Detroit Lions: Zach Zenner a longshot to make the roster

The Detroit Lions’ revamped running back corps dims hopes and opportunity for fan favorite Zach Zenner.

The Detroit Lions opened training camp this past week, and it’s easy for an underdog to become a fan favorite. Though it’s fun to root for the gritty, overlooked prospect to overcome the odds an earn a spot on an NFL roster. Reality eventually sets in though.

That is precisely the case with running back Zach Zenner, the former undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State University. The harsh reality is that Zenner will most likely not make the team, and if he does, he will be a special teams contributor at best. Given the breadth of talent suddenly around him, Zenner finds himself teetering on the edge of the roster bubble.

Zenner proved himself throughout his rookie training camp in 2015 and into the preseason, where he led the NFL in rushing yards to go along with two touchdowns. That performance earned him a spot on the active roster, but it is important to note that the Lions needed another capable runner, given the lack of talent around Zenner at the position.

The Lions’ slate of running backs that year included Joique Bell, Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, George Wynn, and fullback Michael Burton. That season, Bell’s role diminished completely. Abdullah carried the ball only 143 times in spite of playing all 16 games. Riddick’s primary role was to catch passes out of the backfield. He tallied one fewer rushing attempt (43) than quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The Lions needed a viable ball-carrier, so Zenner made sense. Unfortunately, Zenner suffered a season-ending injury in Week 6.

In 2016, the Lions’ running back corps was a total disaster. Abdullah missed the last 14 games of the season due to injury and Riddick missed the final six. Dwayne Washington was woefully ineffective. In their despair, the Lions signed Justin Forsett for two games and brought back Bell who netted exactly three carries in his only game. Enter Zenner, who on a couple of occasions provided a boost to an otherwise anemic rushing attack.

Writing on the Wall

Last season, the Lions’ ground game was so inept, they handed the ball off to anyone who even looked like they could run the football effectively – except Zenner. When it became apparent that Abdullah and Riddick could not get the job done, the team turned to undrafted rookie Tion Green.

Even under those dire circumstances, Zenner was a mere afterthought. He carried the ball just 14 times for 26 yards all season in spite of a lack of production elsewhere.

Fast forward to 2018, and it’s truly hard to believe the outlook is any better for Zenner. In fact, from a roster perspective, it’s exponentially worse. The Lions added LeGarrette Blount in free agency and drafted Kerryon Johnson in the second round. Abdullah and Riddick are still around and expected to still have viable roles in the offense.

Rookie fullback Nick Bawdin will miss the entire season, but converted linebacker Nick Bellore will take over that responsibility. The Lions seem committed to having a fullback on their roster, and Zenner is not the answer there, either. It’s awfully telling that the team finds a former defensive player more suitable for that role than a running back.

There simply is no room left for Zenner.

Between Blount, Johnson, Abdullah, Riddick, and Bellore, the Lions already have five roster spots spoken for out of the running back position alone. Stretching that to six is, well, a stretch.

It is unlikely that the Lions will trade or release Abdullah. His ceiling is higher than Zenner’s, and Abdullah is on the final year of his cap-friendly rookie contract. Excluding Dwayne Washington, every other ball carrier on the roster is just better than ZZ.

The Lions did sign Zenner to a one-year, $1.05 million contract in the offseason. While fans argue that since the team had no obligation to do so, they value the South Dakota State product enough to bring him back. The fact is that they signed him to a no-risk deal. He brings some special teams value, works hard and displays versatility. Those are all qualities undoubtedly important to Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn.

Those attributes, however, only grant Zenner a chance to make the team. His contract does not guarantee him a roster spot by any means. Given the level of talent around him, the fourth-year running may very well find himself on the outside looking in when the Lions put together the final roster.