Buccaneers: Five players that made their mark away from Tampa Bay
By Bailey Adams
No. 3- LeGarrette Blount
In 2010, the Bucs signed LeGarrette Blount as an undrafted free agent. The big bruising running back was solid in his first two years in Tampa, but his tenure ended with a thud. Tampa Bay used him sparingly in 2012 before trading him to New England in 2013. He immediately made an impact with the Patriots, then re-emerged in 2015 and 2016 as an explosive runner. He showed flashes in 2010 and 2011 with the Buccaneers, but how many football fans- other than Bucs fans themselves- know Blount for his time in Tampa?
The big man ran for 1,007 yards in his rookie year, then followed that with 783 in year two. After dipping in year three and being shipped to New England, he scored a new career-high seven touchdowns in 2013. 2014 was a down year that he split as a backup with New England and Pittsburgh, but he came back in 2015 with a breakout year. He ran for 703 yards and six touchdowns on just 165 carries. If anyone hadn’t forgotten about his time as a Buc by then, 2016 was the year that did it. In the Patriots’ Super Bowl season, he rushed for 1,161 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns on 299 carries. He was the team’s workhorse in a year that Tampa Bay struggled to find a workhorse due to constant injuries.
After leaving Tampa, Blount earned two Super Bowl rings and some good money. This offseason, he signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the Eagles. The Bucs got a couple of good seasons out of Doug Martin since dealing Blount in 2013, but they sure missed the big bruiser in Martin’s down years. Instead, the former Oregon Duck made a name for himself elsewhere.