The Detroit Lions want to establish the running game and have spent much of their offseason resources dedicated to improving in this area.
When offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell talked with the media via video conference call last week, he shared his thoughts on the teams’ rookie running backs and why they give the Lions a “really competitive room”.
The Lions have tried not to get caught up in starter labels this offseason — especially with no Spring camp to help set a depth chart — but naming a starting running back may be a moot point anyway, as the Lions appear determined to deploy a running back by committee in 2020.
Kerryon Johnson, the incumbent starter, saw seven starts in 2019 before injury, Bo Scarbrough got five, while Ty Johnson and Wes Hills each received one, and all of them return to the Lions.
But despite returning four players with starter snaps under their belt, the Lions still drafted De’Andre Swift with the 35th pick in the draft and he has drawn praise and excitement from several teammates and coaches.
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“So, De’Andre Swift — we’re super excited to have him,” Bevell said in the Zoom meeting. “We feel like he is a really talented, well-rounded running back. A guy that you can feel like can handle the run game, but as well as that, he has the ability in the pass game where you can do some things with him there. So, really just a complete guy.
“To be able to add him in there with Kerryon (Johnson), with Bo (Scarbrough), such a good group there and there’s still other guys, Ty (Johnson) is there, (Jason) Huntley’s there. It’s going to be just a really competitive room and that’s what you’re trying to do at each and every position is get the room as competitive as you can and let the cream rise to the top and you’ll end up with a really good team when you’re doing that.”
Swift wasn’t the only running back the Lions selected this past draft, and while Huntley left a big impression on the Lions coaching staff due to his special teams work, he has the potential to be really special on offense.
“The biggest attraction first was his return ability,” Bevell said, “and the things he can do in the special teams game, we were trying to add to that. But then obviously as a runner, he more like a scatback style, same thing (as Jamal Agnew), you’ve got to get the ball in his hands, a dynamic runner with the ball in his hands, so that’s what you’re looking to.”
While general manager Bob Quinn has noted that Huntley “is going to be in competition with Ty Johnson”, the stylistic comparison of Huntley to Agnew by Bevell is something that shouldn’t be glossed over.
Agnew is making a position switch to offense and has been sitting in wide receiver meetings, but there is also no doubting he has the skill set to also directly compete with Huntley and Ty Johnson.
Kerryon Johnson and De’Andre Swift look locked into starter 1A and 1B roles, and Scarbrough should reclaim his role as a sledgehammer, leaving the main question centered around how many more spots can they afford to allocate to the position.
In my Establishing the 53 series of articles, I had the Lions keeping both Huntley and Ty Johnson, as well as Agnew as a receiver/returner because like Bevell said, when it comes to dynamic players: “You want those guys to have the ball in their hands because they can make plays for you.”