A year ago running back LeGarrette Blount signed a one-year free agent deal with Philadelphia, then he helped lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl win.
In 2016, Blount agreed to a one-year deal with New England and ended the season with a Super Bowl title for the Patriots.
Coincidence?
Blount agreed to a one-year $2 million deal (with $2.5 million in incentives) with the Lions. What’s next?
“I don’t believe it’s luck. I just believe it’s hard work,’’ Blount said during a Monday conference call. “You’ve got to grind for everything you get in this league — scratch, claw for everything you get. There’s no luck involved. All 32 teams are going out there with one common goal.
“Everybody works their tails to get to that last game — you fight, you scratch, you claw, you bleed with your brothers. It’s the mentality that you refuse to be denied and that’s just something that I want to bring to Detroit. You just got to have to refuse to be denied what you think you’ve earned throughout the whole process.”
Five things to know about Blount:
1. His familiarity with new Lions coach Matt Patricia, the former New England Patriots’ defensive coordinator, helped get him to Detroit. “My relationship with Matt has always been a great one. Even though he was on the defensive side of the ball, anytime I ever saw him in any part of the building, whether it was just walking by in the hall or in the cafeteria or practice or whatever the circumstance may be, anytime he walked past or anytime we were around each other, it was always laughs and jokes,’’ Blount said. “Obviously, we get serious when it’s time to do the job, but for the most part we laughed and joked and clowned around and we enjoyed each other, and it got to a point where we had gotten really close.’’
Of course he also knows general manager Bob Quinn, chief of staff Kevin Anderson and strength and conditioning coach Harold Nash who were with the Patriots during Blount’s two stints there — 2013 and then 2014-16.
2. Blount finished last season averaging 4.4 yards per carry, his highest average since 2013 when he was good for 5.0 yards per carry. In the Eagles’ Super Bowl win over the Patriots, he had 14 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown. The Lions owned the NFL’s worst rushing offense in 2017 averaging 3.4 yards per carry. Third-and-1s were a nightmare which is one area the 245-pound Blount should be able to help.
3. He uses word “grittiness” to describe new running back teammates Theo Riddick and Ameer Abdullah. “I like how hard they play. You can tell they play with a lot of passion,’’ Blount said. “”My job is to help add value and our goal is to just do our jobs together and get all the wins we can get.”
4. Blount is blunt about his status. “They are going to get a good veteran running back that has a lot of years and a lot of miles left on him that’s going to play as hard as he possibly can for the organization and for Matty P.,” the 31-year-old Blount said.
5. This is the third one-year deal he’s signed in three years and he’s good with that. “That’s not the part of the business I handle. That’s the part of the business my agent, the head coach and whoever else handles that part,’’ Blount said. “Me, personally, I just want to make a decision where I can put myself in the right situation to be successful and help another team be successful. That’s what my ultimate goal is, to make sure I’m in the right situation, that I’m what the team needs.’’
Lions Lowdown 