'Theo Riddick Hype Train' keeps chugging along

Throughout the 2014 offseason, no Detroit Lions player received more hype than running back Theo Riddick. Whether it was from outside sources or his teammates, somebody was seemingly hyping Riddick up on a weekly basis during the offseason. And perhaps nobody was a bigger hype man for Riddick than quarterback Dan Orlovsky, who projected him to have 50 catches and be the Lions' Darren Sproles during the 2014 season.

Riddick didn't quite get to 50 catches, as he finished 2014 with 34 receptions for 316 yards and four touchdowns. From a rushing standpoint, Riddick's numbers weren't overly impressive, as he only had 51 yards on 20 carries. Even so, expectations are still pretty high for Riddick, and Orlovsky is once again conducting the "Theo Riddick Hype Train." From the Detroit Free Press:

"Theo's too good to not put on the field," Orlovsky said after the first day of organized team activities today. "Theo has stuff that you can't coach, that you can't teach, that you're born from God with. He just has an ability to get open better than everyone else." [...]

"I think Theo will probably have, like, 60 catches," Orlovsky said. "He's a pretty good player."

That's a bold move by Orlovsky to up his prediction to 60 catches this year, but he's not the only one impressed with Riddick:

Theo Riddick looked really good today. Tough to compare with Bell and Abdullah out, but he was shifty, quick and sure-handed.

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) May 27, 2015

It will be interesting to see how the Lions utilize Riddick with the addition of Ameer Abdullah, but it seems clear he needs more playing time this year, at least in the passing game. Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen, but in the meantime, all aboard:

All aboard. (via @nuftjedi) pic.twitter.com/MSlpTkr1xu

— Pride Of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) February 25, 2015