Patriots Have Had Discussions with Green-Ellis

This isn't exactly a surprise, but Patriots free-agent-to-be running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis has reportedly been in "on and off" contract negotiations with the Patriots. This news comes via his agent Joel Segal, who made an appearance on "PFT Live" earlier today:

His agent Joel Segal joined PFT Live Tuesday and said that there have been "on and off" contract talks with the Patriots. New England traditionally doesn't like to break the bank at running back (Corey Dillon an exception) and they drafted two running backs last year: Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen.

Green-Ellis is a rock solid player, but not a special talent that will attract huge dollars. We'd guess that the Patriots would welcome keeping "The Law Firm" at their price, but it wouldn't be surprising if Green-Ellis can find a higher price elsewhere.

Green-Ellis isn't exactly a game breaker, but I think the Patriots highly value his style of play - he simply avoids the big mistakes. He's a solid starter in this league, and he's still relatively young (will turn 27 in July, has just 510 career carries). If the Patriots can get him to sign for about $3 million a year - I think it's a win-win for both sides.