Artose

Pinner

Jones should win the majority of carries eventually, but we expect Pinne to top 120 carries this season too.

With Kevin Jones likely out, Pinner and Shawn Bryson will likely split carries. But it was Pinner that coach Steve Mariucci talked about Monday, “We drafted ‘Tose for a purpose... He shows flashes of being a real confident running back -- and the more he plays, the better he’s going to get.”

Kevin Jones will continue to earn all the carries. Other Thanksgiving inactives include WR David Kircus, LB Boss Bailey, and T Kelly Butler.

IT worked for him in San Francisco with Garrison Hearst and Charlie Garner, but the Lions don’t have that kind of talent. The candidates so far: Shawn Bryson, Artose Pinner, Olandis Gary and Avon Cobourne. It also wouldn’t be surprising to see Detroit take Florida State’s Kevin Jones with the fifth pick in the draft.

Pinner is ready for an increased role in the offense. He’s shooting for 1,200 total yards next season, which will be tough in Detroit’s running-back-by-committee approach. It won’t help if the Lions draft a running back early in the draft, as they are expected to. He is the most attractive fantasy back currently on the Detroit roster.

Arlen Harris and rookie Brian Calhoun have passed Pinner. Shawn Bryson is probably ahead of him. It looks like he may not make it out of training camp and can safely be dropped in dynasty leagues.

Lions beat writers have been lobbying to trade Pinner for weeks. Miami could use another runner and Detroit might be interested in adding depth to their defensive line in the form of Jeff Zgonina or Manny Wright.

Since the Lions are heading into a bye week, it’s possible Pinner won’t even start a game. Even if he gets a few starts, Pinner’s value is minimal considering the struggles Detroit has had running the ball. Pinner looks worth owning, but not starting.

He’s worth picking up in all leagues if Jones’ ankle injury proves serious. He’s solid in the passing game too, with four receptions today.