), yards (1,161) and touchdowns (an NFL-leading 18). Still, the Patriots would only go so far to re-sign Blount this offseason. They’re losing the bruising back, but they now have an impressive bunch at RB with offseason additions Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead joining holdovers James White, Dion Lewis, Brandon Bolden, and D.J. Foster.

The Cardinals and Giants both made offers to Blount before he signed with Philly, according to Rapoport.

Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

NFC Notes: D. Martin, Giants, Joeckel

May 14th, 2017 at 12:10pm CST by Rory Parks

We heard last month that the Buccaneers may retain RB Doug Martin, and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times explains why Martin remains relevant to the Bucs. For one, Tampa Bay did not select a running back in the draft that could make an instant impact, so Martin is still the most talented back on the roster. But the Bucs do have enough talent at the position to get away with a running back-by-committee until Martin returns from suspension in October, so they can afford to be patient. Plus, Martin has something to prove, and he has shown that, when motivated, he can be highly productive. The team has expressed a great deal of optimism about Martin’s prospects since the draft, so it is looking more likely than ever that he will play out the 2017 campaign with the Bucs.

Now for more from the NFC:

The Giants were one of the most logical suitors for free agent RB LeGarrette Blount, but the Patriots’ decision to use a May 9 tender on Blount probably takes New York out of the picture, according to James Kratch of NJ.com. Plus, Kratch believes the team’s reported interest in adding a veteran back was always a bit overblown, as the Giants have three young RBs that they want to give opportunities to, along with veteran Shane Vereen.
In the same piece, Kratch observes that Giants cornerstones Justin Pugh, Weston Richburg, Landon Collins, and Odell Beckham will all reach the end of their rookie contracts over the next two seasons. Kratch says it will be difficult for Big Blue to re-sign all four, but it’s not impossible, and he lays out how New York could go about it.
Former West Virginia center Tyler Orlosky is part of the Eagles‘ 2017 class of UDFAs, and as Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com writes, it was a bit surprising that Orlosky chose to sign with Philadelphia. After all, he garnered plenty of interest as a UDFA, and the Eagles have three centers on their roster that they are invested in to some degree. But Shorr-Parks suggests that Orlosky may know something we don’t, and if Orlosky performs well in camp, Shorr-Parks says Philadelphia could ship veteran Jason Kelce, whom the club has been trying to trade anyway, off to the highest bidder.
Luke Joeckel represents the biggest investment the Seahawks made in free agency this offseason, but given his disappointing tenure as a left tackle for the Jaguars — which ultimately forced him to move to guard — and his season-ending knee injury in 2016, there is plenty of skepticism about his ability to bolster Seattle’s underwhelming O-line. But Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable is bullish on Joeckel’s outlook. As Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com writes, Cable said during a recent radio interview that Joeckel played as well as any guard in the league before his injury last season, and he believes his coaching will only make Joeckel better. Of course, Joeckel only signed a one-year pact, so if he does play well and stay healthy, the Seahawks will likely have to pay a premium to keep him.
The Rams‘ center position is hardly settled, as injury-prone John Sullivan sits atop the depth chart with only Demetrius Rhaney, a special-teams contributor and a natural guard, behind him. As such, Rich Hammond of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that UDFA Jake Eldrenkamp, who did not play center at all in college but whose body and skill-set are best-suited to center at the professional level, has a real chance of winning the starting job this summer. At the very least, he could make the team as Sullivan’s backup.

Latest On Free Agent RB LeGarrette Blount

May 13th, 2017 at 7:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots used a May 9 tender on free agent running back LeGarrette Blount earlier this week, ensuring that they’d be entitled to a compensatory pick if Blount signs elsewhere. Clubs with interest in Blount are now attempting to “navigate” the compensatory pick process, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, and are working on “deal structures” that could work around the comp selection system.

Blount, 30, had reportedly been nearing a deal with an unidentified team before being slapped with the New England tender. He can still negotiate with other clubs, but will now count against the 2018 compensatory formula. However, the last compensatory pick is currently tied to a $2.05MM annual salary, so the club that inks Blount would only sacrifice a 2018 comp selection if Blount earns more than that total.

Some teams with interest in Blount, such as the Lions, don’t have to consider any possible compensatory pick forfeiture, as they aren’t projected to earn any comp selections in 2018. Other clubs, like the Giants and Ravens, could conceivably work out a trade with the Patriots after New England signs Blount, as Nick Korte of Over the Cap speculates.

If Blount doesn’t sign by July 22, the Patriots will own exclusive negotiating rights through Week 10 of the regular season. If Blount doesn’t sign his tender (or agree to another deal) with New England before then, he’ll be forced to sit out the entire 2017 campaign.

LeGarrette Blount Had Been Nearing Deal

May 10th, 2017 at 6:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Had the Patriots not assigned a May 9 tender to LeGarrette Blount, the veteran running back may landed a new deal by now, as at least two clubs were “poised” to work a contract with Blount, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

While it’s not clear exactly which teams were willing to offer Blount a pact, it’s fair to wonder if the Lions and Giants were involved. Thus far, Detroit and New York are the only two clubs known to have serious interest in Blount, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports recently reported that both teams were “in play” for Blount.

The Patriots’ decision to tender Blount complicates matters, but only slightly. Blount can still negotiate with other clubs but will now count against the 2018 compensatory formula. However, the last compensatory pick is currently tied to a $2.05MM annual salary, so the club that inks Blount would only sacrifice a 2018 comp selection if Blount earns more than that total.

The Lions don’t have to consider any possible compensatory pick forfeiture, as they aren’t projected to earn any comp selections in 2018. The Giants, meanwhile, are currently entitled to a 2018 fourth-rounder as a result of losing defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins. But, as Nick Korte of Over the Cap writes, Big Blue could take measures to sign Blount and ensure they retain a compensatory pick.

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