Monday, March 2, 2026

Lions Links for Monday 3-2-26

Articles:



Detroit Lions not tendering restricted free agent EDGE Tyrus Wheat:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/news/lions-not-tendering-restricted-free-agent-defensive-end

Detroit Lions David Montgomery Shares Goodbye Message:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/news/detroit-lions-david-montgomery-shares-goodbye-message

Former NFL GM Proposes Wild Jameson Williams Trade For Star Pass Rusher:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/news/former-nfl-gm-proposes-jameson-williams-trade-myles-garrett



Top 5 running backs in free agency for the Lions after the David Montgomery trade:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/top-5-running-backs-in-free-agency-for-the-lions-after-the-david-montgomery-trade/

What the Lions get in new offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, is he their new starting center?:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/what-the-lions-get-in-new-offensive-lineman-juice-scruggs-is-he-their-new-starting-center/

The Lions traded David Montgomery to the Texans for a crazy haul, what they save on the salary cap and their likely next move:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/the-lions-traded-david-montgomery-to-the-texans-for-a-crazy-haul-what-they-save-on-the-salary-cap-and-their-likely-next-move/



The David Montgomery trade has fantasy, depth chart impacts for Lions, Texans:  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48081798/texans-lions-running-back-david-montgomery-trade-means

Ranking all 32 NFL owners based on leaked NFLPA report card grade
John Breech (Grade: A.  Teams: Falcons (Arthur Blank), Lions (Sheila Ford Hamp), Texans (Cal McNair), Colts (Carlie Irsay-Gordon), Jaguars (Shad Khan), Raiders (Mark Davis), Dolphins (Stephen Ross), Seahawks (Jody Allen)):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-all-32-nfl-owner-nflpa-report-cards/


5 Running Backs Who Could Replace David Montgomery in Detroit After Trade to Houston Texans:  https://www.thebiglead.com/5-running-backs-who-could-replace-david-montgomery-in-detroit-after-trade-to-houston-texans/


NFL Offensive Line Rankings 2026: Texans Trade 2 OL, While Browns Acquire Much-Needed Help (16. Detroit Lions - Team OLi Grade: 73.4
Best-Ranked OL: Penei Sewell, 93.0 (2nd overall, 1st position).  Worst-Ranked OL: Kayode Awosika, 50.5 (208th overall, 97th position)):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/best-offensive-lines-nfl-rankings/

Grades:

David Montgomery Trade Grades (Texans acquire RB David Montgomery from Lions for 4th-, 7th-round picks, OL Juice Scruggs:  The Texans acquired David Montgomery for a fifth-round pick. Or, so we thought. An update saw that Houston dealt fourth- and seventh-round selections, as well as Juice Scruggs, for Montgomery. Ian Rapoport called this “fifth-round value” in the ultimate insult to Scruggs.  I would’ve considered a fifth for Montgomery to be a bit too much. Montgomery is a 29-year-old on the decline. The Texans could’ve gotten a running back of equal value in free agency without trading a pick, so it would not have been a good trade. I probably would’ve given Houston a “C” or maybe a C+ for it, but now we know that the team surrendered much more. It’s absurd that the Texans relinquished a fourth-rounder and other things for Montgomery, though it needs to be noted that Scruggs is not a good blocker by any means. Regardless, the Lions won this trade by a mile. I would’ve considered a sixth-rounder for Montgomery to be fair value. The Texans now have a decent, but not great one-two punch at running back with Montgomery and Woody Marks. Montgomery gives the running game an upgrade, but again, a similar back could’ve been acquired for far cheaper compensation (see the NFL Free Agent Running Back Rankings for more.) Grade for Texans – D-, Grade for Lions – A+):  https://walterfootball.com/nfltrades.php

Our NFL offseason trade grades: Who won the David Montgomery deal? (Lions trade RB Montgomery to the Texans - Texans get: RB David Montgomery.  Lions get: G Juice Scruggs, 2026 fourth-round draft pick, 2027 seventh-round pick.  Texans grade: D, Lions grade: A.  At some point this offseason, the Texans needed to add a running back to team up with second-year man Woody Marks. They opted to do that early by acquiring Montgomery. Houston's running game was abysmal in 2025, ranking 31st in EPA per designed carry. Their running back play wasn't ideal, but the biggest culprit of that poor performance was an offensive line that ranked 32nd in run block win rate. Though Marks averaged only 3.6 yards per carry, he still recorded 31 rush yards over expected, another sign that the offensive line was the problem.  In Montgomery, the Texans acquire a reliable veteran who recorded 125 rush yards over expected with Detroit in 2025, per NFL Next Gen Stats. But his role has steadily decreased in recent years with the emergence of Jahmyr Gibbs. In the 14 games Montgomery played in 2023, he was featured on 48% of snaps and carried the ball 219 games. By 2025, those numbers dropped to 37% and 158, respectively, despite playing in 17 games. Montgomery's receiving work was also limited because of Gibbs -- as his 24 receptions last season were nowhere close to the 54 he once caught with the Bears in 2020.  Montgomery's contract is reasonable: It'll cost Houston $6 million in cash this year (and $9 million nonguaranteed next year) if left untouched. But that does not mean this was a smart acquisition. An aging (29 years old in June), early-down back whose prior team had been phasing him out is not worth spending real resources on. It surprises me that Detroit was able to lure a four-seven swap here since the Texans could have found comparable expected production for far less.  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.):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47911726/2026-nfl-free-agency-grades-signings-trades-latest-best-worst-deals-draft-outlook

Lions-Texans Trade Grades: Houston Flips Draft Picks, O-Lineman for Stud RB (Lions Grade:  A-):  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions-texans-trade-grades-houston-flips-draft-picks-olineman-for-stud-rb


Grading Lions Trade Haul for David Montgomery (Lions Grade:  B):  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/news/grading-lions-trade-haul-david-montgomery

Grading the Lions-Texans trade that brought David Montgomery to Houston (Lions Grade: B):  https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/grading-the-lions-texans-trade-that-brought-david-montgomery-to-houston-191339354.html

David Montgomery trade grades: Texans gain much-needed backfield help (Lions Grade:  B-):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/david-montgomery-trade-grades-texans-lions/

2026 Combine:


Detroit Lions’ Penei Sewell might have helped one of the top 2026 NFL Draft prospects without lifting a finger:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/detroit-lions-penei-sewell-might-have-helped-miami-hurricanes-francis-mauigoa-similar-measurements-nfl-combine-2026-nfl-draft/

All-Combine Team Offense: Who rocked Indy? Best NFL fits?:  https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-all-combine-team-offense-nfl-draft

All-Combine Team Defense: Who rocked Indy? Best NFL fits?:  https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-all-combine-team-defense-nfl-draft

Sound Smart: 6 Observations From the 2026 NFL Combine:  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/sound-smart-6-observations-from-2026-nfl-combine

QBs Among the Prospects Who Helped Themselves the Most at the NFL Combine:  https://www.si.com/nfl/qbs-among-prospects-who-helped-themselves-most-at-nfl-combine



2026 Scouting Combine: Which Stars in the Drills Actually Show That Athleticism on Tape?:  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/2026-scouting-combine-stars-jeremiyah-love-bryce-lance-kenyon-sadiq


2026 NFL Draft: 10 Biggest Risers, Fallers From the Scouting Combine:  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2026-nfl-draft-10-biggest-risers-fallers-from-scouting-combine

2026 NFL Combine Recap: What You Need To Know:  https://thedraftnetwork.com/2026/03/02/2026-nfl-combine-recap-notes

6 Biggest Winners From The 2026 NFL Combine:  https://thedraftnetwork.com/2026/03/02/2026-nfl-combine-biggest-winners


Connor Rogers’ NFL Combine takeaways: Jeremiyah Love could go top five, Jets leaning Arvell Reese?:  https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/news/connor-rogers-nfl-combine-takeaways-jeremiyah-love-could-go-top-five-jets-leaning-arvell-reese

NFL Scouting Combine Notebook: 10 things I trust the most about the 2026 NFL Draft after spending a week in Indianapolis:  https://atozsports.com/nfl-draft/nfl-scouting-combine-notebook-10-things-i-trust-the-most-about-the-2026-nfl-draft-jordyn-tyson-brandon-cisse-kc-concepcion/

Diego Pavia’s NFL Comparisons: 5 Similar Players Based on the Vanderbilt QB’s Combine Measurements:  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/diego-pavias-nfl-comparisons-5-similar-players-on-combine-measurements/

2026 NFL Combine Winners and Losers: Kenyon Sadiq and Lee Hunter Among Biggest Risers and Fallers As Draft Approaches:  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/2026-nfl-combine-winners-and-losers/

2026 NFL Draft:

Former Ohio State teammates have high praise for Tyleik Williams:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/former-ohio-state-teammates-have-high-praise-for-tyleik-williams

2026 NFL Draft: Best-case scenario for all NFC teams (Detroit Lions
Goal: Find a shutdown cornerback.  Ideal first pick: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU.  It’s not for a lack of trying, but the Lions’ cornerbacks continue to underperform. Terrion Arnold hasn’t lived up to his draft status with PFF grades of 50.8 and 52.6 in his first two seasons, and free-agent signee D.J. Reed suffered injuries in 2025 en route to his lowest-graded season in the NFL.  As we’ve learned from Super Bowl-winning teams, you can never have enough cornerbacks. With the Lions playing a heavy man coverage scheme, Delane is the perfect addition with his 89.1 man coverage grade in 2025.):  https://www.pff.com/news/2026-nfl-draft-best-case-scenario-for-all-nfc-teams


2026 NFL Draft: Top 50 Prospects After the Scouting Combine:  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2026-nfl-draft-top-50-prospects-scouting-combine

Video:

Stephen A. a fan of the Texans landing David Montgomery:  https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/48081828

“I Like It!” - Rich Eisen: Why the David Montgomery Traded Is a Win for the Texans AND the Lions:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_K7n1kd6Njw
Posted by LionsFan at 8:44 PM

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