After the first two Eagles preseason outings, there was chatter about the team parting ways with running back LeGarrette Blount because he didn’t look like a good fit for their offense.
Coach Doug Pederson threw cold water on that idea this week by saying that Blount will be a “big part of our offense” during the 2017 season. Blount broke off his biggest run of the preseason on Thursday night with a 16-yard gain and finished with three more yards on three more carries.
Blount downplayed the numbers on Thursday night, saying that the preseason features no game-planning and is about figuring out how all the offensive pieces come together. The way things are coming together have left him feeling confident that Pederson’s telling the truth about his spot in the offense.
“Oh yeah. Without a doubt,” Blount said, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Media. “And like I said, I’m excited and I love the opportunity that I’ve been presented here. Everybody’s been nothing but great towards me this whole entire time. And that’s a big thing for me, because you want to be comfortable with the guys you’re going to be working with every day.”
Wendell Smallwood had four carries for 28 yards on Thursday while Darren Sproles sat out and Pederson spoke about all three as roster locks after the game while indicating that Corey Clement and Donnel Pumphrey are competing for the final spot in the backfield. Things could change before the final cutdown day, of course, but it doesn’t sound like Blount’s going to be looking for work again before the start of the season.