Lions GM Ed Hervey discusses why BC made the trade for Rutley:

Rutley could possibly push Jeremiah Johnson for the starter’s role at training camp. Hervey also talked about how, before the trade, Chris Rainey would have automatically been the next in line at running back if Johnson went down for an extended period and the Lions want to avoid overloading Rainey considering how important he is to their special teams game.

“The trade helps us create a more competitive environment at training camp,” said Hervey. “We have to come in and be ready to compete for our positions. Regardless of how well we played as individuals last season, we need to get more out of our players.
“We also want to be even more of a running team this year, and that’s going to put more emphasis on the running backs. It’s already a physically demanding position. How many teams do you see start the season with a running back and go through the entire season with just him? We want to make sure we had another quality veteran we could rely on.” ...
“He’s shown, when he’s played in games, that he can be effective,” said Hervey. “He needed a fresh start. Hopefully he sees this an opportunity.”
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