Worth mentioning that Blount has a career YPC of 4.6 and scores a TD about every 30 touches despite the fact that almost all his runs are inside.
Blount is a good runner. He's been a 1000 yard, 5 YPC RB in the NFL. He carries character baggage and is one dimensional, but he's a good player. It's beyond absurd to suggest that Bolden is suddenly going to be the guy because Blount is happy to be a backup -- that literally might be the most bizarre thing I've ever seen on these forums.
If that's the most bizarre thing you've ever heard on these forums, you haven't been here long.Maybe I missed it, but I don't think anyone has said Blount isn't a good runner. You may have taken something the wrong way as an overly sensitive Blount owner hoping for big things, but I think most of us agree that Blount is good at what he does. That's how I feel at least. Blount was a big part of a successful fantasy season for me a few years ago. I also don't recall anyone claiming that "Bolden is suddenly going to be the guy". That would be absurd if someone said it. But again, I don't think anyone did.
Speaking for myself, I did say that I think Blount is content in his role on the team as a power runner when needed. Is that what you find absurd? Is it really absurd that a professional football player is content being good at what he does, and not necessarily yearning to be a do-everything superstar? He had a chance to be "the guy" in Tampa and either couldn't take advantage of it or didn't want it. Not everyone
wants to be "the guy". Just because you want him to doesn't mean he wants to.
The Patriots team motto is "Do your job." It's that simple. Blount is already doing his job and doing it well. Why do you assume he has a burning desire to be more than that? Just because Ridley is out doesn't mean Belichick suddenly wants Blount to do a different job. Perhaps Belichick wants Blount to just continue doing his job. He may ask Blount to take on a larger role, but to what extent is hard to say. We do know Blount isn't much of a receiving threat, so he likely won't have much of a role in the passing game which I think we can all agree is a pretty big part of the Pats success. You said it yourself, Blount is one dimensional.
Bolden, on the other hand, is a receiving threat who can also run the ball. That's Bolden's job. So, it's conceivable that Belichick could ask Bolden to take on a larger role, which would simply be doing more of what he already does, as opposed to asking Blount to suddenly become a receiving threat, or completely change the offense to fit Blounts power running style.
This thread is about whether or not this week will be "Blount's breakout game", and all I've tried to say is that based on my interpretation of what a breakout game is, Bolden would be more likely to have a breakout game than Blount based on his skill set and role going forward. Neither of these guys is going to be handed the role of "the guy". The Patriots just don't operate that way. They don't need one specific RB to be "the guy". But based on the way the Patriots offense runs, if both players simply continue to "do their job", and continue to play their respective roles in this offense, it's more likely that while Blount will have an increased role, Bolden's useage and production will see a greater increase than Blount. I'm sorry if that's not what you want to hear, but that doesn't make it absurd. It also doesn't make it true, it's just my opinion. I think both players will see an increase in production, but Bolden's production will likely see a greater increase than Blount's based solely on their respective roles in the offense. Of course, all of this hinges on the status of Bolden's knee.