The Lions auditioned a trio of notable running backs on Wednesday, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Lions worked out Bryce Brown, Travaris Cadet, and Daniel Thomas all worked out for Detroit, though there are no deals with any of the tailbacks as of this writing.
Brown, 24, has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was bounced by the Bills late in the offseason and has yet to find a new home. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a whopping 126 yards off of 36 carries. Since getting cut loose by Buffalo, Brown has worked out for the Pats, Jets, Colts, and now the Lions.
Cadet, 26, was signed by the Pats as a free agent in March of this year. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder spent the last three seasons with the Saints and saw time in only one Pats game this year before his release in late September. Cadet saw his first significant action for the Saints in 2014, hauling in 38 passes on 51 targets, totaling 296 yards and a touchdown on those receptions. Although he was listed as a running back and generally lined up in the backfield, the Appalachian State product only had 10 carries for 32 yards.
In four seasons with Miami, Thomas ran for 1,480 yards off of 409 attempts, good for just 3.6 yards per carry. Last year he saw time in 12 games, rushing for 168 yards off of 44 carries, good for a 3.8 yard average on each try. He landed with the Bears this offseason but his stay did not last very long. The Lions first looked at Thomas back in June, but they did not offer him a deal.
The Lions also auditioned tight end Cameron Clear and a few defensive tackles. One of those defensive tackles was Andre Fluellen and he reached agreement on a deal with Detroit this afternoon.
They should be looking more into bolstering the offensive line. Waddle, rieff and lucas all stink it up. If you watch the seattle game, these guys were constantly beat.