Running back LeGarrette Blount has a lot on his mind, but he's not the kind of guy to stress. He's handling his business on the field with the Eagles as they prepare for Sunday's opener at Washington, and he's making sure that members of his family living in Tallahassee, Florida are safe and sound as the state of Florida prepares for the coming of Hurricane Irma.
"My family is leaving tonight for Arizona," Blount said on Thursday from the Eagles' locker room at the NovaCare Complex. "I have a house in Arizona so they're going to stay out there for a few days."
Whew. Safety first.
Then there's the matter of his former teammates in New England opening the NFL season tonight against Kansas City as the Patriots take the national television stage once again.
Will Blount, who scored 18 touchdowns with the Patriots last season, watch the game? You bet he will.
"I keep in touch with all the guys that I'm really, really close to, especially all the running backs. I talk to Tom (Brady, quarterback). I talk to Malcolm (Butler, cornerback). I talk to a lot of the guys still," Blount said. "It doesn't really affect me much, but I'm definitely going to watch and support. I love the guys that are over there. I've got a really close and tight relationship with a lot of those guys. I'm definitely going to hope for the best for them."
That said, Blount's focus is on the Eagles and getting off to a strong start Sunday against Washington. After playing fewer than 50 snaps in the preseason, Blount has great confidence that the running game – and the offense – will crank things up when the regular season starts.
"I'm excited about the opportunities," Blount said. "We've been working hard. We've been grinding, chipping away at the bit for a while now and we grind every day. We feel like we're going to be a really good team. We feel like things are coming together.
"We're excited about it. I'm excited about it."
As for any concerns about "rust" early on Sunday given the low number of preseason snaps, Blount shrugs off any worries.
"I feel like most teams don't play their starters as much in the preseason," he said. "You don't leave your guys out there in those three games. That's extra games. That's extra hits."
