Dan Campbell Might Have to Go Back on David Montgomery Promise
After the Detroit Lions' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6, head coach Dan Campbell said he would like to "balance the backfield out" by giving more touches to David Montgomery. This was understandable following the second-worst rushing output of the season by the Lions. Montgomery had only four carries, while Jahmyr Gibbs had 17 in comparison. Knuckles did more with his touches, averaging six yards per carry, while Gibbs only averaged 3.8.
Fast forward a week, and Campbell may have to go back on his promise to get Montgomery more touches. The Lions did, in fact, balance out the backfield by increasing Montgomery's carries to 13 while Gibbs' stayed the same at 17. But Sonic had the best game of his career, looking completely unstoppable against the Bucs' defense. Gibbs not only averaged eight yards per carry, but he also added 82 receiving yards for a career-best 218 total yards from scrimmage, the most by a Lions player since Calvin Johnson in 2013, per ESPN Research.
Campbell May Not Be Able to Give Montgomery the Touches He Wants
While Campbell's desire to get Montgomery more involved and keep Gibbs fresh by not putting too much on him is understandable, he will likely find it harder now to split touches between them evenly. Last season, there was a similar effort, with Gibbs averaging 14.7 rushing attempts per game and Montgomery averaging 13.2. Even though Gibbs was significantly more effective and was arguably the best RB in the league, Campbell continued to feature Montgomery heavily throughout the season.
Montgomery's carries have declined to 11.1 per game, and Gibbs' have largely stayed the same. The 23-year-old, however, has once again been more impactful, averaging 5.1 yards per carry, compared to Montgomery's 4.6.
The two players obviously bring two different elements to the game. Gibbs has the speed and quickness, while Montgomery relies more on brute force and power to go downhill. There are certainly times when using Montgomery's size and strength makes more sense. His hard-running style and ability to break tackles and gain yards after contact are key for the Lions to move the ball. Montgomery's hard-to-tackle, physical style makes things easier for Gibbs when he has the ball on the next possession.
Yet, the Lions need to stop treating the two rushers as if they are the same caliber of players. Having Montgomery is a big luxury, and he is a big part of this offense. This doesn't mean, however, that he should get the same number of touches as the best running back in the league. After Monday night's performance, Dan Campbell will likely start feeling similarly.
Cowboys Trade Proposal Brings $100 Million Ravens All-Pro to Dallas
With the NFL’s trade deadline approaching soon, many fans and analysts alike have their eye on the Dallas Cowboys as a potential buyer.
After getting a haul in return for Micah Parsons, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has gone on record a few times saying more trades — this time to add talent — are possible.
Cowboys Wire’s Angel Torres put together a trade proposal that would give Matt Eberflus’ defense one of the best linebackers in the NFL.
“According to PFF, Dallas doesn’t have a linebacker ranked in the top 50 players at the position and Kenneth Murray is rated dead last in the league. Playing better is a far cry from playing to standard and Dallas could use an infusion of both talent and experience,” Torres wrote on October 21. before pitching his trade target: Baltimore Ravens All-Pro Roquan Smith.
Cowboys Trade Proposal Sends Ravens LB Roquan Smith to Dallas
Patrick Smith/Getty ImagesLB Roquan Smith of the Baltimore Ravens has been named a trade target for the Dallas Cowboys.
“Baltimore seems to be a team realistic with their expectations, and a rough start coupled with a slew of injuries could prompt them to make a move. Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith would be a massive upgrade for a team wanting to, dare I say it, ‘go all in’ to try and win a title,” Torres noted, adding:
“The 28-year-old, three-time All-Pro linebacker has played in just four games this season after injuring his hamstring but recently returned to practice after the Ravens’ bye. Smith has two years remaining on his contract after this season with a $4 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the new league year in both 2026 and 2027, yet he does not have any guaranteed money remaining on his deal after this season.”
Smith has stacked first-team All-Pro nods in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and also knows Eberflus. The veteran LB began the 2022 season under Eberflus in Chicago before the Bears moved him to Baltimore before the trade deadline that year. Their overlap was brief, but it was there.
Torres’ trade proposal would send Smith to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder.
More on the Idea of Adding Smith
The biggest obstacle is that the Ravens probably won’t want to part with him. They paid a premium to get him and then made him a franchise pillar when they signed him to a five-year, $100 million extension that included $60 million in total guarantees.
That’s big-time money for an off-ball linebacker, but Smith has games where he outright tilts the field. If Dallas believes the window is open enough to justify a splash like this, it’d be a fascinating trade.
Eberflus has always valued pursuit and good ball awareness from the second level, and Smith has checked those boxes in two cities.
Since Smith landed in Baltimore in late 2022, his stat sheet has been boss-level. In his first nine games as a Raven, he racked up 86 total tackles (51 solo, 35 assisted) and 2.0 sacks. The next year in 2023, he started 16 games and finished with 158 total tackles (84 solo, five for loss), 1.5 sacks and an interception.
In 2024, he followed it up with another monster season: 154 tackles (81 solo, four for loss), 1.5 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery. So far in 2025, through four games, he’s added 34 tackles (24 solo, four for loss) and took a fumble 63 yards to the house Week 2 against the Browns.
Look — this is a definite pie-in-the-sky idea. And obviously, if the Ravens’ asking price is astronomical, it’d be a non-starter. But there’s no harm in asking, and there’s no doubt Smith would elevate the entire Dallas defense. It’s highly unlikely, but if the Ravens lose to the Bears Week 8 and fall to 1-6, they may decide to shed some bigger contracts and add draft capital. If that happens, it wouldn’t hurt Jones to put in a call about Smith.
