Reggie Bush is returning to a familiar offense, and the change could diminish his workload.
New Lions offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi brought much of the New Orleans Saints' playbook with him to Detroit. Bush is acquainted with that offense, having played his first five NFL seasons in Sean Payton's system.
Bush said Thursday he's preparing for his and Joique Bell's amount of carries to be adjusted from last season.
"We had a pretty good rotation going last (season), so, you know, we did some pretty special things with that," Bush said, per ESPN.com. "It can only go up from there, even if the workload is less for both of us, that's only going to help us toward the end of the season, help us to stay healthy and probably play a little bit stronger and better toward the end of the season."
In the Saints' offense, Bush averaged more than 11 carries per game only once (2007) and didn't top 157 totes in any season. In three years since leaving New Orleans he's averaged at least 14 carries a game and never had fewer than 216 attempts. Last year in Detroit, he averaged 15.9 carries in 14 games.
Bush's workload could decrease in the running game, but increase in the passing game, where he could be utilized in the "Joker" role that Darren Sproles played in New Orleans the past three seasons.
Bush showed an ability to run between the tackles in 2013, but durability was a concern down the stretch. If Lombardi lowers the running back's carries a bit and ramps up the amount of catches he makes in space, Bush should still be just as productive in 2014.
In the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the guys continue the offseason Roster Reset series by breaking down the NFC West and AFC South.
