Would it really be a good move for the Detroit Lions to sign veteran running back Le’Veon Bell to anchor their ground game?
The Detroit Lions have been unable to run the ball with any degree of success for years. Consider that there has only been one 1,000 yard rusher since Matthew Stafford joined the team in 2008. That was Reggie Bush back in 2013, who also happens to be the last Lions running back to gain 100 yards on the ground in a single game.
That’s 68 consecutive games since Bush topped the 100 yard mark. They will enter the 2018 season needing only four more games of individual futility in the backfield to tie the record of the Washington Redskins which was set back in the 1960’s.
Needless to say, Lions general manager Bob Quinn and new head coach Matt Patricia consider it to be a rather urgent problem to fix.
The Lions have three routes they can go to find a solution to their ineptitude in the ground game. They could trade for a feature back, they could select one in the upcoming draft or they could sign one in free agency when the frenzy begins next month.
In the case of finding a quality running back, I wouldn’t think a trade would be the route to go. There are worthwhile candidates to be had in either free agency or the draft. That would ultimately make a trade a waste of time and resources.
Free agency starts on March 14th. At that time there will be the usual frenzy as teams dive in trying to find either that one player they think will put them over the top or perhaps that splash signing that will appease their fan base.
In the Lions case, they will have an opportunity to look for a running back they think could potentially be the feature back they are lacking. This also leads us to what seems to be the popular answer as well; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell.