Will The Lions Have To Replace Jahvid Best?

by Brandon on Jan 28, 2012 3:00 PM CST in Green Bay Packers News

Report: Some in Lions organization fear that Jahvid Best’s career is over | ProFootballTalk. A history of concussions have left the career of Detroit Lions RB Jahvid Best in doubt.

When Best was initially lost for the season, I thought the Lions would miss him. But they're so dependent on their passing game, and they got a boost by re-signing RB Kevin Smith, that their offense didn't miss a beat. Maybe Smith will return in 2012, and their 2nd round pick from 2011, RB Mikel Leshoure, should return from a torn Achilles.

The Lions have big salary cap problems and some key players to re-sign, such as DE Cliff Avril, and they may unable to do much to replace Best. Should it be a priority for the Lions to sign or draft a running back?

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Comments

Eh, no

Like you said, Smith did a fine job filling in. I actually think when healthy, that he’s really good running back. Of course, that’s the thing, he always seems to be nicked up. LeShoure coming back will be big. They wouldn’t have spent a 2nd rounder on him if they didn’t see him having a major role. And even Maurice Morris is a guy who I’ve always thought is a little underrated.

I think they should concentrate on their secondary, defensive end (Vanden Bosch is old), and offensive line.

Fire Slocum

by packallday555 on Jan 28, 2012 5:44 PM CST reply actions

Best

Was a gamble coming into the draft. Had a couple injuries, and concussions, even at Cal. I would have never drafted him… Too small and injury prone to be a full time RB, which necessitated the drafting of LeShoure. He was a Huge gamble by the lions and they seem to have lost the bet! A wasted 1st rd pick…

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by Strohman on Jan 28, 2012 7:43 PM CST reply actions

I just hope he has a normal life if the reports are this serious.

I am very particular to head injuries. This is something that should be taken with extreme caution. I wish him the best, and hope he makes the right decision.

That dog just won't hunt.

by Bush League All Star on Jan 28, 2012 9:01 PM CST reply actions

wish him "the best"....bum dum dum

by rip_city_swagger on Jan 29, 2012 3:05 AM CST up reply actions

WR and RB are the same

You could wait till later in the draft and still end up with a good to great player.

by king.nothing on Jan 28, 2012 9:09 PM CST reply actions

That's too bad

I wouldn’t wish this on any player. I hope Best makes the right decision in whether to retire or not and take his time considering his options.

One game at a time...

by Jabooty on Jan 28, 2012 9:21 PM CST reply actions

they do need to replace his role proabably

they drafted LeShoure to be their short yardage and goal line back, a power north-south guy. He got hurt in the preseason, but he was a 2nd round pick so if he’s healthy he should be decent. Kevin Smith filled in admirably and still looks to have some legs left, but he’s not a long-term solution. The Lions rely on their passing game a lot, but having an explosive guy that can make plays i n the backfield would help keep defenses honest.

I don’t think they use a high draft pick on one though – they have too many holes and needs in the secondary and on the offensive line. But I think you’ll see them replace his role

by rip_city_swagger on Jan 29, 2012 3:08 AM CST reply actions

I think LeShoure can be the main back…I was never all that impressed with Best as a FT runner he was best used in third down situations.

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by TrevorR on Jan 29, 2012 2:41 PM CST up reply actions

Detroit ran the kid into the ground.

They used Best as an inside runner when he was far better suited to kicking it outside, away from tacklers. His NFL YPC is less than 4.0 YPC, which is not a good thing at all.

One could also point out that Detroit’s OL is hardly the stuff of legends, and the way that they’ve used Best is not to his or their advantage.

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by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jan 29, 2012 10:24 AM CST reply actions

Eh, I don’t think they ran him into the ground. He only had gotten 84 carries through 6 games. I think Lions fans would disagree with you about not using him to his advantage too. From what I saw, most of his carries came from the shotgun which I think works directly to his advantage. It allowed him to use his quickness and vision to find a hole if there was one. That meant him running inside the tackles sometimes but that’s something every RB is going to have to do. You can’t just run somebody on sweeps and tosses every play. It becomes to predictable, you know?

Fire Slocum

by packallday555 on Jan 29, 2012 10:48 AM CST up reply actions

Best was crushingly ineffective as a rusher a year ago.

3.3 YPC? That’s not a good number for a feature back.

Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog, and Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog
Yes, I am on twitter.

by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jan 29, 2012 11:25 AM CST up reply actions

Yeah, I agree. The point is they don’t run block well. They’re going to have the most success running the ball when they spread it out, which is what they did with Best, and then Smith after him.

Fire Slocum

by packallday555 on Jan 29, 2012 4:29 PM CST up reply actions

meh…they didn’t run the guy into the ground, they didn’t use him enough to do that and he hasn’t been around long enough for that to happen.

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by TrevorR on Jan 29, 2012 2:40 PM CST up reply actions

Replace him?

I think before this season they had already been ready to move on from him, He hadn’t proven to be all that great and they drafted LeShoure really high to be their between the tackles guy. Best was going to be a third down guy at best anyway…

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by TrevorR on Jan 29, 2012 2:39 PM CST reply actions

Best

I think the Leo’s drafted LeShoure to be the primary RB, w/ Best used in particular situations and 3rd downs. IMO, a 1st is a steep price to pay for a RB thats not a full time RB. People here complained that Jackson a 2nd rd pick was drafted to be an every down RB, even tho all he basically did in college was a 3rd down role and pass reciever/blocker. Best being drafted in the 1st for that role is way too high, even if he didn’t have injury/concussion problems at Cal. I think they wanted to use both and have a nice 2 back offense. But Best was a gamble that they lost! My guess is they’ll give Best another shot unless he retires, but otherwise they’ll used Kevin Smith in that role. I doubt they ever drafted Best to be the primary/every down type RB.

THe NFL is all about guys having specific roles and Thompson drafted Jackson for his specific role just like Det did w/ Best and NO did w/ Reggie Bush.

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by Strohman on Jan 29, 2012 2:58 PM CST up reply actions

THe NFL is all about guys having specific roles and Thompson drafted Jackson for his specific role just like Det did w/ Best and NO did w/ Reggie Bush.

Only, Bush and Best are both WAY more explosive than Jackson is/was. Teams have to know where each of them are at all times because if someone blows an assignment either one of them can turn a dump off into a long TD really quick. Jackson isn’t that type of player.

Obviously, in hindsight Bush was drafted to early but at the time that pick was fully justified. I think Best was taken at a fine spot too. Though, he’s only a guy who plays in passing situations, most of the time the Lions line up in passing formations. Jackson was basically just a guy who was a good blocker. That’s valuable for sure but not valuable enough to use a 2nd round pick on, imo.

Fire Slocum

by packallday555 on Jan 29, 2012 4:46 PM CST up reply actions

Don't disagree

That Bush and Best are much more explosive. Thats not in doubt, but Jackson is also a far better blocker than either! The point is that I said long ago that Thompson drafted Jackson for his particular role as a 3rd down RB and everyone jump on me for suggesting that Thompson used a 2nd rd pick on a role play, not a full time player.

Jackson was an excellent blocker and a good reciever w/ very good hands he just didn’t have the explosiveness of Bush and Best. But thats not what the Packers valued as much as his blocking and just recieving ability. And Jackson was about the 63rd player chosen, not Top 5 like Bush or 30th like Best. Jackson was pretty much a ready made 3rd down RB for the Packers and what they valued. You can be sure McCarthy always valued his blocking abiltiy and sure hands. He always said that blocking was the key part of a 3rd down RB job. He wouldn’t let RB on the field if they didn’t block. Just depends what you valued more and clearly McCarthy and Thompson valued Jacksons blocking more than his explosiveness.

Our Biggest Challenge is how we deal w/ Success!

by Strohman on Jan 29, 2012 5:08 PM CST up reply actions