After the draft came to an end without any new running backs on the roster, Lions General Manager Bob Quinn said that they considered a couple of backs but didn’t think anyone they picked would push one of their current backs off the squad.
That may not be the case when it comes to veterans still looking for work in 2017. Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports that the team is scheduled to work out former Viking Matt Asiata.
Asiata ran 121 times for 402 yards and six touchdowns last season while seeing a spike in playing time with Adrian Peterson out of the lineup. He scored nine touchdowns while filling in for Peterson during the 2014 season and also caught 101 passes over his five seasons in Minnesota.
He’d bring a different look to the backfield than top two backs Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick. So would LeGarrette Blount, who shares a New England background with Quinn, and Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reports that the Lions are “squarely in play” for his services.