Reggie Bush a Perfect Fit in Detroit as Starting Back

Free agent running back Reggie Bush had a career renaissance with the Miami Dolphins, but he would take his elite play in the running and receiving games to the next level if he were to sign with the pass-happy Detroit Lions this offseason.

UPDATE: Wednesday, March 13, 1:20 p.m. ET by Donald Wood 

According to Lions insider Tim Twentyman, Detroit has reached an agreement on a contract with free agent running back Reggie Bush:

---End of update---

That’s why the Lions reportedly offered Bush the starting running back job (h/t Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Cole) over last year’s starter Mikel Leshoure. With injured starter Jahvid Best’s NFL career in question (h/t NFL.com), Detroit must ensure Bush is in the team’s backfield for 2013.

Bush has visits planned (h/t Cole’s Twitter), but none of the teams match the veteran RB’s skill set the way the Lions do. Add in the fact that few teams will offer Bush the starting job, and it’s clear that Detroit has the inside lane to signing the free agent.

According to Cole, a source close to Bush talked about the running back’s decision and what how much playing time he truly wants:

"

Reggie has a tough decision to go through. He's very careful about how he considers these situations. He asks a lot of questions and wants to know all the ins and outs about how a team wants to use him. But, you know, in his heart, he wants to play all the time.

"

This is great news for the Lions, who are depending on the allure of the starting job to entice Bush into signing with the team. The notion that he wants to be a starter—coupled with the abundance of talent on offense—should convince the former Dolphin to sign in Detroit.

If the starting job isn’t enough to convince Bush this is the right choice, all the Lions’ coaching staff must do is turn on the game film and show Bush just how explosive the team’s offense can be without a dual-threat back like himself.

Imagine how great Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew and Matthew Stafford could be with a running back like Bush, who is as skilled at carrying the ball as he is catching it out of the backfield.

The Lions saw success with Best as the team’s dual-threat back when he was healthy, and should only expect more from a veteran like Bush in the prime of his career.

If Detroit can pull off this free-agency signing, this could be one of the biggest coups of the 2013 offseason.

Follow @Donald_Wood