LeGarrette Blount - Pro Football Rumors

AFC North Links: Steelers, Dalton, Hoyer

March 31st, 2014 at 3:04pm CST by Ben Levine

LeGarrette Blount joined the Steelers this past weekend, but that may not prevent the team from selecting a running back in the draft. Scott Brown of ESPN.com takes a look at some draft options at the position, and opines that it’d be tough for Pittsburgh to pass on 2000-yard rusher Andre Williams. Still, Brown adds that he can’t see the team taking a back before the fifth round, and suggests the team looks at speedy runners like Kent State’s Dri Archer.

Let’s take a look at some more Steelers and AFC North notes…

The Steelers run of success at snagging talented receivers later in the draft may continue this year, Brown mentions in the same article. The depth of the position in the draft means Pittsburgh could wait until after the first round to select a wideout.
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton confirmed on SiriusXM NFL Radio that contract negotiations with the team are underway (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com). Dalton is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Brian Hoyer‘s recovery from knee surgery is very significant to the Browns, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. The team has already released two quarterbacks and haven’t signed any via free agency. If the team drafts a quarterback, McManamon believes that Hoyer will still be the favorite to start.

AFC Notes: Jones-Drew, Blount, Collie

March 28th, 2014 at 6:49pm CST by Peter Sowards

As new Raiders running back Maurice Jones-Drew restarts his career in Oakland, he won’t be handed the starting job. Jones-Drew told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle that it’s a “wide-open” competition at running back (Twitter link), presumably between himself and incumbent Darren McFadden, who was re-signed to a one-year deal earlier this month.

Neither runner did much of anything in 2013, with McFadden rushing for 379 yards in 10 games, while Jones-Drew totaled 803 yards rushing in 15 games, averaging 3.4 yards per carry, just 0.1 yards better than McFadden. Behind McFadden and MJD are Latavius Murray, Kory Sheets and Jeremy Stewart, none of whom have starting experience.

Jones-Drew said on his conference call today that he’s looking forward to playing for an organization that he has loved since he was a little kid, and that he feels he was done wrong by the Jaguars (Twitter links).

Catch more AFC notes in the links below:

The Patriots were interested in re-signing running back LeGarrette Blount, but only for one year, reports Boston Globe writer Ben Volin (via Twitter). Blount ended up signing a two-year deal with the Steelers worth $3.85MM.
Looking to add weapons to a somewhat depleted receiving corps, Boston Herald beat reporter Jeff Howe tweets that the Patriots could re-sign Austin Collie and add a “Miles Austin-type” in the future.
The Texans are still almost $9MM under the salary cap after signing safety Chris Clemons to a two-year deal worth $2.7MM, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).

Steelers Sign LeGarrette Blount

March 28th, 2014 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

4:05pm: Blount’s new two-year deal is worth $3.85MM, with a $950K signing bonus, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

3:49pm: The Steelers have officially signed Blount, according to a press release.

2:25pm: The Steelers have reached an agreement on a two-year contract with LeGarrette Blount, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). According to Wilson (via Twitter), the Ravens maintained interest in Blount up until the end. The Patriots were also be interested in bringing back the free agent running back, though not at the price as the Steelers were willing to offer, tweets Wilson.

Blount, 27, emerged as the Patriots’ primary ball-carrier last season, racking up 772 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry during the regular season. He also ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns in the second round of the postseason against the Colts, but was bottled up for just six yards on five carries in Denver.

By signing with the Steelers, Blount will give the team a complementary runner in a backfield that already includes youngster Le’Veon Bell. I’d imagine Bell will receive more carries than Blount, but the veteran could handle short-yardage and goal-line duties in addition to spelling the 2013 second-rounder.

It’ll be interesting to see what sort of salary Blount receives from the Steelers, considering the team was nearly capped out. Barring some creative bookkeeping on Blount’s deal, the Steelers may have to restructure or release another player’s contract to create the space necessary to finalize the signing.

With Blount off the board and Knowshon Moreno and Maurice Jones-Drew also finding new homes this week, the running back market is starting to look pretty thin. Teams still in need of a rusher can peruse a group that includes Andre Brown, Willis McGahee, and Justin Forsett, among others.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders Sign Maurice Jones-Drew

March 28th, 2014 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

2:04pm: According to Schefter (via Twitter), Jones-Drew is “officially a Raider,” having signed a three-year contract with the team.

8:26am: The Raiders are in the process of finalizing a contract with free agent running back Maurice Jones-Drew, according to multiple reports. Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com hears from two sources that the sides have agreed to terms and that the deal is just pending a physical. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the agreement isn’t quite official, but MJD and the Raiders are expected to agree on a three-year deal later today.

An agreement appeared to come together quickly after word broke yesterday that Jones-Drew would be visiting the Raiders today. A report earlier in the week suggested that the Steelers, Jets, Dolphins, and Patriots were all in the mix for the veteran back, but the Dolphins agreed to sign Knowshon Moreno, and a separate report indicated that the Pats haven’t been in contact with MJD. As such, it looks like the Steelers and Jets, who both met with the former Jaguar earlier this month, were the Raiders’ prime competition to land him.

By signing with the Raiders, Jones-Drew will be joining the team he rooted for growing up — the California native still lives in the area. Oakland also re-signed Darren McFadden earlier in the month, but McFadden has been plagued by injuries throughout his career and will be on a one-year, prove-it deal. With Jones-Drew in the fold, the Raiders are hoping to replace the 2013 production provided by Rashad Jennings, who signed with the Giants. Unproven backs like Latavius Murray and Kory Sheets could also be in the mix for carries in Oakland.

Following an excellent 2011 season, in which he averaged more than 100 rushing yards per game, Jones-Drew was slowed by injuries in 2012. He appeared in 15 games in 2013, but underachieved for a subpar Jacksonville team, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, a significant drop-off from his previous career low of 4.2. Having turned 29 last week and accumulated more than 1,800 carries in his NFL career, the former second-round pick’s best days are likely behind him, but a modest bounce-back season in 2014 definitely isn’t out of the question.

With Jones-Drew and Moreno off the market, LeGarrette Blount represents perhaps the most appealing free agent running back still available. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Blount flew into Pittsburgh last night for a Friday visit with the Steelers. Blount is also drawing interest from his old team, the Pats.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Notes: Jets, Broncos, Blount, MJD, Titans

March 26th, 2014 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to the Seahawks and Cowboys, the Jets may also have been in on Jared Allen before he agreed to sign with the Bears, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. According to Schefter, head coach Rex Ryan spoke to the veteran defensive end last week, and the Jets wanted to get involved in the bidding, though it’s not clear how serious the interest was from Allen’s end. As New York continues to search for upgrades in free agency, let’s check in on a few more AFC teams….

Unsurprisingly, the Broncos are expected to exercise their fifth-year option for 2015 on defensive standout Von Miller, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The option, available for 2011 first-round picks, would pay Miller a little less than $10MM in ’15.
The running back market is coming into focus, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). According to La Canfora, LeGarrette Blount, who is still receiving interest from the Patriots, will visit with the Steelers later this week. Pittsburgh is still considering Maurice Jones-Drew as well, though not at his original $3.5MM-per-year asking price.
Free agent offensive lineman Mike McGlynn, who has met with the Redskins and Rams since the start of free agency, is scheduled to visit the Titans tonight and tomorrow, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
The Raiders have added several players over age 30 in free agency, but GM Reggie McKenzie doesn’t view those players as stop-gap solutions. McKenzie told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle that he wanted to bring in immediate contributors to show the team’s young players the Raiders are serious about winning.
Colts GM Ryan Grigson said today that his team preferred its in-house options at center to the free agents available at the position, as Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star details. That’s not to say that no free agent center would have been an upgrade, but given the potential cost, Grigson didn’t feel a move would be worth it.
Offensive line and wide receiver will be areas of focus for the Jaguars in the draft, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
R.J. Stanford‘s new one-year deal with the Bengals includes a $730K base salary, a $50K signing bonus, and a $25K workout bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Steelers Notes: Moats, RBs, Harrison

March 23rd, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers will meet with free agent inside linebacker Arthur Moats, likely on Monday, tweets Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Moats, 26, has drawn a surprising lack of interest during free agency. He started 12 games last season for the Bills, accruing 54 tackles and grading as the 12th-best inside linebacker in the league, especially excelling in run defense, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He would slot in next to Lawrence Timmons in the Steelers 3-4 defense.

Some other Steelers items:

Robinson also tweets the Steelers will add a veteran running back, and corroborates an earlier report that the team will meet with LeGarrette Blount on Friday.
Continuing on the running back theme, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chimes in, adding that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin “felt good” about last week’s visit with RB Maurice Jones-Drew, and that Pittsburgh remains amenable to signing the veteran (Twitter link).
Dulac also adds that the team maintains interest in bringing back linebacker James Harrison, quoting general manager Kevin Colbert as saying the team is “never going to close the door on any possibility, especially with a guy who was a huge part of our success” (via Twitter).
Dulac tweets that recently-signed Cam Thomas will work as a defensive end, but could also get time at defensive tackle.
Robinson reports that the Steelers scouting staff will attend the pro days of North Carolina, Duke, and Texas A&M, with Colbert and Tomlin likely attending the Aggies event (Twitter link).
Signing a steady, low-cost free agent like receiver Lance Moore is symbolic of the Steelers free agency strategy, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com.

AFC North Notes: Blount, Harrison, Extensions

March 23rd, 2014 at 11:21am CST by Rory Parks

The Ravens have interest in free agent RB LeGarrette Blount, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson writes that the Ravens do not have a visit scheduled for Blount at this time, but they will continue to monitor his market. Baltimore struggled mightily in most aspects of its offense last season, and short-yardage situations were particularly troublesome. Blount would be a boon in that regard, and he would also provide necessary depth given Ray Rice‘s struggles last season–and his legal troubles this offseason–and Bernard Pierce‘s injury concerns. As our Peter Sowards reported yesterday, Blount is scheduled to meet with the division rival Steelers later this week.

More notes from the AFC North:

Speaking of the Steelers, Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes that a reunion with James Harrison makes a great deal of sense for a team with little defensive depth and limited salary cap space. Starkey could envision a limited role for Harrison as a situational pass-rusher and short-yardage defender. As our Luke Adams noted several days ago, there is mutual interest in Harrison’s potential return to Pittsburgh.
Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com and Pat McManamon of ESPN.com offer some opinions on Browns QB Brian Hoyer and WR Greg Little. Grossi believes that Hoyer has demonstrated enough to go into the season as the starting QB, and McManamon believes the Browns may feel the same way. As for Little, despite the frustration of Browns’ fans, Grossi notes that Little’s reasonable contract, his size, and his durability are all reasons why the Browns will probably hang onto him for another season. McManamon makes a similar point, though he does point out that if the Browns were to draft someone like Clemson WR Sammy Watkins, Little could be on his way out.
Coley Harvey of ESPN.com writes that there is nothing on the horizon yet regarding contract extensions for Bengals standouts A.J. Green, Andy Dalton, and Vontaze Burfict, but that negotiations could become more serious once the current phase of free agency concludes.
Despite the signing of Marshall Newhouse, Harvey believes the Bengals would “absolutely” consider an offensive tackle in the early rounds of the draft.

Pats Notes: Blount, Ayers, Wilfork, McCourty

March 23rd, 2014 at 8:39am CST by Rory Parks

Even though the Patriots may lose LeGarrette Blount this offseason, Christopher Price of WEEI.com notes that the team is still ahead of the game with its stable of running backs and the complementary skill-sets those backs possess. Although Price notes that Maurice Jones-Drew and Knowshon Moreno are still available, he believes that if the Pats want to replace Blount, they are more likely to do so with a big-bodied back in the middle rounds of the draft.

Now for some more Patriots notes:

As far as the team’s need for a pass-rusher is concerned, although Andre Carter may want to come back to New England, it is unclear if the feeling is mutual. Given Carter’s age (he will turn 35 in May) and Jared Allen‘s price tag, both Price and Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald believe that Robert Ayers is a more realistic option to bolster the team’s pass rush and provide some support to the revamped secondary. Guregian notes that Shaun Phillips might also be a potential fit.
Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com notes that there is a belief that, the longer Vince Wilfork remains under contract, the greater the possibility that the two sides will work something out. Wilfork, of course, requested his release from the team a little more than a week ago, but the Patriots have not obliged just yet. For his part, Reiss believes every option is still on the table as far as Wilfork is concerned, and he is intrigued to see what owner Robert Kraft has to say about the situation when he speaks with reporters at the NFL’s annual meeting in Orlando over the next several days.
Considering the big-money deal that Jairus Byrd recently landed with New Orleans and Earl Thomas‘ impending free agency, Reiss believes the Patriots will approach Devin McCourty with a lucrative contract extension before he becomes a free agent at the end of the 2014 season.
Reiss also expresses surprise that free agent guard Ryan Wendell, who started every game for New England in each of the past two seasons, has not garnered more interest on the open market.

Blount’s Visit To Steelers Pushed Back

March 22nd, 2014 at 7:13pm CST by Peter Sowards

LeGarrette Blount‘s visit to the Steelers won’t happen until after the league meetings, sources told Aaron Wilson of National Football Post.

Blount was scheduled to visit the Steelers tonight and Monday. The annual meeting in Orlando runs from March 23-26.

The rescheduling will allow the former Patriots running back to meet with coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert, Wilson reports.

Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review opined via Twitter that this indicates the team is more interested in Blount than they were in Maurice Jones-Drew, who visited the Steelers on Wednesday.

FA Rumors: Colts, Blount, Allen, Britt, Finley

March 21st, 2014 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Colts aren’t necessarily done adding free agents, the team’s major moves have likely already been made, as GM Ryan Grigson told reporters today, including Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

“You never say you’re done,” Grigson said. “We had a plan and we feel really good about it. We feel real good where we’re at right now. We’re going to look toward the draft. You never say never and we’re always trying to get better. If somebody pops up and they make sense from a roster standpoint and they kind of fit the specs – age and money, big picture – then I’ll look at it.”

As the Colts shift their free agent focus to the bargain bin, let’s check in on a few other afternoon items related to the open market:

Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link) doesn’t see the Colts pursuing center Alex Mack any further, suggesting it always would have been a long shot to sign him away from the Browns.
Free agent running back LeGarrette Blount, who continues to draw interest from the Patriots, is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Sunday night, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Pittsburgh also met with veteran running back Maurice Jones-Drew this week.
As Jared Allen continues to mull his options, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) weighs in with a couple tidbits: The veteran defensive end is considering three teams, with retirement also still an option, and should make a decision this weekend. As for Allen’s second visit with the Seahawks, it happened because key members of the organization weren’t at the first meeting, says Rapoport.
Wide receiver Kenny Britt has visited the Rams, Patriots, Redskins, and Bills, and has also garnered interest from the Seahawks and Panthers, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, Britt will decide his next move this weekend, whether that means taking more visits or agreeing to sign with a team.
Jermichael Finley may still be a few more months from being in position to sign with an NFL club, a source tells Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The free agent tight end continues to recover from a spinal injury, and hasn’t yet received medical clearance.
At this point, the Panthers aren’t expected to sign Kevin Cone, Lestar Jean, or C.J. Akins, the three receivers they worked out today, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.