Here is a sample of the national reaction to the Detroit Lions’ deal of David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.
Sports Illustrated
The Texans received a C- grade, whereas Detroit earned an A-.
It’s now officially the Jahmyr Gibbs show in Detroit. After sharing duties with Montgomery for the previous three seasons, the former first-round choice will now get to build on his two consecutive 1,200-plus rushing yard, 10-touchdown seasons with the Lions.
While it is definitely a sadness that we will have to retire the Sonic and Knuckles gags, moving on from Montgomery, who still has two years left on his contract with a $9 million cap hit in 2027, while acquiring a plug-and-play guard in Scruggs and draft capital, is a no-brainer for Detroit.
Gibbs was able to maintain some tread on his tires as he began his career. Now? The Lions are going full force in their quest for their long-awaited Super Bowl victory.
ESPN
The Texans received a D, while general manager Brad Holmes received an A.
Scruggs is a reclamation project throw-in for Detroit. The 2023 second-round selection has moved around the interior of Houston’s offensive line. At guard, he has ranked in the 24th and 26th percentiles in pass block victory rate and run block success rate, respectively. The results at the center were even worse in 2024, with him placing in the third percentile for both measures. Scruggs has one year remaining on his rookie contract, but the draft picks should be more than sufficient for the Lions. They can use that money to acquire another running back to compliment Gibbs later in the draft or sign a cheap veteran in free agency. It’s the simplest victory the Lions will have all offseason.
CBS Sports
The Lions received a B- grade, while the Texans got a B.
As we observed previously, Holmes was dealing with a player who may or may not have wanted to leave, therefore receiving several draft selections plus a player in exchange is a strong deal. Montgomery has been the 1B in Detroit’s backfield for the past several years, but his position began to fade as Jahmyr Gibbs rose to prominence and took over an even greater portion of the workload. That trend was expected to continue in 2026, most likely increasing Montgomery’s frustration, thus parting ways with a player whose contribution in your attack is diminishing makes logical.
Montgomery had no guaranteed money remaining on his contract, so he would have sought a restructured deal, making this a shrewd financial decision by the Lions. They avoid having to spend money on a running back entering his age-29 season. Having said that, Detroit’s backfield is no longer as deep as it once was, and the timeshare was becoming unequal; the combination of Gibbs and Montgomery was a tremendous one-two punch that also kept Gibbs fresh.
USA Today
The Lions received a B, while the Texans received a slightly lower B-.
If Montgomery was serious about forcing his way elsewhere, this represents a good return for a player of his age. Holmes has more resources to seek for Day 2 and 3 gems in the draft, and Scruggs, a 2023 second-round pick, is a good depth throw-in for a club that has been forced to rebuild its front. The question for Detroit now is where the team will find the necessary toughness in the backfield. New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing definitely does not want to wear Gibbs down, especially since he is more important in the new offensive system.
Backup Sione Vaki was a fourth-round selection in 2024, but he has just seven carries in two seasons. A value signing after the first round of free agency might be in order if the proper fit exists. The Lions might also look back to the draft, however this year’s running back pool is largely regarded as one of the class’s weaker spots.
Several interesting inside prospects, including Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr. and Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson, exist, but the greatest possibilities may be prohibitively expensive for a position that will be mostly complimentary. Jonah Coleman of Washington and Kaytron Allen of Penn State are more realistic prospects for filling the position.
