It wouldn't surprise me if Kevin Smith plays well for the Lions the second half of the year. His problem wasn't ability, it was durability, a lot of it no fault of his own.
At Central Florida, he carried the ball 450 times his last season, and over 900 times in a 3-year career. It wasn't like he didn't take shots. Every defense was geared to stop him.
When the Lions got Smith, it wasn't like they got a fresh runner.
The concerns about him, when he was taken by the Lions in the draft, that he didn't have enough speed and quickness weren't true. He is not above average in those areas, but not just plodder, either.
He did hit the hole quickly, but he got hurt and banged around more than most backs because he was playing on horrible teams. Coupled with the Lions ineptitude at the time, Smith was out quickly.
He is young (25). The time away likely healed his body. He is a determined athlete who carries a chip on his shoulder with something to prove. That's been his M.O. since he wasn't recruited by BCS colleges coming out of high school in Miami, Fla. (Rivals had him as just a two-star recruit).
It wouldn't surprise me if Smith contributes significantly the second half of the season. He is fresh legs being thrown into the mix right in the middle of the season when the rest of the NFL is licking their wounds. He knows the Lions system. That isn't a problem. And he's been checked out physically by the organization that knows of whatever physical ailments he's had better than other teams.