Jeff Riger: Looking for Leshoure's Replacement
The Lions wasted no time finding a couple of running backs to fill the tall order of replacing second round pick Mikel Leshoure who was lost for the season on Monday after suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Detroit went out and signed Jerome Harrison and Mike Bell, a couple of guys that actually were traded for each other last season. Harrison went from the Browns to the Eagles while Bell wound up in Philly from Cleveland.
Jim Schwartz would not talk about how both backs fit into the Lions plans however he did state that it was way too early to think about questions like that. Harrison is mostly known for a monster game he had against the Chiefs when he was playing in Cleveland. The Kalamazoo native rushed for 286 yards and 3 touchdowns back on December 20th, 2009, in fact in the two games afterwards Harrison ran for 148 yards against the Raiders and 127 yards against the Jaguars. However the 2010 season was unproductive, gaining just 330 yards for the year with one touchdown. It was overheard on Tuesday that Harrison patterned his game after former Lion great Barry Sanders, and that Sanders is the only athlete that he still gets "star struck" by.
As for Bell, the Lions will be his fourth professional team after spending time with the Bronco's, Saints, Eagles and Browns. Bell admitted on Tuesday that he was very surprised to get the call from Detroit considering he struggled to get consistent playing time last year. When asked why he was so ineffective in 2010 his response was "because LeSean McCoy and Peyton Hillis were pro bowl caliber, it really was nothing that I did but I'm about so show everybody this year."
With Harrison, Bell, Aaron Brown, Maurice Morris and Jahvid Best, there is still hope that the Lions in 2011 will be able to produce the running game that many people think they will need to get to the postseason. Watch the Bell and Harrison videos below to find out what the two said on their first day as Lions. Also check out the Schwartz video as he talks about some good news he got on Jason Fox, a possible tampering charge against the Lions and what he thinks of his two new running backs.
