2013 proved that Tom Brady can only do so much for the New England Patriots. The team's wide receivers corps struggled heavily throughout the season allowing LeGarrette Blount to have a breakout season. The running back often bailed out the offense and is now looking to cash in. With Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen playing underneath him, are the Patriots willing to let Blount walk into free agency?
ESPNBoston.com reports there is mutual interest between the Patriots and Blount regarding a contract extension. Mike Reiss notes that owner Robert Kraft is well-aware of just how valuable a player like Blount is to the team. After Ridley and Vereen suffered with fumbling issues at times in 2013, Blount was the constant threat. Blount put up 772 yards and seven touchdowns in his best season since his rookie year with Tampa Bay.
At the moment, the Patriots have more pressing needs than Blount. The team must first re-sign Aqib Talib before he hits free agency. Then they will have to worry about a wide receiver. According to Reiss, Julian Edelman looks less and less likely to return in 2014. The wide receiver is searching for a big pay raise after his personal-best season. The Patriots need to replace him. Blount will then come next.
If the Patriots fail to negotiate a deal for the running back come March 11 when the free agency spree kicks off, several teams have already expressed interest in the starter. First, the Miami Dolphins have had Blount on their radar ever since they realized their young running back tandem was not going to cut it. The team failed to produce a productive run game after saying goodbye to Reggie Bush. They have made down-field, aggressive back their target and Blount is the best available.
The Oakland Raiders could come next. The team is currently prepared to say goodbye to Darren McFadden who is heading into free agency after disappointing start to his career. Rashad Jennings is also going to be a free agent. The Raiders would prefer to re-sign him, but Jennings might be looking to jump the struggling ship. They have plenty of cap space to work with and could offer Blount the contract he wants.
The New York Giants might be a dark horse in this race. David Wilson is returning from injury. After a roller coaster year, the Giants know they need another reliable back. While Blount might be too expensive for the team to add on, he is an option.
