Lions RB Theo Riddick (wrist) is a surprise inactive for today's game against the Bears. He was limited in practice this week, but there was no indication that he was in danger of missing this contest. Riddick's absence leaves the backfield to Dwayne Washington, Zach Zenner and the recently signed Joique Bell. Washington and Zenner figure to handle most of the work and are in the RB3 mix.

The Lions have added RB Joique Bell. It's a depth signing after RB Dwayne Washington injured his ankle last week. Look for Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner to serve as Detroit's top 2 RBs against the Bears on Sunday. Bell can safely be left on the waiver wire.

The Bears have signed RB Joique Bell. They needed to add depth to the position with both Jeremy Langford and Ka'Deem Carey injured. Bell was released by the Lions in February and remained unsigned all offseason. He's been held under 4 yards per carry in 3 straight seasons. The 30-year-old shouldn't be a threat to RB Jordan Howard's workload.

RB Joique Bell said he turned down an offer that would have kept him with the Lions and chose to test free agency, according to the team website. Bell said there's "no bad blood" between the 2 sides, though, and said a reunion might be possible. We'll see if Bell's decision ends up helping his career. It undeniably helps Zach Zenner's chances of grabbing a larger share of the backfield workload in 2016.

The Lions have released RB Joique Bell, saving $2.5 million against the 2016 salary cap.  Bell turns 30 in August and averaged a career-worst 3.5 yards per carry this past season.  He won't draw much interest on the open market and isn't a good bet to be a fantasy asset this year.  Detroit moves forward with Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner in the backfield.  The 5'11, 222-pound Zenner might be the biggest winner from Bell's departure and will be a name to track this offseason.

Lions RB Theo Riddick will “likely” handle a bigger role next season, per beat writer Kyle Meinke. Riddick just led all RBs in receptions (80) and finished 2^nd in receiving yards (697). So an increased role would likely come in the ground game, where he handled only 43 carries for 133 yards (3.1 YPC). We’ll see if Detroit retains Joique Bell and his $2.5 million base salary, but they’re a lock to search for O-line upgrades. The arrow is pointing up for Riddick entering year 4 – even with Ameer Abdullah set atop the depth chart.

Lions RB Joique Bell (Achilles) is active for today’s game against the Vikings. Averaging just 1.1 yards per carry, he shouldn’t be in any fantasy lineups. We’ll see how much work Bell steals from RB Ameer Abdullah.

Lions RB Joique Bell (Achilles) is probable for Sunday's game against the Vikings.  He averaged just 1.1 yards per carry in Detroit's first 3 games before missing the last 3.  Bell shouldn't be in Week 7 fantasy lineups, but his return is another knock against RB Ameer Abdullah.

Lions RB Zach Zenner will miss the rest of the season with multiple cracked ribs and a collapsed lung, according to the Detroit News' Josh Katzenstein.  It's a tough break for a rookie who impressed this preseason and was starting to see a bigger role.  We'll see if Joique Bell (Achilles) can return this coming week as Detroit's "big back."  The entire backfield is in flux with RB Ameer Abdullah struggling with fumbles and suffering a stinger yesteday.

Lions RB Joique Bell (Achilles) is inactive for today’s game against the Bears. He wasn’t a fantasy option anyways, but his absence makes RB Ameer Abdullah’s workload safer.

Lions RB Joique Bell (Achilles) put in a full week of practice. He’s listed as questionable but should be active for Sunday’s game against the Bears. Bell shouldn’t get a lot of work, though. He’s averaging 1.1 yards per carry.

Lions RB Joique Bell (Achilles) is practicing in full this week and is set to return for Sunday's game against the Bears.  He missed the last 2 games and averaged a pathetic 1.1 yards per carry in the first 3.  Detroit shouldn't use him as anything other than a short-yardage back.  Rookie Ameer Abdullah should continue to lead the backfield in touches.

Lions RB Joique Bell (ankle) is out for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. He didn’t practice at all this week, and there’s no timetable for his return. With Bell out last week, RB Ameer Abdullah played 54% of the snaps and saw a season-high 15 touches. The rookie is a low-end RB2 in a tough matchup.

Lions RB Joique Bell (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday night's game against the Seahawks.  We don't have any details about his injury, but he didn't practice all week, so he's certainly not a lock to return for Week 5.  Bell's absence on Monday should mean a bigger workload for RB Ameer Abdullah.  It makes him a low-end RB2 in a difficult matchup.  RB Zach Zenner also figures to see some action but can't be trusted in fantasy lineups.

Lions RB Joique Bell (ankle) missed practice on Thursday. Bell has started the season slowly and certainly isn’t a fantasy option – if he plays – at Seattle. But if Bell sits, Ameer Abdullah would gain some appeal as an RB2. Detroit vs. Seattle is the Monday night game, so hopefully we have some clarity here by Sunday morning.