Inside the Article:
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has done an outstanding job building a roster from the ground up, especially when it comes to the offensive side of the ball. In fact, in 2022, the Lions had a top-five offense in the NFL. But though the offense will look different in 2023, with running backs Jamaal Williams and D'Andre Swift heading to the Saints and Eagles, Holmes thinks it will be even better with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Brad Holmes says Lions' offense will be better with Montgomery, Gibbs
Holmes recently joined Peter Schrager on ‘The Season With Peter Schrager' podcast, and when asked about the Lions running back situation, Holmes thinks that the offense will be even better in 2023 with Montgomery and Gibbs than it was with Williams and Swift.
“Yeah, I mean, overall, when you look at it systematically, I do think we will be better offensively, and that's no knock on the contributions that those other two guys gave us. Because Swift is a dynamic player, and Jamaal, you know, he was a great leader for us and he did so much for us, he had a great season,” Holmes said to Peter Schrager. “But we do think that Montgomery, you know, I think that Montgomery and Jamaal are different backs. You know, Montgomery does a little bit more in the passing game, and uh, you know, and adding, being able to add Gibbs, you know, I think he just, he's so dynamic as a receiver. Look, he's a home run hitter as a running back. I mean that's the easy part. What he does as a receiver, I mean he runs routes like a receiver.”
Brad Holmes raves about Jahmyr Gibbs
Holmes went on to tell Schrager that Gibbs was “just different” at Alabama and that he cannot help but be reminded of the great Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey.
“He was just different, he was just different,” Holmes said about Gibbs time at Alabama. “And, um, going through that process, I was like, ‘How many guys have I seen that was equally as effective,' you know, when I first got with the Rams in 2003, Marshall Faulk was still there and I was a HUGE Marshall Faulk guy, just coming in, so just kinda seeing what he does in both phases and then, just from a scouting standpoint, when Christian McCaffrey came out, he was like the last guy that I was like, ‘Holy Cow! Like this guy can run routes like a slot receiver but also run it,' and so you start getting reminders of some of the players. I'm not sitting here saying Jahmyr Gibbs is those players, but you know, just a special weapon, like that. We have a lot of excitement about him.”
Key Points
- Brad Holmes, the Detroit Lions general manager, has successfully built a strong roster from scratch, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, resulting in a top-five offense in the NFL in 2022.
- Despite the departure of running backs Jamaal Williams and D'Andre Swift, Holmes believes the Lions' offense will be even better in 2023 with the addition of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.
- Holmes expresses high praise for Jahmyr Gibbs, comparing him to dynamic players like Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey. The excitement surrounding Gibbs and the potential improvement of the Lions' offense is cause for optimism among fans.
Bottom Line: The future is bright!
To hear Brad Holmes talk about Montgomery, and especially Gibbs like he did to Peter Schrager, is extremely exciting for Lions' fans to hear. The Lions' offense was outstanding in 2022, and if they can take another step forward in 2023, we could be in for a special season.
