Running back LeGarrette Blount’s extended stint in free agency has taken a bizarre twist.
The Patriots made a ruthless business decision Tuesday by extending a rarely used tender to Blount, according to a source. Blount has no plans to sign the tender at the moment.
The tender was offered so the Patriots can recoup a compensatory pick in the 2018 draft if he signs elsewhere. That’s why the Patriots extended the tender by Tuesday’s deadline. Prior to this the Patriots hadn’t extended a formal offer to Blount.
Blount can still negotiate a contract with other teams until July 22. But if he doesn’t sign by that deadline, he can only sign a deal with the Patriots.
The reason this hurts the 30-year-old Blount is because teams commonly wait to sign veterans until the window closes on the compensatory formula. .
Blount set career highs last season with 299 carries, 1,161 yards and an NFL-best 18 rushing touchdowns.
It’s important to note Blount wouldn’t be a 100 percent lock to count toward the compensatory formula if he signed with another team. That formula is based on the player’s contract, stats and playing time in the 2017 season. So if Blount didn’t sign a major deal, his production in 2017 would be the greatest factor in the formula.
Blount’s tender is worth a $1.1 million base, including a $110,000 signing bonus, plus the $1 million in bonuses that were also part of his contract in 2016.
Michael Floyd, who ended last season with Super Bowl champion New England, agreed to sign with Minnesota.
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