Stevan Ridley Signs with Lions

Following a 2015 season in which he played sparingly for the New York Jets, running back Stevan Ridley is hoping to be a more integral part of his new team's offense.

Ridley announced on Instagram that he signed with the Detroit Lions:

A torn ACL limited Ridley to just six games with the Pats in 2014, but he was able to return for part of the 2015 campaign after signing with the Jets.

He appeared in nine contests but was largely ineffective, with 90 rushing yards on 36 attempts, which was good for a meager average of just 2.5 yards per carry.

The 27-year-old back will soon be two years removed from knee surgery, though, and he has proved capable of being a productive NFL player in the past, with 1,263 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns for New England in 2012.

Also, as evidenced by this video Ridley tweeted, he appears to be in great shape and ready to contribute far more than he did last season:

The former LSU standout hasn't been particularly effective since rushing for 773 yards in 2013, and he is certainly an injury risk, but he could be a low-risk, high-reward option for the Lions.

Provided Ridley is now at 100 percent health for the first time since 2014, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that he could be a key, between-the-tackles runner in the Detroit offense.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.