Eagles RB LeGarrette Blount gets vote of confidence from Doug Pederson
PHILADELPHIA — Running back LeGarrette Blount was a key addition in a busy offseason for the Philadelphia Eagles, but his training camp and preseason showings left some to speculate whether he would be on the team for the long haul.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, however, offered a strong vote of support for the 30-year-old back when asked about Blount's status on the roster.
“I mean, the guy is a beast of a runner,” Pederson said Tuesday. “I don’t know what else to tell ya – 18 touchdowns, 15 in the red zone last year. That’s the production you saw yesterday (in practice), the style of running he can do.
“Listen, we’re not game planning these games, so it’s really hard to go into a game to say: ‘This is best against this team.’ We’re trying to execute our plays. As coaches, we might be putting our players through injustice by putting them in bad situations, I’m just going to be honest with you. But you saw what he has done these last couple of days. I’m excited that he’s here and he’s going to be a big part of our offense.”
SIGN UP!: All the inside NFL news to your inbox
More: Eagles' Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith finding spark with Carson Wentz after slow start
More: Dolphins' Byron Maxwell admits being 'petty' in return to Philadelphia
After the Eagles released Ryan Mathews last week, Blount appeared solidified as the starter. Though Philadelphia has other options at the position, second-year pro Wendell Smallwood and rookie Donnel Pumphrey are short on experience. Darren Sproles appears set as the team’s backup, thanks in part to his versatility.
An ESPN report on Monday, however, stated that Blount was not a lock to make the Eagles roster. Other reports have indicated that Blount, whom the team lists at 6-0 and 250 pounds, is struggling to keep his weight down.
In the last two days of practices against the Miami Dolphins, Blount has demonstrated why he has earned Pederson’s support. He routinely waited for holes to open up and ran through them before officials blew the play dead.
More importantly to his standing with the coaching staff, Blount continues to work with the first-team offense.
Preseason games, however, have been a difficult stage for the former New England Patriots running back, who led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns last season. He carried the ball five times for 8 yards on Thursday against the Buffalo Bills. In the opener against the Green Bay Packers, Blount ran four times for 9 yards.
For Philadelphia's coaching staff, however, the primary challenge may rest with figuring out how to utilize the new ball carrier.
“We just – as things go forward, you look to find the plays that are best suited for him and you focus on those things and let him do his thing," said offensive coordinator Frank Reich. "Because when he does his thing, it results in a lot of touchdowns."
***
Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes
PHOTOS: Best of NFL preseason