Running back DeDe Dorsey signs with Lions

Tim Twentyman / The Detroit News

Allen Park -- The Lions signed former Cincinnati Bengals running back DeDe Dorsey to a two-year contract on Tuesday.

"I just felt like Detroit has some pieces in place to be very successful and I wanted to be a part of that," Dorsey told The Detroit News Tuesday. "I'm just excited to get up there and contribute any way I can, whether that's running the football, catching it out of the backfield or contributing on special teams."

Dorsey announced the signing in a Twitter message Tuesday that read: "I am the newest member of ... The Detroit Lions. Motown here I come! I can't wait to get out there and do my thing! Back to the Jungle ... I was a Lindenwood Lion in College and now I am a Detroit Lion in the NFL ... makes sense."

Dorsey, 25, played college football at Lindenwood in St. Charles, Mo. He is 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds.

Dorsey has played in 29 career NFL games. He played in 13 as a rookie with the Colts in 2006 and then spent the past three seasons with the Bengals. Much of his time was spent on special teams, however. He has just 26 career NFL rushes for 191 yards.

Dorsey said he also had offers from St. Louis and Minnesota but felt most comfortable in Detroit.

"There is a difference between teams that have a history of losing," he said. "I felt like the Lions were really working hard and doing the right things to change that. I visited some other teams that have a history of losing and I got the vibe that it was expected and that's just how it was around there. I felt that wasn't the case in Detroit."

The Lions were in the market for a running back after a torn ACL injury put starter Kevin Smith on injured reserve last season. Smith also will require shoulder surgery this offseason and it's unclear if he'll be ready to rejoin the team on the field by the start of training camp in July.

Dorsey said that didn't factor into his decision to join the Lions.

"I don't look to gain from someone else's injury," Dorsey said. "I think when Kevin returns we can be a great duo. I chose Detroit because I just felt like it was the place for me."

Dorsey looked to be a tough runner with good speed on the HBO series "Hard Knocks." His battle with rookie running back Brian Leonard was one of the features of the show. Dorsey made the final roster out of the preseason, but was ultimately released after being inactive in a Week 1 loss to the Broncos.

"I'm very excited to come into a new city and a new organization," he said. "It's a clean slate for me."

After being released, Dorsey went to the United Football League (UFL). While playing for the Las Vegas Locomotives, he was named MVP of the inaugural UFL championship game.

The Lions are still expected to take a running back in April's draft or possibly sign another free agent.