Quinn Believes D'Andre Swift Complements Kerryon Johnson 'Very Well'
In the NFL, there simply are not many running backs that are able to sustain being the primary ball-carrier.
Too many hits, too many violent collisions.
The careers of running backs have been shortened and teams aren't willing to rely upon just one running back.
In Detroit, that simply won't be the case.
General manager Bob Quinn believes he has found a complementary running back to aid the corps already on the roster.
D'Andre Swift was selected by the Lions at No. 35 overall Friday evening, and Quinn believes he has found a running back to pair with Kerryon Johnson.
Also, Bo Scarbrough and Ty Johnson will be in the mix for playing time in 2020.
"Well, I think we always want a stable of backs. I think I’ve said that for a long time. You can count on one hand how many backs kind of carry the load," said Quinn.
He added, "There’s not a lot of those guys walking around. I think we always need multiple backs. It’s a position where guys get hit. They take a pounding. So, we’ve just got to make sure we have good depth and guys that can go out there and make plays for us.”
Fingers crossed
At the start of Day two, Lion's general manager Bob Quinn kept his fingers crossed just ahead of the 35th pick.
Why?
Georgia running back D'Andre Swift had yet to be selected, and Quinn recognized the organization could have potentially gambled and lost by not dealing to move up to select the ex-Bulldogs running back.
“It was a tight group up there for sure. A lot of guys we liked in that cluster up there," Quinn said.
"I’d say a little bit surprised last night (Thursday) when we went back, and we said, ‘Alright, well Swift is still up there.’ Kind of crossed our fingers for a couple picks, but felt going to bed last night, he (Swift) was the guy that was on my mind the most. I was hoping we could get him, and we stood pat there. You know, you never know. The Draft is hard to predict, as you guys know. But I felt very fortunate that he was there.”
All-SEC running back trio
In 2020, the Lions could feature three running backs that all played in one of the best college football conferences in America.
It's no secret. Quinn is fond of players who have played elite-level competition, and the SEC provides that level of competition.
"Obviously the SEC, I would argue, is one of the top one or two conferences in college football. I think a lot of people say it is the best conference," Quinn said.
It will be an enticing proposition in 2020 to have three SEC caliber running backs on the 53-man roster capable of improving an anemic rushing attack.
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