LeGarrette Blount is still a free agent after the Patriots decided to move on from last year’s rushing touchdown leader. He might not be on the market much longer. The New York Giants and Blount reportedly have “mutual interest,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Giants would be smart to sign him to bolster their 29th-ranked rushing attack.
Giants would be smart to sign LeGarrette Blount
Blount is coming off of a career season and would be a good addition for the Giants.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Blount was integral to New England’s Super Bowl run last season. He finished with 1,161 yards, a career high, and 18 touchdowns on the ground. Yes, Blount is 30, but he hasn’t been a workhorse back throughout his career. He’s been spared some of the wear and tear that other running backs his age have experienced.
He feels like his age isn’t slowing him down.
“On that point, I feel great,” Blount said in February. “I’m in amazing shape. I feel like I could play 100 more years if I have to.”
Hyperbole aside, Blount could probably muster quality performances for another season or two. He hasn’t garnered much interest on the open market, so the Giants should be able to land him at a team-friendly price.
And the Giants need help on the ground. Rashad Jennings, the team’s leading rusher last year, only managed 593 yards and three touchdowns last season. The Giants moved on from him, and he’s still on the market.
Shane Vereen, the team’s highest-paid running back, played in just five games last year for the Giants, contributing 158 yards and one touchdown. He’s still rehabbing a tricep that he tore not once, but twice.
New York has been linked to Christian McCaffrey, but it’s unlikely the Stanford product will be available when the Giants pick at No. 23. Blount isn’t a long-term answer for the Giants at running back, but he could be a cost-effective stopgap to balance out the offense.
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