Lions Sign Veteran Running Back After Tuesday Workout
The Lions held a running back tryout on Tuesday and made their choice. Detroit is signing Raheem Blackshear, a veteran back with 41 NFL games under his belt, to compete for the RB3 spot following the injury to Sione Vaki.
Blackshear beat out a group that included former Kansas City Chiefs first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire, former Michigan standout Hassan Haskins, and UFL product Kylin James.
This is who Brad Holmes wants. For now.
Who Is Raheem Blackshear?
Blackshear has been in the league as an undrafted free agent since 2022. He has bounced around. Bills, 3 seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Titans, Steelers, Jets. Most recently he played for the Columbus Aviators in the UFL.
He has 41 NFL games on his resume with only 2 starts. He is a depth piece with experience, which is exactly what the Lions need right now while Vaki is out.
This is a competition. The running back 3 spot is wide open, and Blackshear is getting his chance to prove he belongs.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire Was the Headliner
Edwards-Helaire was the 32nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs. He never lived up to that first-round billing.
He played in 52 games and started 32, but over the last 2 seasons he appeared in just 4 NFL games: 2 for the Saints and 2 for the Chiefs. His rookie season was his best, with 803 yards and 4 touchdowns. Injuries dragged his production down from there.
If the Lions are looking for depth, Edwards-Helaire theoretically fits. He also has a connection to Isaiah Pacheco, having spent time with him in Kansas City. You have to consider that as a factor, because locker room chemistry matters to this coaching staff.
But Brad Holmes went with Blackshear instead. That tells you something.
Hassan Haskins and Kylin James Were Also in the Mix
Haskins is a familiar name. He played at the University of Michigan from 2018 to 2021, then got drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He spent 2 seasons there and 2 with the Chargers, playing in 44 NFL games with just 1 career start.
He has been around. He has not stuck anywhere. But he knows the region, and he has NFL reps.
James spent last season with the St. Louis Battle Hawks in the UFL after a solid college career at UNLV. He does not have significant NFL experience, but the Lions have found contributors through this pipeline before. Jabari Small. Jacob Sailors. Bringing in guys from the UFL has worked, and you never know who could emerge.
But again, Holmes went with Blackshear. That is the choice today.
Nothing Is Set in Stone
Here is the thing. Just because the Lions are signing Blackshear does not mean he is set in stone as the guy.
We have seen this before. Detroit will sign a player, cut him a week later, and then sign another guy from that same workout group. There is a real possibility Edwards-Helaire could join the Lions at some point down the road.
Brad Holmes is methodical. He does not rush decisions. He evaluates, he pivots, he adjusts. Right now Blackshear is the guy, but training camp is long and injuries happen and depth charts shift.
We will see what Blackshear can bring to Allen Park. We will see if he sticks. And if he does not, we will see who comes next.
Is Blackshear the answer at RB3 or are we just one injury away from revisiting this whole conversation? Drop your take in the comments.
I like this move honestly. Brad Holmes knows what he’s doing and if Blackshear earned it in that workout then he earned it. The guy has been around the league enough to know what to do, and sometimes that’s all you need for a depth piece while we get Vaki healthy.
Look I trust Brad but passing on a guy who won Super Bowls just feels weird to me. CEH should be better than whoever Blackshear is at this point in his career. I hope Blackshear balls out and proves me wrong but this one’s got me scratching my head.
You know what, this is the kind of decision making that actually works now. Under the old regime we’d have overpaid for a name and let it blow up in our face. Brad’s doing his homework in these workouts and making calculated moves. That’s the difference between now and back then.
Blackshear has the experience they need right now and if he doesn’t work out there’s always next week right? Holmes doesn’t get married to these things. I’m betting on the process here.