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| | Tuesday, February 15 | |||||
| DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions, in search of a solid running
back since Barry Sanders' retirement last summer, have agreed to
terms with free agent James Stewart.
"A lot of it came down to how I felt after my visit here last Friday," Stewart said during a news conference in the Silverdome. "The staff, the coaches, everybody really made me feel welcome." Stewart, who led the Jacksonville Jaguars with 931 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns last season, said he also was influenced by the fact that Detroit seems closer to winning a championship than the Browns do. "I had a real good feeling when I left here," said Stewart, who flew in from Cleveland, where he had spent the weekend. "I was pretty much leaning this way all the time. Still, it wasn't an easy decision. I didn't make up my mind for good until late last night."The Lions had released running backs Ron Rivers and Greg Hill last week and were badly in the market for a top-flight runner. Stewart had been unhappy with his role in Jacksonville. He said following the Jaguars' loss to Tennessee in the AFC title game that he was looking for a fresh start elsewhere. At Jacksonville, Stewart filled in for injured Fred Taylor last season. In the playoffs, Stewart had 14 carries for 97 yards -- a 6.9 average -- and two TDs. But when Taylor recovered from his hamstring injury, Stewart again was the Jaguars' No. 2 back. | ALSO SEE Agent: Sanders won't return to NFL solely for financial reasons 2000 Free Agent Signings AFC Free Agents NFC Free Agents AUDIO/VIDEO   James Stewart thinks Detroit can win now.wav: 203 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6  | |||||
