Patriots reportedly use obscure NFL rule to try and keep LeGarrette Blount
No one knows the NFL rule book better than Bill Belichick
By
John Breech
•
2 min read
After the Patriots signed two running backs during free agency, it appeared that New England had no interest in re-signing LeGarrette Blount.
That might not be the case.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Patriots made the highly unusual move of making a tender offer to Blount, who's an unrestricted free agent.
Although you hear about restricted free agent tenders all the time -- Malcolm Butler was a restricted free agent for the Patriots this offseason -- you rarely hear about a team giving a tender to an unrestricted free agent.
This is classic Bill Belichick: He's totally rubbing in the fact that he knows the rule book better than anyone else.
Apparently, there's two big benefits that come when you give a player an unrestricted tender:
- If the player signs with anyone between now and July 22, the signing will count toward the compensatory pick formula, which means the Patriots will likely get a future draft pick if they lose Blount.
- If Blount doesn't reach a deal with another team by July 22, he would be forced into exclusive negotiations with the Patriots that would run from July 22 through Week 10. That timeline basically means that if Blount wants to play in 2017, it would almost definitely have to be with the Patriots.
The fact that the Patriots made the tender on May 9 is notable because May 10 was the first day that free agents not retained by the team they played for in 2016 could sign with a new team and not affect the compensatory pick formula.
The only upside for Blount is that he'll get a 10 percent raise if he ends up signing the tender. Of course, that's not really an upside because Blount only made $1 million in 2016, which was a bargain considering that he led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns last season.
If Blount does sign the tender, PFT says he would be paid a total of $1.1 million in 2017 (but according to NFL.com, Blount would actually make $2.1 million).
Although the Patriots currently have a ridiculously loaded backfield that includes James White, Dion Lewis, Brandon Bolden and two free agent signees (Mike Gillislee, Rex Burkhead), it appears that Belichick still wants to add to his stable of running backs if he can do so at the right price.
The shrewd part of this move is that Belichick has basically thrown the rule book in Blount's face. This could potentially hurt his market, because any team that makes him an offer will do so knowing that if he signs it they'll be helping the Patriots, because New England will get a compensatory draft pick out of the signing.
Free agency has turned into a nightmare for Blount. Although most players cash in, the running back has been unable to do so recently. In 2016, Blount sat on the free agent market for a month before finally agreeing to a one-year, $1 million deal with the Patriots.
The 30-year-old running back carried the ball 299 times for 1,161 yards during the Patriots' Super Bowl-winning season in 2016.
