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Detroit Lions: Joique Bell right not to assume starting role?

By Kevin Parvizi

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The Detroit Lions cut ties with Reggie Bush this offseason in their effort to save every penny for Ndamukong Suh, and they replaced him with a talented rookie running back in Ameer Abdullah, who is as revered for his character as he is for his hip movement and explosiveness in the open field. Abdullah figures to have a significant role in his first season, but Joique Bell is still wisely seen as the clear lead back in Detroit after three solid seasons with the franchise.

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But Bell isn’t taking anything for granted or assuming that’s the “starter”, “I think that’s something you have to talk to coach (Jim) Caldwell about,” he said, via Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “He knows the depth chart better than I do. I can’t give out false (estimations) right now.”

Last season, Bell averaged 3.9 yards per carry for a second straight year, and his receptions dropped from 53 to 34 as excellent receiving back Theo Riddick took hold of a bigger role with the Lions.

After rushing for eight touchdowns in his breakout 2013 campaign, Bell did add seven more and should be the team’s clear goal-line option with neither Abdullah nor Riddick figuring to be nearly as effective as the 5’11”, 229-pound Wayne State product in short-yardage situations. Bell is the team’s most consistent rusher in between the tackles, though Abdullah is better in those situations than his size would dictate.

All three of the top running backs on the Lions depth chart have shown that they can make an impact in the passing game, though Abdullah won’t be used much as a blocker in his first season, as that’s not a strength of his. Riddick clearly has the team’s third-down role locked up with potential work from the others in those situations, but I think that it’s best to use arguably the league’s best receiving RB as much as possible.

Running backs aren’t usually at their best in their first seasons in the league, but we saw how much of an impact a rookie rusher can make last season when Jeremy Hill took the league by a storm for the Cincinnati Bengals when finally given the featured role. Abdullah was drafted by the Lions in the second round for a reason, and while we would always expect a player to answer a question about his role in the same way that Bell did, he’s also right; he might not be the top guy on the depth chart.

Bell is the incumbent starter at the running back position, but the word “starter” doesn’t mean as much when looking at the Lions running backs. They have three capable players who will all forge roles, so the real term to use is “lead back”. As Monarrez notes in his piece, Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell believes “there’s a role for all of those guys” at the running back position.

Since we haven’t seen Abdullah hit the field in even a preseason game, it’s hard to call anyone but Bell the favorite to start. But while Bell has had some past success, he did battle some nagging injuries last season, needing some minor procedures this offseason, and will be 29 when the year starts. Abdullah is the more talented rusher and has enough ability to possibly be a first-year hit (though he could also have a quiet rookie year), as he makes excellent cuts and possesses good vision.

May 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell (35) during OTA at Detroit Lions Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

However, it’s not like Joique Bell played that poorly last season, because the 3.9 yards per carry average mars the fact that he’s also been quite good at making defenders miss tackles.

Per Pro Football Focus, Bell was 12th in the league with 33 missed tackles forced and was tied for seventh with 2.62 yards after contact per carry.

Had the Lions offensive line been healthier (and significantly more effective), then maybe he could have turned those 223 carries into over 1,000 yards (instead of 860).

I think it’s fair to say that we should expect Bell to be the Lions lead guy in a very effective three-headed monster of a backfield that also features Abdullah and Riddick significantly.

Abdullah could give Bell a run for his money in training camp, though, so it’s important to keep that in mind when projecting Bell’s touches, especially since Riddick will always be there to soak up a hefty amount of receptions.

Look, Abdullah is incredibly agile and athletic, and he knows where the hole is and doesn’t waste time dancing around (though he can dance if he needs to make a defender miss or work his way out of a jam).

The safe money is on Bell leading the Lions in touches, but the smart money is to be like Bell and wait it out; it’s a tough call.

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