One of the biggest areas of weakness the Detriot Lions have had over the last several years has been the lack of a true running game. It was an area that the team made an emphasis to address over the offseason with the addition of veteran running back LeGarrette Blount on a one-year, $2 million deal.
According to Eric Meinke of MLive.com, general manager Bob Quinn recently stated that the presence of Blount have an impact on how the Lions go about addressing the running back position through the upcoming draft later this month.
“It could impact it a little bit,” said Quinn, who is entering his third draft as Detroit's general manager. “I mean, I think if we had to go play a football game today, I think we have enough running backs to be competitive.
“Now is that saying I'm not going to take one? I don't know. Tell me who's going to be on the board in the second, third, fourth round. I mean, I don't know.”
The Lions have struggled to have any consistency in the running game over the years with their last running back with 1,000 rushing yards was Reggie Bush back in the 2013 season. Blount should be in line to step into a significant role in the running game as a strong asset in goal line situations.
The 31-year-old is coming off a productive lone season with the Eagles where he rushed for 766 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was also a major factor in the playoffs, rushing for 130 yards and three touchdowns. The bulk of that production came in the Super Bowl, as he recorded 90 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown.
This year's crop of running backs in the draft has been widely regarded as being one of the more deeper ones in the last year.The Lions currently hold the 20th overall pick and the 51st overall selection where they could a running back at either spot that could step in and help stabilize their running game.
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