The Detroit Lions started their offseason with a bang, shipping running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans for a pair of draft picks and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs.
That move elicited major reactions from Detroit fans given Montgomery's status as a fan favorite, but as the dust has settled on the move and the decision, it's clear that the Lions may have come out significantly ahead in terms of its impact on the team.
While the deal is seen as decent for the Houston Texans given the player they are acquiring, it's being perceived as even better for Detroit. The Lions were able to recoup a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick in addition to Scruggs. That's a fantastic haul for a 29 year-old running back who's best days could be limited.
ESPN sees the reality of that, and analyst Seth Walder recently graded the move. He had the Lions earning an 'A' for their work in getting the haul for Montgomery, while the Texans earned a 'D' for their part of the deal. As Walder said, it might not have as much to do with Scruggs as getting multiple assets.
"Scruggs is a reclamation project throw-in for Detroit. The 2023 second-round pick has bounced around the interior of Houston's offensive line. At guard, he has been in the 24th and 26th percentiles in pass block win rate and run block win rate, respectively. The results at center in 2024 were even worse, as he was third percentile in both metrics."
"Scruggs has one year left on his rookie deal, but the draft picks should be more than enough here for the Lions. They can use that capital to find another running back to complement Gibbs late in the draft or find a low-cost veteran in free agency. It's as easy a win as the Lions will find all offseason."
If the Lions manage to reclaim Scruggs as a depth interior piece, the deal would have to be considered a massive win for Detroit. Not only do they get a player and the precious commodity of another fourth-round pick, but they add a late pick which can be used to sweeten deals or include in a trade for a player to improve another position now or in the future.
All in all, that's pretty good work by Holmes, which is something the national media seems to realize with this positive grade for an offseason opening trade.
Lions have big decision to make when it comes to replacing Montgomery
As Walder points out in the piece, the biggest decision the Lions have to make moving forward is what to do for a second running back. As it stands now, there are few options behind Jahmyr Gibbs currently on the roster that make sense from a depth perspective that the team can use.
Detroit could choose to enter the free agency market and find a moderately priced veteran to work with Gibbs. Some names to remember on this front include JK Dobbins, Kenneth Gainwell, Tyler Allgeier and potentially James Connor if he is released, given his connection with Drew Petzing.
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The other option for the Lions revolves around spending an early to middle round pick on the position, potentially even the fourth-round selection that was acquired in the Montgomery trade. Doing so would give the Lions a cost-controlled asset that they could develop behind Gibbs for the future.
Either way, the move to deal Montgomery gives the Lions some added flexibility. They can pursue a younger player while also perhaps checking off other needs. They also were able to add a potential depth option up front to strengthen a weakened offensive line. It's easy to see why this trade grades out highly as a result.