The Facts: Bell isn't worried about the knee injury that has sidelined him for the entirety of this offseason. He isn't worried about the Achilles either. Bell is so confident about this season, in fact, that he's predicting he'll become the second Lions RB to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards since 2004 -- and then some. "I'm going to rush for over 1,200 yards," Bell said. "That's the minimum. If I do less than that, I'll be surprised. I'll be disappointed. Anything more than that, I wouldn't be surprised at all."
Diehards Line:As MLive.com's Kyle Meinke notes, the Lions haven't had a strong track record of 1,000-yard rushers in the post-Barry Sanders era. They were the only team in the league without any from 2005-12. Reggie Bush finally ended that skid in 2013, when he rushed for 1,006 yards in his first year with Detroit. Bell complemented Bush that season, and they became the first teammates in NFL history to accumulate 500 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving in the same season. But Bush suffered a string of ankle injuries last season, which paved the way for Bell to earn the first starting job of his career. He made the most of it, too, rushing for 547 yards in the second half of the season and averaging 4.5 yards a pop. Now he's spent the offseason resting his knee and Achilles, and should return in time for the start of training camp. He is the clear leader to take over for Bush as the starting tailback, and is expecting big things for himself. But he won't be alone in the backfield, either. Ameer Abdullah, the rookie out of Nebraska, could take over Bush's role as the speed complement to Bell's power. Third-year back Theo Riddick should also factor into the rotation, particularly as a pass-catcher. It's a situation we'll all be watching come August.