Detroit Lions Free Agency: NFL.com Writer Likes LeGarrette Blount for Lions

Does LeGarrette Blount make sense for the Detroit Lions in free agency? One NFL.com writer thinks so, predicting the big back to sign with the Lions.

NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal played a game of “where will the free agent running backs land” and he had a fit for the Detroit Lions. Among his predictions of where the top running backs will end up, he had LeGarrette Blount coming to Detroit.

This is just Rosenthal’s speculation as a possible fit rather than a report of anything brewing, something made clear as Rosenthal explained his pick of Blout to the Lions in the NFL.com video.

"You try to make connections in free agency. Detroit is where an old front office staffer, from the Patriots, Bob Quinn, is now running the team. Think about what the Lions need. They have Ameer Abdullah, they have Theo Riddick, but they need a pounder in the middle. That’s LeGarrette Blount. I think he would really fill out that backfield."

Bob Quinn expressed confidence in his current group of running backs during his NFL Combine press conference but a bigger back could certainly help the Lions become more effective in goal line and short yardage situations. That being said, I’m not convinced signing Blount in free agency is the best way to accomplish that end.

For one, the only reason Blount moves on from New England is because someone is willing to pay more than the Patriots. Doing what the Patriots aren’t willing to do doesn’t strike me as a path to success.

Blount is now on the wrong side of 30-years old, the age at which running backs notoriously see a precipitous drop in ability and production. He is coming off a career-high 1,161 yards last season, but he averaged 3.9 yards per carry along the way – the second-lowest average of his career.

Next: Detroit Lions 7-Round Mock Draft v2.0

What do you think? Would you like to see the Lions sign Blount or would you run the other way?