Detroit Lions camp preview: Welcome to Jahmyr Gibbs' bell cow era
Allen Park — The Detroit Lions weren’t wrong to install Jahmyr Gibbs as the starter over David Montgomery last season, but not enough thought was put into maintaining the balance of the team’s backfield rotation.
Publicly, Montgomery played the good soldier. However, after logging fewer than 10 carries in more than half of the team’s games, it was clear the situation was untenable. He deserved a bigger role and the Lions couldn’t afford to pay him what he was owed if they couldn’t guarantee one.
So after three seasons in Detroit, having forged one of the most productive tandems in NFL history alongside Gibbs, the team shipped Montgomery to Houston for a pair of draft picks and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs.
Ahead of the start of training camp later this month, let’s explore the questions surrounding the team’s stable of backs.
What is Gibbs’ ceiling
The Montgomery trade formalized where things were already trending: Gibbs is the team’s bell cow. Still, his workload will continue to be monitored. While there might be a random week or two where he racks up 30 touches, it would be surprising to see him draw 300 carries next season.