Philadelphia Eagles: LeGarrette Blount should be on a short leash
This offseason the Philadelphia Eagles decided to sign running back LeGarrette Blount in order to sure up the position. With several lackluster preseason games, Blount should be on a short leash to start the season.
Ever since the Philadelphia Eagles decided to trade star running back LeSean McCoy, the running back position has been a weak spot. After a career year in New England, Blount wasn’t able to find a great deal, instead settling for a one year deal with the Eagles. Rushing for 1,161 yards and 18 touchdowns is a great accomplishment, but Blount doesn’t bring much more than between the tackles downhill running. The NFL has seen an increase of running backs who can do more than that, catching the ball out of the backfield and pass blocking has become an important aspect of the run game.
The stats of last year are great, but they seem to be a one-year occurrence. It is hard to believe Blount will be able to recreate those stats with the Eagles, especially with new weapons surrounding Carson Wentz in the passing game. With that being said, the Eagles shouldn’t feel forced to use Blount as the only running back.
This preseason has been underwhelming, rushing for a combined 36 yards on 13 attempts isn’t the way to earn playing time. Constantly being stuffed at the line of scrimmage isn’t what the Eagles imagined Blount doing, so if the team needs to go in another direction it shouldn’t be a problem.
Youthful Logjam
The Eagles have several young running backs on the roster that deserve to get playing time. Wendell Smallwood has done a nice job when thrust into a role last year, giving the team a running back who can run between the tackles but also bounce to the outside. Undrafted free agent Corey Clement is now in the mix after an impressive preseason, and after the struggles of Blount, he could be the one in line for more touches.
At age 30, LeGarrette Blount is becoming “long in the tooth” in the eyes of the running back position. While he could be a great one-year stopgap, Blount isn’t the long term answer. Whether it be Smallwood, Clement, Donnel Pumphrey, a free agent next offseason, or a 2018 NFL Draft pick, a new running back should be the considered for the long term.
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By giving LeGarrette Blount just over one million dollars for one year the Eagles are showing they aren’t fully committed to him. If he struggles out of the gate it may not be a bad idea to give other players more chances or take a hot hand approach. The Eagles offense looks to take a step forward this season, but whether it is LeGarrette Blount leading the charge in the run game remains to be seen.