Giants Rumors: New York Still Interested In LeGarrette Blount
The New York Giants have a promising young talent at running back, but general manager Jerry Reese may attempt to add LeGarrette Blount to the fold.
The New York Giants are coming off of a rejuvenating season under head coach Ben McAdoo. Riding the strength of a legitimately elite defense, the Giants won 11 games and made the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
In an attempt to fortify their efforts to reach the next level in 2017, New York is targeting a player from the defending Super Bowl champions.
Despite coming off of the best season of his NFL career thus far, LeGarrette Blount is still a free agent. The 30-year-old powerhouse led the league in rushing touchdowns and played a crucial role in the New England Patriots reaching and winning Super Bowl LI.
According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, the Giants are one of two teams that are both interested in and realistically pursuing Blount.
"League sources said at least two teams are squarely in play for Blount now that the draft has ended: The Detroit Lions and New York Giants, two franchises that are still mulling the addition of a bell-cow running back to eat up some early-down and short-yardage carries next season."
Ian Rapoport reported the same before the commencement of the 2017 NFL Draft, when New York selected Wayne Gallman in the fourth round.
The next running back domino to watch: LeGarrette Blount and the #Giants. There is mutual interest there. A potential match before the draft
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2017
Robinson’s report becomes an intriguing development based on how Blount would fit the Giants’ offense and the recent comments made by the head coach.
Blount is a power back who can create penetration at the line of scrimmage with both his patience and his physicality as a runner. The 30-year-old ran for a career-best 1,161 yards in 2016, as well as a career-high and league-leading 18 touchdowns.
Blount only averaged 3.9 yards per carry, but added 67 first downs to his tally—numbers that display his value in short-yardage situation.
The question is: how does Blount fit into the equation based on head coach Ben McAdoo’s recent comments that Paul Perkins is the starting running back?
Blount is a more established commodity than Perkins, but the former has now been publicly committed to as the No. 1 player on the depth chart. Depth charts routinely change during training camp and the preseason, but signing Blount could alienate Perkins, who ran for 102 yards in Week 17 of the 2016 season.
With Shaun Draughn, Gallman, and Shane Vereen also on the roster, the Giants would essentially strip one player of their role by signing Blount.
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The question is: would LeGarrette Blount be worth that type of investment for the New York Giants?