NFL Free Agency 2014: Detroit Lions place second-round tender on Joique Bell
By Josh Hill
The Detroit Lions were supposed to have an explosive offense last season after adding running back Reggie Bush, but a new face resulted in the same results for the Lions. Changes have been made though, including the firing of Jim Schwartz and the hiring of Jim Caldwell, but one change that won’t be made to the Lions roster in 2014.
According to the Lions official site, the team has placed a second-round tender on running back Joique Bell, which pretty much assures that he’ll be back with the team in 2014. The only way another team can get Bell this offseason is to trade the Lions a second-round pick for his contract.
Bell is destined to be a starting running back in the NFL, but he’s not worth a second-round pick just yet. A team could buy high on him, but it’s not likely despite the great season he had. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2015 though, which means the Lions are going to milk one more season out of Bell before he walks and tests free agent waters.
If Bell has another season like he did in 2013, there’s no question that he’ll be a top free gent in 2015 as he stayed as popular in the Lions backfield as starter Reggie Bush was. We’ve seen backup running backs shows flashes and then go on to shine in a starting role. Michael Turner is a great example of this and Bell appears to be next in line.