I know there are a lot of Kevin Smith haters out there, I remember those threads about wanting him out of Detroit. I also remember his rookie season where he almost massed 1,000 yards and had 8 TDs on an 0-16 team. Every body talked about how good he was then. Last season he wasn't himself due to injuries and then he got his ACL tore. He isn't very fast, big, or have the same Jahvid Best type athleticism, but he has a lot of heart and is tough. He has some agility and is also a decent pass catcher, just not as good as Best is or will be. Despite these facts, he may still have a lot of value for this team.

They drafted Jahvid Best to be the Marshall Faulk/Reggie Bush type slot receiving running back that he appears to be good at. They didn't draft Best with the idea of replacing Smith, regardless of the injury. Don't you realize how good this duo could be once they both (Stafford included) are completely healthy and on the field? Smith had a promising rookie season, the sophmore slump was due to injuries and learning a new scheme. Colletto's scheme was the same he ran in college so he was all ready to go his rookie season. Smith is a good enough back where he can block out of the backfield, as well as catch the ball in addition to running the ball effectively. Again, he won't make you forget about how good Best is, but is a great compliment to him. I think these two on the field together with both of them moving around from receiver to running back would be a great addition to Linehan's playbook. I'm hoping that he makes a full recovery because we will need him this season to take the pressure off of Best and the passing game. He is a legit threat who doesn't make a lot of mistakes and can get the job done when healthy. I think he could come up big this Sunday because of how determined he is to prove he can still be a good running back and to prove that Best won't be taking his job no time soon, they will just be like DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart are for the Panthers. Good luck Kevin, we need you Sunday. Hope you can recover in time to be that same guy you were on that awful 0-16 team.