Running back LeGarrette Blount made a strong closing argument for free agency, exploding late in the 2013 regular season and postseason with the Patriots.
But then came the open market. And Blount didn’t find any open wallets.
“I was really surprised by it,” Blount told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I didn’t think that the running back market would be so low. I didn’t think that, you know, the biggest contract would be Toby Gerhart’s $10.5 [million]. I didn’t think that would have been the biggest contract. . . . I don’t think that his body of work should have made him the highest paid free agent running back this offseason. We were just trying to get things done, man. Like y’all said the market wasn’t that great but, you know, I feel like I deserve a lot more credibility in the part of getting contracts done. But, I mean, that will all settle itself out, so I’m happy where I landed and I’m going to continue to do what I do best and just try to build on my body of work.”
He’ll build on his body of work with a two-year, $3.85 million contract. It’s still unclear how many opportunities he’ll get to show what he can do, given the presence of second-year tailback Le’Veon Bell.
Last year, the opportunities were few and far between for Blount, who made the most of opportunities that came his way, when they came his way. He seemed to do the kind of job that would allow him to get more opportunities -- and a lot more money. That didn’t happen.
The way running backs wash out of the league, it may never happen for Blount.