The running back market is not good. It has taken three weeks of free agency to finally start getting players signed. Knowshon Moreno set the week off after signing a one-year deal deal with the Miami Dolphins worth upwards of $2.5 million with a few signing bonuses along the way. Now it is being reported that Maurice Jones-Drew is the next to sign with a team, leaving LeGarrette Blount the lone man without a contract.
Jones-Drew took a late trip out to Oakland and has reportedly agreed to terms with the Raiders. ESPN.com is reporting that that the 29-year-old needed to pass his physical before the two sides put together a contract. The former Jacksonville Jaguar star had visited the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins, but left all three teams without any deals.
It is unknown right now the size of the contract Oakland is offering. Jones-Drew was reportedly requesting $3 million per season on a multi-year contract. Considering the current state of the running back market, that is not happening. Moreno is younger and more productive and could not get that type of contract. The Raiders deal likely follows something along the lines of the one-year deal Darren McFadden signed. The two running backs are expected to challenge each other for the starting job.
So where does this leave Blount? The former New England Patriots running back is coming off a career-high season and yet remains unsigned. Blount is expected to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday and if all goes well, a deal will get done immediately. The Steelers have been looking for someone to run along with Le'Veon Bell and were highly interested in Jones-Drew. With the veteran signed, Blount is the best option. He certainly fits the Pittsburgh aggressive style and would be an excellent change-of-pace player to pair with the second-year running back.
The Patriots are still an option for Blount if for some reason the Pittsburgh deal fails. ESPN.com reports the Patriots are still interested in bringing Blount back at the right price. They worked with a three-man rotation last season and are considering running the same again this upcoming season.
Blount should be signed by the start of next week. The Steelers and Patriots are his best options. If both deals fail, Blount is going to find out just how tough free agency can get.