While the Detroit Lions decision to cut running back Reggie Bush could certainly be looked at as a vote of confidence for a younger guy like Theo Riddick, there may be another, bigger - literally and figuratively - reason for the team parting ways with Bush.
Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reports that for the Lions, cutting the veteran running back is, first and foremost, about increasing cap room for the team to resign Ndamukong Suh.
"This is all about Ndamukong Suh and right now every time I ask about Lions business, what they're doing here what they're doing there, everything I hear is well, they're trying to get all their ducks in a row with Ndamukong Suh and that's holding things up elsewhere," Garafolo said. "Now this move is only going to save them about, $1.7 million on the salary cap for next year. Reggie Bush is hitting that magic running back number of 30 - he'll turn 30 in a couple of days here - but they are nipping and tucking wherever they can to find some money to resign Suh here."
As Garafolo notes, cutting Bush didn't affect the team's cap space all that significantly - but it seems to be just a small part of a much larger effort to make room for a deal that would allow the Lions to keep the mammoth defensive tackle without having to apply the franchise tag.
"To tag him it would be $27 million, I don't think they're going to want to do that. I think they're going to want to work out a long-term deal, but everything, right now, is geared toward resigning Suh."
To be fair, Bush finished last season with only 76 carries for 297 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and 40 catches for 253 yards and zero touchdowns through the air in an injury-marred campaign that saw him appear in just 11 games.
His lengthy injury history, advancing age and limited production, coupled with the ample abilities of both Joique Bell and Riddick to carry the load for the Lions, are what really made him expendable.
For the Lions though, retaining Suh is a top offseason priority and every little bit helps when your team is in the middle of the NFL pack when it comes to cap space.
