Giants Rumors: Interest Waning In LeGarrette Blount?
The New York Giants shared mutual interest with free agent running back LeGarrette Blount. How has the selection of Wayne Gallman impacted a potential union?
The New York Giants utilized the 2017 NFL Draft to build in unexpected ways. Although general manager Jerry Reese addressed the skill positions, it wasn’t until the sixth round that New York selected an offensive lineman.
The question is: what does that mean for rumored free agency target and defending Super Bowl champion LeGarrette Blount?
Blount and the Giants have been tied to one another for weeks on end. Whether unfortunate or otherwise, the working theory that the former New England Patriots star could sign with the Giants appears to have been complicated by the 2017 NFL Draft.
According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN’s NFL Nation, the Giants shared mutual interest with Blount, but it appears to have dissipated after the selection of Wayne Gallman in the 2017 NFL Draft.
"There was mutual interest between Blount and the Giants recently. That appears to have cooled after the selection of running back Wayne Gallman in the fourth round, but for the right price, there is always the possibility of adding depth."
Signing Blount is still a possibility for the Giants, but the organization appears more inclined to explore the upside Gallman possesses.
Blount finished the 2016 season with career-best marks of 299 rushing attempts, 1,161 rushing yards, and 18 rushing touchdowns. He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns and ranked No. 8 in rushing yards.
Blount is also a 30-year-old running back who averaged just 3.9 yards per carry in an offense run by Tom Brady and coached by Bill Belichick.
Thus, teams are rather skeptical of how well Blount’s game would translate to a different system.
Head coach Ben McAdoo recently named Paul Perkins the 2017 starter, which may have been off-putting to Blount following his career-year. Behind Perkins, New York has a cast of quality playmakers, including Shane Vereen, Gallman, and Shaun Draughn.
No running back on the roster is quite as established as Blount, but New York has committed to building a sustainable future.
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If the New York Giants are looking to win short-yardage situations and punch the ball into the end zone, however, there are few players better than LeGarrette Blount.