Daily DLP: Talking RBs then and now ahead of OTAs Detroit Lions Podcast

On Wednesday, May 27, the Detroit Lions Podcast Daily opened with a quick curveball. Michael Grey recalled being at Cleveland Stadium the night Jose Canseco took a home run off his head. Then it was straight to the Detroit Lions and the NFL’s running back puzzles at OTAs.
Gibbs locked in as RB1
Jameer Gibbs is RB1. No debate. Expect more work than he saw down the stretch last season. The staff cut the RB2 load late in the year to about 10 to 12 touches. That let Gibbs tilt the field. It could be even more pronounced now.
If you care about fantasy, Gibbs belongs at the top tier. The conversation is Gibbs or Bijan for the first running back off the board. That is where this usage is pointing.
RB2 picture: Pacheco’s role and a Vaki push
The Lions signed Isaiah Pacheco to take the late-season David Montgomery assignment. Between the tackles. Third and three. Move the chains. It is not 15 to 20 touches. It is 10 to 12 and hard yards. That is the brief.
Will someone push him? Keep an eye on Vaki. He has been the fourth back because he is invaluable on special teams. This is his third season playing running back exclusively. At Utah he was a safety who ran well when handed the ball. Now the question is simple. Can he take on more on offense and still deliver on teams?
Depth, roster math, and OTAs notes
Craig Reynolds, the best RB3 in football by last season’s standard, is no longer in Detroit. That opens real snaps for hungry backs. Jacob Sailors is in the mix. So are holdovers Kai Robicheaux and Jabari Small. Both flashed last summer. Robicheaux did before he got hurt. Small had moments in camp.
How many backs make it? Three or four. Recent history says four, with Vaki as the fourth because of special teams. But the staff could keep three on the 53 and flex a practice squad back on game weeks. OTAs will start to sort it out.
Media availability does not open until Friday. Grey will not be on site this week due to the commute. The depth chart jockeying will still matter. Short yardage. Pass protection. Special teams. Those jobs decide RB3 and RB4 in June, not just big runs in August.
One final note on a familiar face. David Montgomery looks good in Houston. The first thing mentioned down there is his feet. Quick and clean. That matches what Detroit saw when he carried the late-season load. Now the Lions move forward with Gibbs atop the room and Pacheco slotted for the bruising work. The rest will be won on the margins.

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