Detroit Lions: LeGarrette Blount predicted to rush for 1,000 yards

With the signing of LeGarrette Blount this offseason, will the Detroit Lions post their first 1,000 yard rusher in nearly five years?

Running the football hasn’t been a priority for the Detroit Lions as of late. That hasn’t been for a lack of trying. In fact, the Lions selected running back Ameer Abdullah in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft for that exact purpose. Unfortunately, Abdullah has only shown glimpses of the player he was at Nebraska, where he rushed for 1,600+ yards in back-to-back seasons.

As a result, the Lions haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher on their roster since 2013 when running back Reggie Bush limped over the mark posting 1,006. And before Bush, it was Kevin Jones in 2004 that rushed for 1,133 yards.

Two 1,000-yard rushers in a decade is a long dry spell for Detroit. This is the same Lions’ team that housed legendary running back Barry Sanders, someone who rushed over that mark every single season for a 10-year run from 1989 until his retirement in 1999. The Great One even rushed for 2,053 in 1998, doubling the milestone.

Since Sanders last played a game for Detroit, the Lions have have been home to only three 1,000-yards running backs. Those being Bush, Jones and James Stewart, the latter broke that mark twice in 2000 and 2002.

But according to one former NFL running back, the Lions will have another name to add to this small list once this upcoming season is in the books. And that’s the newly signed LeGarrette Blount.

"“Now entering his 10th pro season, Blount’s play should compare to his Patriot days,” wrote former running back turned analyst Maurice Jones-Drew for NFL.com. “He’ll be Detroit’s first-and-second down back, leaving the rest of cast fighting for third-down reps and making Blount the team’s first 100-yard rusher since my colleague Reggie Bush in 2013. 2018 prediction: 200 carries, 1,000 yards, 15 TDs.”"

Blount has been able to defy the odds his entire career. From being undrafted out of Oregon in 2010 to winning three Super Bowl rings in the past four years, no one should ever underestimate this guy. But Blount has only posted a 1,000-yards in a season twice in his eight-year career. And if the Lions use a high draft pick on a running back to complement the 31-year old veteran next month, expect the two to split carries.

Next: Should the Lions trade for Odell Beckham Jr.?

Although it would be great for the Detroit Lions if LeGarrette Blount rushed for over 1,000-yards in 2018, they likely do not need him to. Combined with a powerful passing game and a top-rated rookie runner, Blount simply needs to do enough to help the Lions win ballgames this upcoming season. That likely will not require him to hit that 1,000-yard milestone. He just has to be effective when given his opportunities.