LeGarrette Blount believes he should be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' featured back. That means new coach Greg Schiano shouldn't use the Bucs' No. 5 overall pick in this month's draft on someone like, say, Alabama running back Trent Richardson.
"I would not like that pick," Blount told CBSSports.com on Tuesday at the Nike NFL uniform unveiling in New York. "I would definitely not be happy with that pick."
Schiano spoke highly of Richardson earlier this week, telling the Tampa Bay Times the running back is "a special talent." He also had a warning for Blount, who has fumbled nine times and lost six in two seasons.
"No one who touches the football will get touches if they don't protect the football," Schiano said. "That is one of our core covenants: the ball. It's so important, they named the game after it. So we make a big deal about that thing."
Blount rushed for 1,007 yards as a rookie in 2010, but his production fell nearly a full yard per carry -- from 5 to 4.2 -- last season. That might suggest Blount is better suited for short-yardage situations, but when asked about possibily being used in goal-line situations, he was clear: "I don't want that role."