Detroit Lions: Expand Role of Theo Riddick

By Andrew C. Fisher | Apr 8, 2015

The Reggie Bush experiment is over. After one good and one bad season the Detroit Lions decided it was time to pull the plug on their relationship with the aging pass-catching back. It was the right call. Not only financially, but for the backfield as a whole.

Third-year running back Theo Riddick should benefit the most from Bush’s absence in 2015. Tasked with being his replacement last season, Riddick currently finds himself in a place where he could become the regular No. 2 back in Detroit. He would figure to be the lightning to Joique Bell’s thunder and a constant threat to catch a pass out of the backfield. He’s not as tall or fast as Bush, but he’s much younger and likely more durable.

More from Detroit Lions

Thus far Riddick’s young NFL career has been all about catching passes. He only ran the ball 20 times for 51 yards in 2014, compared to 34 receptions for 316 yards through the air. In total he accounted for 367 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. Not too shabby for a third-stringer, but also far from where the Lions need him to be in 2015.

His exact role moving forward is still up in the air.

“It depends on what we want to do with him, but he’s capable of carrying it more than what we gave to him,” said coach Jim Caldwell via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I think you can see his numbers, in terms of his out-of-the-backfield catching the ball, things of that nature, they jump out at you. So he’s got a unique skill there. But he’s also a good ball carrier. So we’ll see how that goes.”

“It depends on what we want to do with him, but he’s capable of carrying it more than what we gave to him. I think you can see his numbers, in terms of his out-of-the-backfield catching the ball, things of that nature, they jump out at you. So he’s got a unique skill there. But he’s also a good ball carrier. So we’ll see how that goes.” – Jim Caldwell

During his college career at Notre Dame, Riddick was also more of a pass-catcher than a standard runner. He racked up at least 370 yards receiving each of his final three seasons in college, but only had one season of 30 or more carries.

By the time he was a senior, and obviously given a full opportunity, he had found a nice balance between rushing (917) and receiving (370). The Lions don’t need him to flirt with the 1,000-yard mark on the ground, but he definitely needs to carry the ball on a much more frequent basis.

The wrinkle to this story is that the Lions could draft a running back later this month. If they go in that direction it might mean the coaching staff wants to keep Riddick in his receiver-friendly No. 3 role.

It’s an interesting situation and one worth monitoring as Detroit prepares to bring on a new crop of NFL prospects. There’s definitely something to be said for giving Riddick an opportunity to permanently win the No. 2 running back spot. But there’s also something to be said for injecting more youth into a backfield led by the soon-to-be 29-year old Bell.

Next: Detroit Lions: Eric Ebron and the second year leap

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Detroit Lions