65 ypg since Abdullah has been out. It'd be pretty difficult for him not to make an impact.
from an ESPN article.
The Detroit Lions have been searching for someone to share the backfield with Theo Riddick for a month now since Ameer Abdullah went on injured reserve following foot surgery.
They used rookie Dwayne Washington, who showed flashes of being strong before suffering an ankle injury in Week 4. They used Zach Zenner, who made some plays, but is averaging 2.1 yards per carry.
Now the Lions are heading to the outside to try and find that complement, signing veteran running back Justin Forsett on Tuesday.
Forsett is a name signing, a former 1,000-yard back who had a couple of good seasons in Baltimore. But the question is how much does he have left? The Lions have had success with these types of moves before, particularly Lance Moore last season as a third receiver and Rashean Mathis in 2013 as a veteran cornerback.
But with Forsett, it might be time to be wary. He turns 31 on Friday, an age when running backs start to break down. His yards-per-carry also have dipped each year over the past few seasons. He had three straight years over 5.0 yards per carry from 2012 to 2014 with Houston, Jacksonville and Baltimore. But his average dropped to 4.25 in 2015 and then 3.16 yards per carry through the first three games of this season before Baltimore decided to let him go.
Like the guy he?s ultimately trying to replace, Abdullah, he also has some pass-catching skill, having caught 30-plus passes in 2014 and 2015.
So how you view this signing is likely how you view Forsett. If you?re hoping he can be the game-changer in the backfield, you might be hoping for too much. But if you expect him to come in and play a role, then this could be an advantageous singing for Detroit.
It?ll just be curious to see how much he has left.
