Following helping the Philadelphia Eagles earn their first Super Bowl win in franchise history, veteran running back LeGarrette hit the free agent market for the second straight offseason. It didn't him long to decide where his next landing spot would be, inking a one-year, $two million deal to join the Detroit Lions.

This decision was can be linked to his connection with new head coach Matt Patricia, who was previously the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.

Per Tim Twentyman of Lions.com, Blount voiced that his strong relationship with Patricia played a big part in him choosing to sign with Detroit.

“My relationship with Matt has always been a great one,” Blount told reporters Monday via conference call. “Even though he was on the defensive side of the ball … anytime I ever saw him in any part of the building, whether it was just walking by in the hall or in the cafeteria or practice or whatever the circumstance may be, anytime he walked past or anytime we were around each other, it was always laughs and jokes.

“Obviously, we get serious when it’s time to do the job, but for the most part we laughed and joked and clowned around and we enjoyed each other, and it got to a point where we had gotten really close.”

Patricia was New England's defensive coordinator since the 2012 campaign, which overlapped the three years that Blount was with the team (2014-16). Blount ingrained himself as a key part of the offensive game plan, bruising opposing defenders in the red zone and short-yardage situations.

Although he made the decision to depart via free agency after helping the team win Super Bowl LI, he maintained a strong bond with Patricia. Now, he has the opportunity to step into a prominent role in the running game for the Lions, who have not had a running back gain 1,000 rushing yards since Reggie Bush back in 2013.

Blount is coming off a productive lone season with the Eagles where he rushed for 766 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was also a major factor in the playoffs, rushing for 130 yards and three touchdowns. The bulk of that production came in the Super Bowl, as he gained 90 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown.