The New England Patriots have issued a May 9 tender to free-agent running back LeGarrette Blount, according to a league source.
ProFootballTalk.com first reported the news of the tender being issued.
The tender, which is a seldom-used mechanism, means that if Blount remains unsigned past July 22, he can only play for the Patriots during the 2017 season. If he signs before that date with another team, Blount would count toward the 2018 compensatory draft pick formula. The tender carries a value of 110 percent of a player's base salary from the year before, which would amount to $1.