Joique Bell

An undrafted Division II star in 2010 who got little chance to show what he could do through his first two NFL seasons, Bell has seen his snaps and carries increase each of the last three seasons in Detroit as he's earned the Lions' trust. Possessing a good blend of size and speed, Bell uses his vision and patience to attack holes and routinely picks up extra yards after contact thanks to his power and low pad level. The Lions' offensive line hasn't done him any favors, however, ranking among the worst in the league last year in allowing penetration, so those extra yards often just got him back to the line of scrimmage. Ball security remains an issue for Bell, but he has turned himself into an asset as a receiver, an important skill in a Detroit offense that distributed more than 150 targets to its running backs in 2014. The team parted ways with Reggie Bush this offseason but quickly replaced him in the draft with Ameer Abdullah, and Theo Riddick could also see an increased workload. Despite the competition, however, Bell remains the only real goal-line option for the team (he saw more than 80 percent of Detroit's red-zone carries last year) and he should see at least a plurality of touches in the backfield, if not a majority. Bell underwent a medical procedure in January to treat tendinits in his knee and Achilles' tendon and should be ready for the season, but his recovery has gone slower than expected and is something to watch come training camp.

While he's not the biggest or fastest running back in the league, Bell made a major incursion on Reggie Bush's playing time last season, gaining 40 percent of the carries while looking even more explosive in the pass game than he did the year before. He's a true weapon in the open field, having produced more than 1,000 yards on 105 catches over the last two seasons, and he worked his way into a goal-line role last year too. Bell dealt with a knee issue over the offseason, but it doesn't sound like anything that'll limit him come training camp. He's played in all 16 games the last two years, so he's been durable in his backup/timeshare role. Like Bush, Bell may see his carry total reduced this year with the Lions remodeling their offense in the mold of the Saints, but both players could see a spike in receptions, making Bell a compelling and relatively low-priced option for PPR formats.

At 5-11, 220, Bell doesn't offer great speed, but he has good open-field vision, and his strong base makes him hard to bring down. His 5.0 YPC (on 82 attempts) was easily tops among Lions running backs, and his 52 receptions were fifth among NFL backs. Despite seeing 115 fewer touches than Mikel Leshoure, Bell's 899 total yards were only 113 less than the Lions starter produced. Unfortunately for Bell, the addition of Reggie Bush figures to limit his role in the backfield this season, particularly as a receiver. He'll likely need an injury to Bush or Leshoure to match the 134 touches he had last year.

The Lions' running back situation is a bit unsettled at the top due to injury, but Bell is in the second or third tier heading into camp. He'll only get a chance if injuries force Detroit's hand.

Bell, fresh of a spectacular preseason, will start the year as the Saints' fourth running back behind Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles. However, with Sproles likely to serve as a Reggie Bush-esque jack-of-all-trades, an injury to either Thomas or Ingram could open the door for Bell to be a major contributor with Chris Ivory to start the year on the PUP list and coach Sean Payton's penchant for a dual running back system.

Bell, a Wayne State product and the recipient of the Harlon Hill Award in 2009 as the best player in Division II football following a 2,084-rushing yards campaign with 29 touchdowns, signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent in the offseason. He's looking like a practice squad candidate, but if the Bills decided to rid themselves of the troublesome Marshawn Lynch via trade, there would be a chance for Bell to sneak into the No. 3 role.