The Detroit Lions have released running back Stevan Ridley, the team announced on Thursday morning.
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Detroit signed Ridley in April, hoping he would bolster depth in the backfield after releasing Joique Bell.
With Ridley out of the picture, however, the likes of Zach Zenner, George Winn and Dwayne Washington will be left to battle for the third and potentially fourth running back spots on the roster. Zach Zenner, an undrafted rookie past year, appears to be in position to earn a spot on the roster again.
Beyond Abdullah’s return, Theo Riddick established himself as one of the best pass-catching running backs in the National Football League with 80 receptions past year, Zach Zenner has consistently worked with the second-team offense this preseason, ahead of Ridley in a big-back role, and rookie seventh-round pick Dwayne Washington has impressed both in the running game and on special teams. “You know, when the guy gets the ball he does impressive things”. He started off the preseason with a bang, returning a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, and followed up that performance with a solid rushing day against the Bengals, tallying the team’s only rushing touchdown of the preseason.
During his three-year career at LSU from 2008-10, Ridley rushed for 1,419 yards and 19 touchdowns, including 1,147 yards and 15 scores during his junior season alone. “I think you’ll just continue to see him get better and better as he understands what to do on every single play in great detail”.
“This one feels a little more intense because for some of us, it might be the last game we play”, said tight end Adam Fuehne, an undrafted rookie from Southern Illinois.
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The Lions signed Jeremy Kerley to help them on offense and special teams, but the signing of Anquan Boldin moved him down a peg among the receivers. He registered nine carries for 27 yards and caught a single pass for a gain of five. The former third-round pick has struggled to return to form since suffering an ACL tear in 2014, and saw limited snaps with the New York Jets last season.
