Five things to know about newest Lions RB LeGarrette Blount

Familiarity with Matt Patricia was one reason he signed

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 sign veteran RB LeGarrette Blount

Also, bring back Zach Zenner

The Detroit Lions took a huge step to boosting their anemic run game with the signing of free agent running back LeGarrette Blount. The team announced the deal after 10 p.m. on Friday.

It’s a one-year deal worth $4.5 million, per Ian Rapoport, NFL Network insider.

Blount is fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Philadelphia Eagles last month. It was his third Super Bowl championship. He also won two with the New England Patriots (another connection to GM Bob Quinn).

The Lions had the worst run game in the NFL in 2017, averaging 3.4 yards per carry.

Blount  appeared in all 16 games (11 starts) for the Eagles in 2017 and finished with 173 carries for 766 yards and two touchdowns, as well as eight receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown.

The 31-year-old running back had a career year in 2016 with the Patriots with 1,161 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.

Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions

Blount signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2010 out of the University of Oregon. He spent three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2010-12. Entering his ninth NFL season, his career totals include 116 games (54 starts), 1,341 carries for 5,888 yards and 51 touchdowns, as well as 54 receptions for 387 yards and two touchdowns. In 11 postseason games (three starts), he has totaled 140 carries for 600 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Also on Friday, the Lions re-signed Zach Zenner to a one-year deal.

Reports were that free agent running backs DeMarco Murray, Jonathan Stewart (who signed with the Giants), Frank Gore and Miles Davis talked also with the Lions.

It’s all about opportunity for Lions free agent LBs Christian Jones, Devon Kennard

Matt Patricia a big draw for the linebackers

If you’re looking for insight into the Lions defense under coach Matt Patricia, the two newest linebackers don’t seem to have a clue.

Free agent linebackers Christian Jones and Devon Kennard, who signed with the Lions, met the Detroit media via a conference call on Thursday morning.

Both said they weren’t sure exactly what the defense would look like. They also agreed that they aren’t sure how their roles will be defined. Doesn’t seem to matter to them.

The underlying sentiment seemed to be that they signed with Detroit for the opportunity to play with a team that is coached by a defensive wizard.

“As far as Matt Patricia and the defense, I watch a lot of film and I’ve really admired what he’s done on the defensive side of the ball for a long time so I’m definitely familiar with him and just the scheme that he and the success he’s had with New England for so long,’’ Kennard said.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LIONS

Both seem excited to get to work and apparently memorized the same list of football cliches.

“I thought it’d be a great opportunity. I knew I’d be joining a team that already has things in place. Offensively we all know what they can do,’’ Jones said on the call. “Defensively they have a good core group here that I can come in and help make a little better. It’s just an exciting time for me and I’m glad to be up here and there’s going to be a lot of opportunity.’’

That’s the key word.

The Lions were short on linebackers after not re-signing Tahir Whitehead and Paul Worrilow who played a ton last season. So these two should get plenty of playing time.

“Obviously the interest of the team and then also opportunity. You want opportunity to play and show what you’re capable of doing and be in a good situation on a team that has some potential. You look at all of that. It’s a combination of everything,’’ Kennard said.

That said, they’re both hoping for the opportunity (there’s that word again) to blitz often.

“Yes that would be great, it’s a  passing league the more pressure you can get on these quarterbacks the better. We’ve got a lot of guys on the team that can get after the quarterback,’’ Jones said. “It should be fun, we’re all working hard trying to get ready for this upcoming season, it should be exciting.’’

Their answers were not scripted but it kind of sounded like that.

“I love the opportunity to put pressure on the quarterback. I think the greatest play in football is a sack cause fumble, in my opinion. Any opportunity to help my team in that way is something I look forward to doing, we’ll see how much if at all I’ll be doing that this season,’’ Kennard said.

Jones, 27, spent the last four seasons with the Chicago Bears. He finished the 2017 season with a career-high 84 total tackles (57 solo), in addition to two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He has appeared in 63 games with 31 starts. He was signed by the Bears in 2014 as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Florida State.

Kennard, 26, was drafted in 2014 in the fifth round by the New York Giants and spent four seasons with them, playing in 52 games with 35 starts. In the 2017 season he finished with 41 total tackles (24 solo), four sacks, two pass defenses and one fumble recovery.

Kennard’s dad, Derek Kennard, played with the Cardinals, Saints and Cowboys. Devon was a youngster so doesn’t remember too much. He does recall racing against Emmitt Smith when he was 4.

“He let me win, so that was cool,” Kennard said.