Reggie Bush's meeting with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday doesn't figure to be his final free-agent stop. He also has been linked to the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Redskins, but the Lions are offering something Bush wants most: a starting role.
Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reported Tuesday that the Lions promised Bush the opportunity to be an every-down player over Mikel Leshoure and Joique Bell.
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"Reggie has a tough decision to go through," a source close to the player told Cole. "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."
The Cardinals represent an opportunity for plenty of snaps, and they also have offered Bush a starting job, according to Cole. After parting ways with injury-prone Beanie Wells, the Cardinals' backfield rotation is paper thin. They also lack a quarterback, something the Lions can offer in Matthew Stafford.
Bush proved with the Miami Dolphins that he can carry a heavier load than he did while with the New Orleans Saints. His 443 rushes for 2,072 yards over two seasons marked a major uptick in his production, and it's understandable he wants to be more than a third-down back. The Lions have no problem with that, putting them in good position to land this still-explosive player.
UPDATE: The Lions didn't let Bush leave Detroit, signing him to a four-year contract.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
