David Montgomery salivating to play behind Detroit Lions’ offensive line

David Montgomery, the former Chicago Bears running back, is excited about his move to the Detroit Lions, particularly because of the opportunity to play behind an elite offensive line. The Lions have three Pro Bowlers on the offensive line in left guard Jonah Jackson, center Frank Ragnow, and right tackle Penei Sewell. Montgomery acknowledged the difference in quality between the Lions' offensive line and the Bears' offensive line and is excited to play with high expectations for himself and his new team.

“Yeah, you salivate a little bit,” Montgomery said. “You get three Pro Bowlers on the o-line and them having high expectations for themselves, and me having high expectations for myself. It’ll be really good.“

Key Points:

• Montgomery is excited to play behind an elite offensive line with three Pro Bowlers
• The Lions ranked ninth in both PFF run blocking and ESPN's run block win rate last year despite several injuries to the line
• Montgomery has never played behind a great offensive line during his time with the Bears
• Montgomery has an impressive ability to break tackles, having forced the fifth-most broken tackles in the NFL since 2019
• Montgomery is joining a running back room with impressive talent, including D'Andre Swift, with whom he is excited to play

Why it matters for David Montgomery and Detroit Lions

Montgomery's move to the Detroit Lions gives him the opportunity to play with an elite offensive line, something he never experienced during his four years with the Chicago Bears. With three Pro Bowlers on the Lions' offensive line and his impressive ability to break tackles, Montgomery could be in for a breakout season.

The Big Picture: Montgomery's potential impact on the Lions' rushing attack

Montgomery's move to the Lions is significant because it gives him the opportunity to play with an elite offensive line, which could greatly improve the team's rushing attack. Last year, the Lions had success in the rushing game despite injuries to the offensive line, and with the addition of Montgomery, expectations for the running game are even higher.

“Being able to have Craig Reynolds be back, Jermar, and being able to play with Swift, too, will be nice,” Montgomery said. “I came from a great running back room, and I’m walking right back into one.”

David Montgomery By the Numbers

In his four years in Chicago, Montgomery never averaged more than 2.0 yards before contact per rush

• In his two years in Detroit, Jamaal Williams averaged 2.5 and 2.4 yards before contact per rush
• Williams scored a franchise-record 17 rushing touchdowns last year
• Montgomery has scored 20 rushing touchdowns in the last three years combined

The statistics show that Montgomery has never played behind an elite offensive line, as evidenced by his lack of yards before contact per rush in Chicago. In contrast, Williams had more success running behind the Lions' offensive line in his two years with the team, which could bode well for Montgomery's potential success in Detroit. Additionally, Williams' high number of rushing touchdowns last year shows the potential for the Lions' running backs to put up impressive numbers.