Lions GM Bob Quinn: Abdullah starting RB, door still open for Boldin
The Detroit Lions did not take a running back with any of their nine picks in this year's NFL draft, and general manager Bob Quinn said Saturday that Ameer Abdullah will open the 2017 season as his starter.
Abdullah played in just two games last season before undergoing foot surgery, and the Lions struggled to run the ball in his absence.
They finished 30th in the NFL in total rushing and have fewer yards on the ground than any team over the last two seasons.
“I feel pretty good about the position," Quinn said. "There were a couple running backs that we looked at in the middle part of the draft, but just no one we felt that was going to come in and really unseat any of the guys that we have on our roster. So I feel good about that spot."
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Abdullah led the Lions with 591 yards rushing as a rookie in 2015 and got off to a hot start last season with 101 yards on 18 carries before his injury.
Backup running back Theo Riddick also finished last season on injured reserve because of injuries to both wrists that required surgery.
Abdullah is taking part in off-season workouts with the team, while Quinn said Riddick still is "dealing with a few things."
Zach Zenner and Dwayne Washington, a seventh-round pick last year, also are in the Lions' backfield mix.
The Lions did spend a third-round pick on Northern Illinois wide receiver Kenny Golladay, but Quinn said the door still is open for Anquan Boldin to return to the team.
Boldin played as the Lions No. 3 receiver last year and led the team with eight touchdown catches. Golladay adds size (6 feet 4) and speed (4.5-second 40-yard dash) to the receiving corps.
"We’ve had some communication with Anquan," Quinn said. "That was back in, I’d say, March, so really no update on our end of things. I know they said he’s been communicating with a couple other teams, but nothing to update. Door’s open."
In all, the Lions spent six of their nine draft picks on defensive players this week, including first-round choice Jarrad Davis and second-rounder Teez Tabor.
Quinn said he believes the roster has improved "probably more on the defensive side of the ball just in terms of pure numbers that we’ve added" this off-season.
"But I think in terms of the offensive side of the ball with the offensive linemen that we added, the tight end and the receiver today in the draft, I think it’s pretty well-rounded," Quinn said. "I think we still have a ways to go to kind of really complement the entire roster. The spring’s early. We haven’t even set our feet on the field yet for OTAs, so it’s a never-ending process for us to try to improve the roster and we try to do it every day."
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