Can Stevan Ridley Win The Detroit Lions Starting Job?
By Matt LaPan
Stevan Ridley faces a make or break year in his first season with the Detroit Lions. With injuries threatening to derail his promising career, he is looking to have a bounce-back year in 2016.
The Detroit Lions were the worst running team in the NFL in 2015. Despite spending a second round draft pick in the 2015 NFL Draft on Ameer Abdullah, Detroit was only able to muster 83.4 yards per game on the ground. The Lions finished with the 20th ranked offense in the NFL and will need to get a more balanced attack this season with Calvin Johnson now in retirement.
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Abdullah and Theo Roddick will be back to try to better their efforts in 2016, but the Lions have also brought in Stevan Ridley to compete for a role in the backfield. The former New York Jets and New England Patriots running back was once a rising star before ball security problems and injuries slowed him down.
Ridley was the feature back in the New England offense in 2012, rushing for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns. He followed that up as a part of a rotation in 2013 when he still amassed 773 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games.
In the two seasons since then, Ridley has played in just 14 games due to a knee injury. He has totaled just 430 yards and two touchdowns. These numbers include a lack-luster season in 2015 with the Jets where he carried the ball just 36 times for 90 yards and no touchdowns.
at just 27 years old, Ridley is a young reclamation project – but is desperately in need of a second chance to prove his worth. Who better to give Ridley that chance than a former member of the Patriots front office, Bob Quinn? Quinn was the Patriots’ Assistant director of pro personnel when Ridley was drafted and knows the young backs game quite well.
According to a report from the Detroit Free Press, the carryover from New England was a big factor in bringing Ridley to Detroit. He fills a big need for the Lions, bringing a between the tackles runner with good speed and a decisive running style. He gets down hill quickly and does a good job reading the blocks in front of him.
Ridley does still have questions surrounding his health. He never appeared to fully recover from 2014 torn ACL, and appears to be lacking the burst he used to possess. He has always had ball security issues, but Abdullah faces the same problems.
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Ridley has the raw skill to take over the job, but has his best football passed him by? Ridley has made it clear that he is fighting for the starting role, and should get the chance to compete right away. If this attempt at reclaiming his former glory fails, it could be the end of the road for Ridley. Expect a motivated Ridley to come in and seriously challenge Abdullah.