The Detroit Lions will start to look towards the future as coaching changes and player trades might begin to headline the 4-8 team. With a game against the St. Louis Rams approaching, the Lions could start to get a look at what talent they can retain for the future. With question marks surrounding both Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson given their high contracts, hope is high in what Ameer Abdullah can bring to the field.
Abdullah's season did not start off well as he struggled with fumbles and mistakes. However, he has since picked things up looking more and more like the leading rusher the team wanted when drafting him. Since getting just five snaps in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Abdullah has been improving averaging over three yards per carry. His best game came against the Green Bay Packers with 67 yards on the ground. Abdullah knows there is room for improvement still even with the season over.
"Decent, man," Abdullah said, via ESPN.com. "There was a lot more out there, though. A lot of stuff schematically that we had out there that could have been better. Sometimes we didn't execute, which could have meant more, better runs. We have to keep doing that. We can't allow our mental focus to lapse."
The ground game is one thing the Lions will not have to adjust. Abdullah has paired well with the thriving Theo Riddick and Joique Bell. Riddick has been a nightmare matchup for defenses as he is thriving in the pass-catching running back role. Riddick has been the star of the offense for several weeks and has become someone the Lions cannot afford to lose. Bell has been hot and cold at best this year. He is signed through 2016, but could find himself on the outside looking in if the Lions need to clear cap space or what not.
The biggest headlines will be what happens to both Stafford and Johnson. Both players have stressed their desire to stick around for the long-term, but the Detroit Free Press reports that the Lions might be forced to part ways with at least one star. Johnson is the most tradeable of the two as his value in the league is still very high. The Lions would be parting ways with the receiver based on contract status alone. If Johnson agrees to a potential pay cut or re-structuring of his deal then he might be able to stick around.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Johnson has no plans of taking a pay cut with the Lions. His $24 million salary cap charge might be something the Lions simply cannot keep on. Releasing him leaves the team with $12 million in dead money. Finding a trade partner might be tough given how much he is owed. Regardless, both Johnson and Stafford do not want to leave.
"We'll have to wait and see," Johnson said, via ESPN.com. "Like I said, I don't think about what could happen. Just during the season, we have to take everything like it's right here, right now. I don't think too far ahead. Focusing on what I've got this week and keep moving like that during the season."
