Well, it didn't take long for a few out-of-work running backs to find homes.
A day after the Minnesota Vikings claimed Ben Tate, the New England Patriots brought back a familiar face: LeGarrette Blount, who set a playoff team record last January by scoring four touchdowns in a win over the Indianapolis Colts.
The news of the Blount signing was first reported by ESPN's Josina Anderson.
Blount was hacked by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who signed him to a bloated contract this offseason, after he reportedly left the field early on Monday night in a game against the Tennessee Titans in which he was unhappy to receive zero carries.
The Patriots were interested in bringing Blount back this past offseason, a source told the Shutdown Corner this offseason, but when the Steelers' price went too high, the Patriots let him walk. This season, Blount has rushed 65 times for 266 yards (a 4.1-yard average) and two touchdowns.
But his workload had waned in recent weeks, as had his effectiveness; Blount hasn't had a run longer than nine yards since Week 4 and hasn't found the end zone since Week 3.
For the Patriots in the 2013 season, Blount ran for a career-high seven TDs, averaged 5.0 yards per carry and totaled 772 yards on the ground.
Blount played this one pretty well, eh? He received a $950,000 signing bonus for 11 games worth of action — yet another failed running back signing this offseason — and now gets to double dip, contract-wise, with the Patriots.
The signing might come as a surprise because (a) rookie power back Jonas Gray broke out Sunday night for 201 rushing yards against the Colts and (b) Blount's exit from Pittsburgh smacks of the kind of character red flag that Bill Belichick typically stays away from.
But Belichick liked Blount's size and physicality and could use another back in his stable, which was weakened with the season-ending loss of Stevan Ridley. Still, Blount had better be ready for Belichick's sometimes arbitrary use of his running backs, featuring them extensively one game and ignoring them the next.
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