Joique Bell– RB – Detroit Lions
5th season – 5’11” – 229 lbs
2014 Stats: Rushing: 860 yards, 7 TD / Receiving: 34 receptions, 322 yards 1 TD
Pluses – Despite being battered and bruised for what seems like every day during the season, he has missed just one regular season game for the Lions since 2012. Although it’s quite ironic, he is the most non-durable, durable running back, if that makes sense. His rushing yards have increased every year, while his touchdown totals have remained steady, especially in the past two seasons. He has recorded 15 rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons and when the Lions are in the red zone, it will be Joique Bell getting the carries for the Detroit Lions. He has also proven to be a successful part of the passing attack over the years. He has 139 receptions over the past three seasons, going for 1,354 yards. When the ball is in Bell’s hands, he is tough to bring down. His 24 broken tackles in 2014 ranked him just outside the top-20 among running backs. However, in 2013, his 24 broken tackles had him tied for 10th among all running backs in the National Football League. He’s going to get his carries, he’s going to score some touchdowns and he’s going to catch some passes. Yes, Ameer Abdullah is in town, but all of his preseason hype can actually be beneficial for Bell. His ADP is driving down, which possibly creates more value for Bell by lowering expectations.
Minuses – While Abdullah’s hype could help Bell, we can’t deny the fact that the rookie has looked incredible. Abdullah is averaging 8.2 yards per carry this preseason and has been soaring up many draft boards. Meanwhile, Bell has yet to appear in a preseason game for the Lions. While we expect Bell to be ready for the season opener, for those who haven’t drafted yet, it’s tough to put your trust into the less appealing of the Detroit running backs. Another thing that could affect Bell this season is his fumbling issues. He fumbled five times last year (lost one) and four the year before (lost three). He was lucky to only lose 20 percent of his fumbles last year, but if he continues to put the ball on the ground in 2015, he could find himself in Coach Jim Caldwell’s doghouse. I hate to keep reverberating the name Ameer Abdullah, but if Bell puts the ball on the ground too frequently, he could force Caldwell’s hand and give the ball to the rookie more often. As alluded to earlier, Bell has dealt with some injuries over the years. He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee last offseason and had a cleanup operation on his knee and Achilles this January. Due to the surgery, he missed all of OTAs and has yet to play in a preseason game. The Detroit Lions organization expects Bell to get some preseason work soon, but as of now, he has yet to receive a single carry. There is a lot to worry about here with the fifth year back, but at the very least, he should see carries at the goal line.
Summary – This running back situation in Detroit is rather tricky. Abdullah has stolen all the hype this preseason, but Bell has recorded two straight seasons with over 1,000 total yards. If the preseason is any indicator, another name to watch for in the Detroit backfield is Zach Zenner. In the preseason, he has 25 carries for 162 yards (6.5 YPC) and one touchdown. The Lions are a pass-first team and they tend to divvy up the work in the backfield. He had just one game last year where he received more than 20 carries. Bell also failed to record a single 100-yard rushing game last season, with his season high coming at 91 yards in week 13 against the Chicago Bears. In 2015, he is going to need to score some touchdowns this season, especially since Abdullah has vaulted himself into what seems to be at least a timeshare of the backfield work. There’s reports saying that Bell is going to be the bell cow back in Detroit. Another report says that it’s going to be a timeshare in the Detroit backfield. What the heck is it going to be? Well, Bell, assuming good health, will likely start and see the majority of the carries to begin with. However, Abdullah won’t be too far behind him. It’s hard to overlook the fact that Bell frequently fumbles the football. If he isn’t able to effectively hold the football high and tight, don’t be surprised to see Abdullah take over the reins in the Detroit backfield. Abdullah is the sexier pick between the two, but there is still value to be had with Bell. If you do draft him, here are three things you are going to need to do: 1) Hope that he is effective and secures the football, 2) Hope that he finds the end zone frequently, and 3) Pray that he can stay completely healthy for the full season.
2015 Prediction
Rushing: 721 yards, 7 TD / Receiving: 35 receptions, 281 yards, 1 TD