Fan Opinion: Future of L. Blount

[BucfanNC12]

I am not going to lie. Initially I thought Blount should have been the starter at the beginning of the season. Now Martin is hot and its impossible to take him off the field now. Then I thought he would be a legit number two. Over time it appears he is now a third string back considering Ware usually gets playing time before him. This offseason do you fans think he will be:
a. Coaches will try to implement him in the offense more.
b. Released or traded
c. Kept for depth.

He still gets paid next to nothing in football dollars ($540K range this season) and his contract is up at the end of this season.

Thoughts?

[Bucsfan x]

Release or trade to make room for Michael Smith, who them becomes our #3 RB and new kick returner.

[JavaRay]

Schiano can't figure out how to get both Martin and Blount on the field.   As a matter of fact, even Ware plays over Blount.

[FreeHawk]

I really think he should be used more, but in the right way. I haven't done an analysis myself, or kept track play by play, but I feel like we are just a pass first team that dedicates to the run once we get the lead. The pass to run ratio might be pretty even throughout the whole game, but from to drive it is drastically uneven. I feel like Schiano and Sullivan are so worried about not wearing Doug down his rookie season, that they only give him a carry or two per drive until they want to run out the clock. If we were to have a heavier dose of Doug throughout the game, it would obviously make it much easier on Freeman. I know defenses are now focusing on stopping the run, but that didn't seem to matter on the drive that put us up 21-10, on which we rode Doug basically the entire way.

To get back to the point, giving Blount a drive here and there would be beneficent to the offense, even if it is only so that Doug can be used more effectively when he is in.

[JC5100]

Going to be hard to trade coming off a season when he pretty much has had no playing time and stats. Maybe he'll sign an offer sheet with someone and we can work out a lower compensation.

[Bucs N Beers]

I don't think it's that they can't figure out how to use him, I think it's a combo of the fact that they don't trust him and Doug has played very well. But, Blount's talent is being wasted and I hope for his sake he gets to go somewhere else next season.

[BucfanNC12]

Going to be hard to trade coming off a season when he pretty much has had no playing time and stats. Maybe he'll sign an offer sheet with someone and we can work out a lower compensation.

A lower compensation? Getting paid $540K a year isn't low enough in the NFL?

[1sparkybuc]

Blount will either be traded or released. He has proven he can produce at this level. The issue has to be attitude and effort. He just doesn't fit with Schiano. It's really a shame. He and Martin could have been the most dynamic duo ever, and I'm not not forgetting about Alstott and Dunn. It seems Blount was only kept on the roster as insurance. What a waste. Blount could have been a difference maker in a few of our losses. I predict he will star for some other team. He has no future here.

[BucNY]

Blount will be released

[JavaRay]

Blount has the talent to be great.   He must be in Schiano's dog house.

[Bootz2004]

His highlight runs in 2010 have made him over hyped and over rated. He has a limited skills set which basically cuts your playbook in half. I wouldn't trust him in pass protection because he's proven to have no idea how to block. Not necessarily a terrible thing, many RBs struggle in this aspect of the game (Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson). But he's too inconsistent. He needs a lot of carries to get in a rhythm, something that isn't going to happen here. And let's not discuss his short yardage issues. He's terrible at it because he runs so high and thinks he's 5-8 160 pounds and runs a 4.2 flat. Oh yea and he fumbles too much. Get rid of him.

[BucBalla85]

Blount never was able to take carries from Martin. Whenever he was ran it would be for little gain. I think had he been able to open things up more when he came in would have gotten more carries. He's also gotten carries in critical positions too. In they Saints game he scores one of those tds we win the game. So he's his opportunities. Just hasn't taken advantage while Martin continues to look good.

[JC5100]

Going to be hard to trade coming off a season when he pretty much has had no playing time and stats. Maybe he'll sign an offer sheet with someone and we can work out a lower compensation.

A lower compensation? Getting paid $540K a year isn't low enough in the NFL?

For example Bucs put $1.9M 2nd round tender on him.Team X wants Blount but doesn't want to give up a #2. Bucs can say OK give us a #6 that could turn into a #4, something like that.

[RHBucsFan]

people would/will be singing a different tune had Martin gone down with injury. Blount is a good option at backup in my opinion. He has plenty of flaws, but I'd rather him over Lumpkin or any other stiff we've had at backup the past few years.

[BaghdadJoe54]

His relationship with Mike Williams will be another Davin/Trueblood scenario.