5 Things we need closure on concerning LeGarrette Blount
Now that the buzz is over, let’s dig a little deeper into the LeGarrette Blount signing shall we?
Last season, Philadelphia Eagles fans watched the playoffs without their favorite team being one of the participants again. If that wasn’t enough to irritate you, there was probably no comfort to be found in seeing Eagles like wide receiver Danny Amendola, running back Dion Lewis or defensive back Eric Rowe play key roles in the New England Patriots winning another Super Bowl.
Fast forward to the present, and the Eagles have added two former Patriots to their roster, defensive end Chris Long and now running back LeGarrette Blount. There’s just one thing that keeps getting left out of the conversation. The Patriots got three young prospects from the Eagles who haven’t reached their prime or even hit their stride yet. The Eagles got two guys who could, very well, be past their prime in Blount and Long.
The reality check:
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick shares a similar quality to former Eagles head coach Andy Reid. They typically get rid of guys a year early as opposed to a year late. Both have developed an ability to monitor their roster, assess need and know when it’s time to move on from fan favorites. Rarely, will you find the guy on the roster that should have been released two seasons ago. Was Blount’s 2016 season a sign of what to expect in Philly or an aberration? Eagles fans are hoping it’s the former.
5 things we’ll need to find some closure on pretty quickly:
Philadelphia Eagles
1. Why did the Patriots allow last season’s league leader in touchdowns to get away?
Once you remove Blount from the Patriots depth chart for running backs, you have names like the aforementioned Lewis, Mike Gillislee, James White and Rex Burkhead. None of those guys jump off the page, and we, honestly, had to use Google to learn more about some of the other guys.
2. Will age catch up to him this season?
Blount will turn 31 on December 5th. By NFL standards, that’s ancient for a running back. Did Blount turn back the clock last season or will “Father Time” catch up to him in 2017?
3. Can he realistically be expected to be a “workhorse” in this offense?
Since we’re on the subject of aging, you have to take into account the fact that he’s entering his 8th season in the NFL. He’s carried the ball 1,168 times during his career including 299 times a season ago. That’s a ton of touches.
4. What happened in Pittsburgh?
In between his two stints in New England was a forgettable eleven game stretch with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Blount was basically given to the Mike Tomlin. He appeared in 11 games, started in none of them and the Steelers gave him back to the Patriots following a disappointing campaign that produced 266 yards and two touchdowns.
5. Can someone please tell us what his role will be?
We got nothing from his first press conference other than the fact that he’s a fan of quarterback Carson Wentz and his potential, he wanted to be here and he’s willing to do whatever the team wants. Sure, that’s all fine and dandy, but we’ll all have to reserve ourselves to the idea that the Eagles are still working all of this out. They don’t even have an answer at this point.
Sure, he’s the only guy on this roster that you feel comfortable seeing taking a handoff and pounding straight ahead for tough yardage, but, after turning 30 and carrying the ball almost 300 times in 2016, you have to ask. Is it realistic to expect that to happen again this season?
Are we wrong for asking the question? Time will tell.