What Justin Forsett Means for the Detroit Lions

After a couple of weeks of kicking the tires on various free agent running backs, the Detroit Lions signed Justin Forsett on Tuesday.

Forsett proudly announced the move himself…

The Baltimore Ravens cut the veteran running back after he was inactive in Week 4, the second time Baltimore cut him in a month. They initially released Forsett the weekend after the final preseason game but then brought him back at a reduced contract.

Most Detroit Lions fans best know Forsett from his one season in Houston. He was the guy who the officials failed to see was down before he got up and scampered into the end zone. Coach Jim Schwartz (rightfully) went ballistic.

The Cal product has bounced around the league quite a bit over his nine seasons. Detroit is Forsett’s sixth NFL team.

He found his greatest success in Baltimore. In earning a Pro Bowl berth in 2014, Forsett posted 1266 rushing yards and a gaudy 5.4 yards per carry average. Forsett also snagged 44 passes that year.

Now 31, Forsett slowed quite a bit last season. His yards per carry plummeted to 4.2, and his yards per reception also dropped by over a full yard. Forsett was a gameday inactive the week before the Ravens finally saw enough to know he couldn’t help them any longer.

What He Means in Detroit

Forsett fills the veteran running back hole which has been vacant since Joique Bell’s departure. With Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner both still youngsters and Dwayne Washington a rookie, this was a real need.

His style fits what the Lions lost with Ameer Abdullah’s season-ending injury. Forsett is a one-cut slasher, at his best taking the handoff deep in the formation and accelerating quickly to the hole. He’s nifty in the open field, as you might recall from that ill-fated game in Ford Field back in 2012.

The Lions definitely need more depth at running back, and bringing in a guy with experience is a smart move. But Forsett was on the street for over a week for good reason.

One of my football axioms applies here,

Beware when a good team gives up on a seemingly useful player

Baltimore is in the thick of the hotly-contested AFC playoff race, but they didn’t see enough in Forsett to keep him around. He lost his starting gig to Terrence West, who has proven worthy of the promotion. But it says something the Ravens dumped him for the likes of Buck Allen and rookie Kenneth Dixon, who is banged up.

If he is just a stopgap until Dwayne Washington is fully healthy, that’s fine. Even at 31 and on a very tangible decline, Forsett still offers more than Mike James or George Winn.

However, if the Lions are banking on Justin Forsett to restore the roar in the running game, he’s bound to disappoint. Detroit rushed for 253 yards in the first two weeks with Abdullah but have a paltry 196 in the three games since. That’s the second-lowest total for any team playing three games in that time frame.

Forsett can be useful in spelling Riddick, but I like the concept of having both backs in the game. Riddick is an exceptional receiver and Forsett remains a decent threat out of the backfield. There is an opportunity here for Jim Bob Cooter to get creative and dictate matchups. Even if it’s just for a handful of plays, running Justin Forsett out with Riddick gives the opposing defense a lot of options to consider.