The Detroit Lions needed help in the running back room, and on Tuesday they brought in a familiar type of answer: a veteran with some NFL miles on him.
Detroit announced the signing of Raheem Blackshear, while waiving wide receiver Lawrence Keys III with an injury designation after Keys left practice Monday with a hamstring injury. The move came after the Lions took a long look at the position on Tuesday, working out Blackshear, Hassan Haskins, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Kylin James.
The urgency is tied directly to the health of the group. Sione Vaki was hurt at practice Monday, breaking his nose and getting poked in the eye, which pushed Detroit to search for more depth. Blackshear ended up being the addition.
Blackshear entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech in 2022 and has bounced around five NFL organizations. His most notable run came with the Carolina Panthers, where he spent three seasons and appeared in 41 regular season games. Over his career, he has 52 carries for 203 yards and three touchdowns.
The Lions have already been navigating uncertainty at running back since camp opened. Jahmyr Gibbs still hasn’t practiced as he waits on a new contract, and the timing of that situation only became more notable Tuesday after fellow 2023 first-round pick Bijan Robinson signed a new deal that will pay him a base salary of $22.75 million per year.
Even if a Gibbs deal comes together soon, Vaki’s injury still leaves Detroit thin, which is why James is there for now as extra depth.
At the top of the depth chart, Gibbs is still viewed as the lead back. Detroit has been comfortable leaning into a bigger role for him after what he has shown over his first three seasons, and the offseason trade of David Montgomery to the Houston Texans only widened the lane.
Behind Gibbs, the Lions signed veteran Isiah Pacheco to a one-year contract, and with Gibbs out, Pacheco has handled the first opportunity out of the backfield. Vaki’s absence has also opened more reps for Jabari Small, Jacob Saylors and Kye Robichaux.
Vaki had come into training camp trying to lock down the team’s third running back spot. Saylors has a case there too, after spending most of the season on the active roster as one of Detroit’s kick returners.
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Smiths next step is a move to high Single-A West Michigan, where the challenge gets a little more serious and the eyes on him will only get more interested. For Detroit, the appeal is obvious: a young pitcher with a live arm, improving control and a track record that suggests there may still be another level to reach. It is the sort of development path that can quietly alter how a trade is remembered, especially when the player in question is still just getting started. [Read more 🡒]