When the Detroit Lions drafted Ameer Abdullah, it was assumed he was going to take over the running back rotation for the team. After entering the draft with plenty of hype, Abdullah was seen as a first-round talent drafted late. With Reggie Bush gone, the door was open, but instead of being named the starter, Abdullah is sitting at No.3 on the depth chart and fighting for time on the field.
The Lions released their Week 1 depth chart and the rookie running back is currently sitting in third behind Joique Bell and Theo Riddick. This is not what was expected of Abdullah, but after a lackluster preseason, the Lions were forced to bring back Bell as the starter once he returned from injury. Fantasy owners beware; Bell might be listed as the starter, but he cannot be trusted given his injury history. The running back is still not 100 percent with knee and Achilles issues, but he is confident he can get back quickly.
"Actually, I'm right on pace where I think I should be, as of right now," Bell said, via the Detroit Free Press. "Actually, I've exceeded my expectations, so it feels good. Yeah, I did everything with the ones. Obviously I was limited, as far as reps, but I did everything, everything from team blitz to regular team. I'm just working as hard as I can to get back to full reps as fast as I can, thank you. I just wanted to be back out there just running around."
The amount of time Abdullah sees as a rusher is unknown. Bell will be the workhorse while Riddick rotates in. They will give the rookie a chance to prove himself, but he must find other ways to contribute in the meantime. As a result, Abdullah is looking to earn the return man job which was originally owned by Jeremy Ross who did not make the 53-man roster. The rookie is hoping he can at least get on the field in that capacity.
"I'm really comfortable back there now," Abdullah said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "I'm excited. I feel like we have a number of guys who can make an impact and be exciting at the returner spot.
The depth chart listed some interesting position battles for the Lions outside of the running back spot. The tight end position as a little battle taking place as Eric Ebron and Brandon Pettigrew are listed as starters with the newly acquired Tim Wright as a backup. Ebron is entering a critical season with the Lions as he looks to shake off the potential bust label hovering over him. He will be competing Pettigrew who has the veteran knowledge built up and if he is healthy he could be the better threat for Matthew Stafford.
