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Detroit Lions in good hands with Nick Bellore

By Forrester Solmen

BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 3: Middle Linebacker Nick Bellore #43 of the Detroit Lions celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 3, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 3: Middle Linebacker Nick Bellore #43 of the Detroit Lions celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 3, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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After an injury, there is little doubt who will get the starting nod at fullback with the Detroit Lions this upcoming season. And Plan B will work just fine.

Injuries are always tough. Any decent person feels for the players who can’t suit up. The Detroit Lions have already felt the pain.

Earlier in the week, rookie fullback Nick Bawden fell victim to what’s being assumed an ACL tear. He was a seventh round selection from San Diego State.

Luckily, the Lions re-signed the same player they used as their fullback in 2017. That player is Nick Bellore.

A linebacker by trade, Bellore has made the full-time conversion to fullback. Detroit used a blocking back so sparingly that the amount of snaps he got on the offensive side amounted to a baker’s dozen.

The only time Bellore ever played fullback before that was in high school and some in practice with the New York Jets in 2011 as a rookie.

So how are the Lions suppose to feel cozy about this dilemma when Bawden was a three-year starter in college? Simple, the taste Bellore gave Detroit should more than peek the interest.

In my opinion, his best play wasn’t the easy one yard touchdown reception against the Baltimore Ravens. In fact, it was a block he made against linebacker Thomas Davis of the Carolina Panthers. That play helped spring running back Zach Zenner in the endzone from a yard out.

Bellore having experience as a linebacker also serves him and the Lions well. Sifting through the traffic and locking onto a defender in space is a challenge. Seeing he was on defense, he understands concepts on a higher level.

Another thing that makes the Central Michigan alum a great fit at fullback is he’s built to cause big collisions. His squatty frame (6-1, 250) gives him leverage to blast down bodies.

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Bellore is also a stick of dynamite on special teams and that’s where the most violent hits are. The NFL even altered the kickoff rules to lower the amount of lumber being delivered for player safety.

Things will get more interesting as the offseason treks on. Bellore is a player that should progress nicely and ultimately prove he’s most valuable at fullback. If arguably the most versatile player for Detroit can mow down an All-Pro linebacker, he’ll do more than okay at his new spot.

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