Four months ago, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back LeGarrette Blount bristled at the thought of the team adding Alabama's Trent Richardson with the No. 5 overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Of course, the Buccaneers didn't get the chance to pick Richardson, but they did move back into the first round to select Doug Martin, who is now pushing Blount for the top spot in the backfield. The increased competition has been good for Blount, who has slimmed down and appears to have changed his habits under first-year head coach Greg Schiano.
Blount and Martin combined on 14 carries for 51 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins on Friday night. According to Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times, Blount suggested after the game that he and Martin could become the best backfield tandem in the league.
"We can definitely be the best duo in the NFL, with the schemes that we have, with the offensive line that we have, with the blocking and the confidence (Martin) has in me and the confidence I have in him," Blount said. "It's definitely going to be a really good fit. We have the potential to be the best backfield in the league."
A professional athlete expressing confidence in his own abilities is nothing new or shocking, so we shouldn't overreact to Blount's comments. For now, though, between the Carolina Panthers' duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and the quartet of running backs on the New Orleans Saints, Blount and Martin aren't even the best backfield tandem in the NFC South.
