Detroit Lions: Theo Riddick Remains Integral To Offense

With an injury-riddled season now behind him, Theo Riddick figures to return to prominence in 2017.

As a 2013 sixth-round draft pick, not much was expected of Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick. With his late-round pedigree, he was expected to have to fight for a roster spot, with no guarantee of having a role in the team’s gameplan. At a maximum, he was expected to contribute on special teams, while occasionally mixing in as a change of pace runner.

Nearly four years later, Riddick has surpassed all of those projections and emerged as one of the premier pass-catching backs in the NFL.

After posting a career-high 80 catches for 697 yards and three receiving touchdowns in 2015, no one could dispute his dominance in the passing game. As a result, the Lions saw fit to reward him for his production, signing him to a three-year, $12.75 million extension two days prior to the start of the 2016 season, per Ian Rapoport.

Following inking his new deal, Riddick endured a challenging season that saw him deal with numerous injuries. An ankle malady cost him two games games last October, before a wrist ailment ultimately cost him the last five games of the season (including the playoffs). In spite of missing all that time, he was still productive when active, accumulating 53 receptions for 371 yards and five receiving touchdowns on the season. Unfortunately, he just couldn’t seem to stay on the field.

With the recent news breaking that Riddick was placed on Injured Reserve because he underwent surgery on both of his wrists (per the Detroit Free Press), it’s clear that to a certain extent, 2016 represented a lost season for the four-year pro.

There is no professional sports league that sees more turnover year in and year out than the NFL. Coaching staffs, philosophies, and rosters change at an alarming rate. The 2017 season is still months away, but after having missed all that time last year, will Riddick return to the sizable workload he enjoyed over the last two years?

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The answer is a resounding “yes”.

Coming off a lost season of his own, Ameer Abdullah will certainly be heavily involved in the running back rotation. The same can be said of the impressive Zach Zenner and any rookie the team might add in the 2017 NFL Draft. But even with a projected logjam at the position, Riddick’s role will remain largely unaffected.

Riddick is a truly unique part of the Detroit Lions offense. More receiver than running back, he is one of Matthew Stafford‘s most trusted targets, and a legitimate match-up nightmare for opposing defenses. Riddick is one of the game’s most reliable checkdown options, and his shiftiness and vision provide him with the ability to turn a five-yard dumpoff into a big play. The Lions offense is built around short and intermediate throws, and he is simply vital to the passing game’s success.

The Lions know exactly what they have in Theo Riddick: a dynamic, versatile player, that can contribute as a premium asset in the passing game. While he will still see a handful of carries in each contest, the team has no interest in using him as a between-the-tackles runner.

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Riddick has averaged over five receptions a game over the last two years, and there’s little reason to expect that to change moving forward. With proven production over a number of seasons, Riddick has earned the trust of the Lions coaching staff and as such, he will remain a focal point of the team’s plans.