LeGarrette Blount finally got fit.
After the Patriots running back reportedly failed his conditioning test at the start of training camp, landing him on the team's non-football injury list, Blount was seen back at practice on Saturday, per multiple reports.
It's not a great sign that Blount needed extra time to pass the test. Still, that's what you get with this player. Suspended for the season opener after violating the league's substance-abuse policy, Blount has always operated as a hot-and-cold act who seems to sizzle just in time for New England's annual playoff run.
Blount is currently packed into a Patriots backfield that also includes Brandon Bolden, Jonas Gray, Travaris Cadet and (the again buzzy) James White. The team always finds a way to pound the ball, but one NFL position coach told us this summer that he'd rank their backfield "30 to 25" in the league because of "too many unproven players."
We've never really seen Blount carry the load for an entire season since his rookie campaign with the Bucs in 2010. He figures as the heavy favorite for work on first and second downs, but first he'll need to win over his coaches after a rocky start.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses Tom Brady's lawsuit and debates which veteran players are most likely to be cut.
