Lions beat writer Tim Twentyman:
I'd be shocked if Lions RB Joique Bell wasn't ready to roll. He wasn't even on Wednesday's injury report. He's been running full speed and with the first-team offense for a couple weeks now.
He actually told me last week he feels better than he has in a couple years after getting the knee and Achilles injuries that have plagued him taken care of this offseason.
Bell, 29, is motivated to have a 1,000 yard season and prove he's well-worth the $9.3 million contract he signed last offseason.
He'll be the starter and I'd expect he gets the most carries. Abdullah will get a solid 10-15 touches, depending on how the game is going. That could change from week-to-week depending on the matchup. San Diego had the league's 26th ranked rush defense last year and didn't add a lot to improve that area this offseason. I suspect the Lions will try to establish the run early and often, first with Bell and then a change of pace with Abdullah.
We project Abdullah for around 218 touches (51 catches) and Bell for 196 (25 catches), but some of that has to do with the injury concerns surrounding Bell this offseason. His ADP fell into the 7th round, and he became the better draft day value. Now that he's healthy, he looks like a solid start against the Chargers.
Lions news
