As expected, clearly with his desire for a bigger role in mind, the Detroit Lions are trading running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.
Montgomery's role in the Lions' offense had declined over the last couple seasons, in exact correlation with Jahmyr Gibbs' rise to being one of the best running backs in the league. But there's still no easy way to replace "Knuckles", as a beloved teammate and a fit in the locker room.
With Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors left on the depth chart behind Gibbs, the Lions are in the market for a veteran running back. While it's easy to think about some of the more notable names in free agency, it's more likely going to be someone in the lower end of that pool.
It should be a veteran signing to replace Montgomery, over drafting a rookie. If something were to happen to Gibbs, the Lions don't have time to cultivate someone and hope they can reasonably fill the void if needed.
If we know Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell at all, and we do for better or worse at this point, the search for Montgomery's replacement will prioritize intangibles and culture fit just as much as playing ability.
Lions have a sneaky great FA target to replace David Montgomery
An early list of free agent options to replace Montgomery still stands as relevant now, but it's time to expand those horizons a bit.
Isiah Pacheco was quite the seventh-round find for the Kansas City Chiefs, topping 800 yards on the ground as a rookie in 2022 and following that up with over 900 yards in his second season. But a fractured fibula early in the 2024 season derailed what was lined up to be a full-on breakout campaign, and last season he missed a total of four games (three due to a knee injury).
While he hasn't looked like the same back the last two seasons, Pacheco's overall efficiency as a runner, according to Next Gen Stats, was actually just a bit better than Gibbs' last season. And during what has been the best season of his career to this point, 2023, he had 44 receptions to go with his 900-plus yards on the ground.
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At his best, and as could be expected from a seventh-round pick with a chip on his shoulder, Pacheco runs with a rare fierceness--like he's "mad at the ground." If that intangible mindset and demeanor as a runner doesn't scream "Dan Campbell", nothing does.
Pacheco will also not be expensive to sign. Spotrac has his market value at $4.3 million per year, on a projected one-year deal of course. Beyond that, Over The Cap's valuation of his performance last season comes in at $1.8 milion.
As Pacheco looks to get his career back on track, Detroit looks like a good place to do it as the hard-charging, physical complement to Gibbs. For the Lions, he looks like a phenomenal all-around fit who is everything they'll want in Montgomery's replacement.