Kevin Smith News

There are five Detroit Lions veterans that many would like to have replaced, but at the moment, they probably will have a large impact on the team's success or failure in 2012.

It took only a few minutes into the first open OTA practice a couple weeks ago to notice there was something different about running back He had his sleeves rolled up and looked visibly stronger.

Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He has covered the NFL for the past 17 seasons as a beat writer and is the former president of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan couldn't say it at the time, but a jumbo size wrench was thrown into his offensive game plan last year when he lost running backs "We were perfect going into training camp last year," Linehan said.

The Detroit Lions faced several major free agent decisions this offseason, but 2013 might be less stressful for general manager Martin Mayhew.

Dear Amy: I have four children ages 14 to 19. Texting at the table isn't tolerated in our home.

Dec 29, 2010; Houston, TX, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Mikel Leshoure warms up before the game against the Baylor Bears at the 2010 Texas Bowl at Reliant Stadium.

The rookie season for Lions RB Mikel LeShoure didn't quite go as planned. He tore his Achilles and missed the whole season , then saw his offseason marred by two ugly arrests involving marijuana .

The Detroit Lions opted not to draft a running back in April despite the injury histories of Jahvid Best, Mikel Leshoure and Kevin Smith.

The running back position is a bit of a question mark for the Lions, but one Detroit running back says there's no question that the Lions' offense is in great shape.

The Detroit Lions have a good deal of talent at the running back position. Between Jahvid Best, Mikel Leshoure and Kevin Smith , on paper there is a pretty good running back by committee in place for an already explosive offense.

Jan 1, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford hands the football off to running back Kevin Smith during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

In workplaces across the state of Michigan, people have been gathering around the proverbial water cooler to gab about the offseason exploits of their favorite football team: the Detroit Lions .

We've never met. But after three years of reading about you, seeing you on television, and watching from the stands at Ford Field as you went to war on game days, it feels like I've gotten to know you well enough to offer a few friendly suggestions.

Don't start shopping for your flights to New Orleans just yet; there are a few problem spots that will most likely keep the Detroit Lions from partaking in Super Bowl XLVII.

The Detroit Lions are facing a serious dilemma going into the 2012 season. On paper they have a dynamite trio of complementary running backs capable of providing near-ideal backfield balance to Detroit's potent aerial attack Jahvid Best has quickness, breakaway speed and is very dangerous in space.

Numerous reports circulated earlier that week that the Detroit Lions had made a contract offer to free agent running back Ryan Grant and that Grant would be paying a visit to the Motor City.

Detroit Lions running back Kevin Smith has heard rumors about his team's interest in Green Bay Packers' Ryan Grant.

Jan 15, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant in the second half of the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game against the New York Giants at Lambeau Field.

The NFL regular season is still months away, but with the NFL draft behind us and organized team activities ahead, it feels a lot more like preseason than postseason.