Three-time Super Bowl champion blasts Patriots, calls atmosphere 'toxic'

The New England Patriots are the laughingstock of the NFL for the first time in a long time and according to former running back LeGarrette Blount, the "Patriot Way" may be on its last legs. 

Blount, who won two Super Bowls with the Patriots, recently called the environment around the franchise "too toxic" for the team to succeed, hinting at issues from the locker room to the front office. 

"When things aren't in balance and there's dysfunction -- maybe some people aren't getting along in the building -- you can't grow, you just can't get better," Blount told George Balekji of NESN. 

Blount first saw signs of trouble brewing for the Patriots live and in person. Back in the summer, Blount was present for Patriots training camp as part of a coaching fellowship, where he noticed that things weren't like they used to be in Bill Belichick land. 

One of the first things that caught Blount's eye was the number of Patriots players missing time with injury, something he says wasn't the case during his four seasons in New England. 

"Some guys not being able to practice or go some days - when I was there, we didn't have that problem," Blount said. "Everybody was there. Everybody came, we didn't have guys missing. Everybody went in practice. It was a very team-oriented thing."

Another glaring issue Blount noticed was that the feel around this Patriots team vastly differed from what he'd experienced as a player. The winning mentality, team bond and the aura that had made the Patriots the gold standard of NFL franchises simply wasn't there. 

"I just think this thing right here is just a little bit different," Blount said. "It feels different. It felt different. It didn't feel like the family type feel like when we were there."

The Patriots' decline has been sharp and steep. Following two losing seasons in three years, New England is 2-9 heading into Week 13 and uncertainty is swirling. Things have gotten so bad that Belichick's future with the team is now in question. 

Change is inevitable, especially in the NFL, though for some, it takes a while to come calling. In the case of the Patriots, the signs are all there. The last one out turns off the lights. It's over.