The Detroit Lions have reportedly released veteran running back Joique Bell who struggled this past season after putting up consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns.
Bell, 29, tallied just 311 rushing yards and four touchdowns while averaging 3.5 yards per rush in 2015. He added 22 receptions for 286 yards.
Fielding the league's worst rushing attack last season, Detroit averaged just 83.4 rushing yards per game with Bell, Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick putting up a combined 1,051 yards on 276 attempts.
While Detroit does have high expectations for Abdullah, who was a second-round pick in last year's draft, he's not going to be an every-down back in the NFL. Add in Riddick's 80 receptions, and there's still some talent in this backfield.
The issue here is that the Lions simply don't possess someone capable of putting up 20-plus rush attempts in a game. Prior to last year's struggles, that's something Bell was able to do on a semi-consistent basis.
Whether Detroit looks at the veteran free agent market or selects a running back early in the 2016 NFL draft, it is going to have to address this position moving forward. The release of Bell magnifies this to a T.