The New England Patriots bolstered their running game Saturday with a mid-afternoon trade.
The Patriots acquired running back LaGarrette Blount from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for running back Jeff Demps and a seventh round draft pick.
Demps was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Patriots last year but did not play, suffering a preseason injury that forced him to the Injured Reserved list. He won a silver medal at last year’s Summer Olympics in London as a member of the U.S. 4-x-100 relay team.
He indicated that he wanted to resume his track career and continue playing football. The Patriots weren’t keen on that.
Blount ran for over 1,000 yards as a rookie in 2010. But his production dropped to 781 yards in 2011 and 151 in 2012 as he fell out of favor with the Bucs.
He gives the Patriots a big back (6-foot, 247 pounds) but has never been a factor in the passing game.
He has caught only 21 passes in three seasons. He has also fumbled nine times, losing six.
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