Detroit Lions RB Breakdown

Posted by Matt Loede on August 21st, 2007 filed in Opinions

From KFFL.com

By: Jim Hohmann; Edited by: Cory J. Bonini

Detroit Lions running back Kevin Jones (foot) finds himself in an injury situation that has been hard to read. He was placed on Injured Reserve last year with his Lisfranc injury, which required surgery. It seemed like he might not be ready for the start of the season. At times, Jones has appeared to be ahead of his recovery and ready to start Week 1. At other times, it sounds like those reports were overly optimistic.

Jones was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list for training camp and has not been removed yet. He should be close to being activated from the PUP since he is nearly running full speed. On the ground, Jones has been disappointing over the last two years. After averaging 4.7 yards per carry in his rookie season in 2004, he has averaged 3.7 yards per carry the last two years. However, he emerged as a solid backfield receiver last year, catching 61 passes for 520 yards. Jones scored 11 total touchdowns last year.

With so much uncertainty around Jones, the Lions traded cornerback Dre’ Bly to the Denver Broncos for running back Tatum Bell and offensive tackle George Foster. Bell has performed well with the Broncos when he has played, averaging 4.9 yards per carry in his three seasons with them. Last season, Bell played in 13 games for the Broncos notching 233 carries for 1,025 yards and two touchdowns. That success may not necessarily mean that Bell will do well in Detroit since the Broncos have had so much historical success in getting the most out of their running backs in their system. Bell has impressed head coach Rod Marinelli with his speed, so he should see plenty of playing time even if he isn’t the No. 1 running back. However, Bell is an injury risk as well. He was held out of three games with a toe injury that bothered him the entire season.

T.J. Duckett (Washington Redskins) was also added as a free agent to add depth at running back. The 6-foot, 254-pound Duckett’s greatest value comes as a short-yardage or goal-line back. In his five years in the league, he has scored 33 total touchdowns despite averaging just 118 carries per season. With the top two options being injury risks, there’s a chance Duckett may not be limited solely to short-yardage situations.

The Lions have a few other options at running back, most notably Brian Calhoun, who they drafted in the third round in 2006. Calhoun (knee) suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which led to him spending most of the season on Injured Reserve, so he is behind where he should be and still has to prove he’s fully recovered. If he is, he could contribute since head coach Rod Marinelli is impressed with his receiving ability. Lamar Gordon, Aveion Cason and Anthony Sherrell are also on the roster for now. None of them should do much on offense this season, although Cason is a backup option to return kicks.

Fantasy Impact

The Lions’ poor running game last season was partly due to the offensive line. The line has been upgraded after the Lions signed guard Edwin Mulitalo (Baltimore Ravens) as well as added Foster. This means the Lions should be more effective after averaging 3.7 yards per carry last season.

When he shows he’s healthy, Jones should be the team’s No. 1 running back. He is a risky No. 3 fantasy option due to his injury situation. He should be considered as a No. 4 running back, especially in point-per-reception leagues. Keep a close eye on Jones since he has not even been activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list, and there’s still a chance he won’t be ready for the start of the season.

Bell should be selected as a No. 4 or 5 running back, especially as a handcuff to Jones. He’s a very risky pick as well due to his situation. Even though he has too much talent for the coaching staff to bench him, he may not be used frequently or on a consistent basis.

Duckett is another No. 5 option, mostly because of his touchdown potential. He shouldn’t be expected to contribute much else after averaging 461 yards per season in his career. He’s not even a lock to score too many touchdowns since the Lions have so many other ways to score. The rest of the team’s rushing options have close to no immediate value. Calhoun may be worth taking a look in extremely deep full-retention keeper leagues, but that’s the only situation he’s worth consideration in.