If there was one player on the Lions roster that I would suggest it would be nearly impossible to replace, it would be RB Kevin Jones. Jones' serious foot injury and subsequent placement on the injured reserve, forces the Lions to seriously consider the immediate future of their running game, and they will likely also have to examine it's long term future, too.
The Lions have already sustained season-ending injuries to versatile RB's Shawn Bryson and Brian Calhoun. After the loss of Jones, they now have to rely upon journeymen RB's Arlen Harris, Aveion Cason and practice squad player, Anthony Sherrell. Lions Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz does not have a strong tendency toward developing a strong rushing game. His offense generally exhibits a pass first tendency. Martz generally utilizes the ground game to keep opposing defenses honest. With the absence of Jones, I wonder if the Lions will even attempt to operate under the illusion of establishing a running game. The difficulties the Lions offense will face in upcoming games may be insurmountable.
Harris and Cason are versatile players who have a strong knowledge of their roles in Martz's offense. It is no surprise, though, that neither player has ever been able to catch on with a team for any prolonged period of time. Neither has the skills necessary to be an every down back. With QB Jon Kitna's continued struggles that have been exacerbated by turning the ball over, the Lions may want to consider utilizing a more "vanilla" brand of offense that is more reliant upon running with the ball. In this particular case, opposing defenses won't really fear any of the Lions backs hurting them rushing the ball. That realization will enable them to make life more difficult for Kitna.
The future of the Lions running back position is now very cloudy for 2007. If Jones is out for most, or all of 2007, they currently possess no legitimate candidates to replace him. Drafting a running back may become one of their pre-eminent concerns for the upcoming season.
