Lions running back Reggie Bush said last week that the offense being installed by new coordinator Joe Lombardi is “exactly” like the one that the Saints ran before and after Bush was in New Orleans.
That makes sense given Lombardi came to Detroit from the Saints and it also makes things a bit more interesting for Bush’s fellow running back Mikel Leshoure. The Saints have made heavy use of multiple backs since Sean Payton took over as head coach, leaving Leshoure feeling excited about his prospects of earning playing time this season after spending almost all of last year on the bench.
Leshoure said the offense is “hitting home” for him and that he and Theo Riddick are doing everything they can to impress Lombardi while Joique Bell recovers from a knee injury.
“I’m taking full advantage of it,” Leshoure said, via the team’s website. “Right now coach is giving me the opportunity to get more carries. Theo is getting a few more reps, too, and we’re here to take full advantage of it. We weren’t out there a lot last year, so to get our opportunities, whether it’s OTAs or minicamp, training camp or whatever it is, you have to take advantage of it.”
Leshoure is entering the final year of the rookie deal he signed after the Lions traded up to draft him in the second round of the 2011 draft, a move that has not borne much fruit to this point. Leshoure can still finish strong, though, and doing so would breathe new life in a career that wasn’t going anywhere under the previous regime.