Earlier this afternoon, Tom Curran of CSNNE was generous enough to provide Patriots fans with an update on the pending free agent status of running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis:

There has been "dialogue" between Green-Ellis' camp and the Patriots but an agreeable offer for the fifth-year running back out of Ole Miss hasn't emerged.

A source indicated that Green-Ellis would be a "coveted" prospect when he does hit the market.

Like the previous news about Gary Guyton, there isn't anything too surprising here. We heard whispers over the last month that the Patriots had some preliminary contract talks with Green-Ellis, but as the new league year inched closer and closer, it became more and more likely that Green-Ellis would hit the open market.

Green-Ellis is a really solid running back. Solid, not great. I think that he wants to gauge his value on the open market, and if he gets a big offer from a running back needy team, I could see him walking. However, I could just as easily see him returning to the Patriots at a reasonable price after getting a sense of what the market has to offer.

If the Patriots could secure Green-Ellis for three years and around $8 or $9 million, I think it could be an ideal scenario for both sides.