When the Detroit Lions released Reggie Bush, it was assumed that Joique Bell would take over as the leading rusher. However, the Detroit Lions drafted Ameer Abdullah who came onto the scene as the much-hyped rookie and with Bell out with injury the former Nebraska star took over. Bell has now been activated from the PUP list and taking over the No.1 running back spot, throwing fantasy football owners for a loop.
According to MLive.com's Kyle Meinke, Bell has been activated to the roster and is back as the starting running back. While he is not expected to play in Thursday's preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, he will be ready for the first game of the season after missing eight months with a knee and Achilles injury that forced him to miss a lot of time with the team. Bell insists that he is well ahead of schedule in his recovery and is working strictly with the first-team offense. Head coach Jim Caldwell would not entertain the idea of the depth chart and simply said that Bell needs to practice.
"Right now, he's just getting back," Caldwell said, via MLive.com. "We'll see where he is. Nobody's even said he's going to be ready to go, you know, he's out there practicing. We're trying to get him there, but, you know, there's no guarantees at this point, so we'll wait and see."
Abdullah recognized that Bell is the starter and "the guy" for the team right now, but that is not going to stop him from chasing to be the top rusher for the Lions. Many believe it is only a matter of time before the rookie takes over. He certainly got a taste of the starters life in the preseason working in front of Theo Riddick.
"He's the guy," Abdullah said. "He's the guy who has done it before, you know? We're all chasing him."
The run game is expected to be a big strength for the Lions this season while Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate work as the top receivers. Caldwell stressed that the final preseason game will be the deciding factor for the remainder of the rotation. Ryan Broyles was released in the first round of roster cuts. Jeremy Ross, Lance Moore and Corey Fuller are the best options to help Matthew Stafford.
