Will Dan Campbell, Lions regret major offseason move?

The pressure is starting to build around the Detroit Lions. Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes are under a microscope.

The decisions that this franchise is making now will obviously impact their next season. Not just that, either. They'll impact following seasons, too. The Lions ended last season at the bottom of the NFC North, so every single move that this team makes is under scrutiny.

The Lions didn't wait too long to shake things up. They traded veteran running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. In return, they got offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a 2026 fourth-round draft pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

Was this move worth it? Maybe not, at least judging by how many positive reviews the Texans are getting for snagging Montgomery.

Lions may regret offseason move

In a feature out on Friday, Bucky Brooks of the NFL's official website has high praise for the Montgomery move to the Texans.

"After watching C.J. Stroud descend from the heights of his transcendent rookie campaign over the past two years, the Texans acquired a veteran running back to alleviate some of the pressure on the 24-year-old quarterback," he states in the piece. "Despite sharing the backfield with perennial Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs for three years in Detroit, Montgomery played like an RB1b in an offense that punished opponents with a dynamic running game."

Montgomery's stats are more than impressive. During his 45 games, he's clocked 2,506 rushing yards and 33 scores, according to ESPN research. He has a physical style of playing that is a bit unfamiliar in Houston, but that's what makes him such a great fit. That's what the Lions could miss come September.