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What David Montgomery trade to Texans means for Woody Marks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Houston Texans didn't wait long to find a new backfield contributor.
On Monday, a couple weeks before free agency even opens, they swung a trade with the Detroit Lions. It cost the Texans just a fifth-round pick to acquire David Montgomery.
Montgomery is 28 years old but still an effective back, running for eight touchdowns and 4.5 yards per carry in 2025.
He had just become expendable in Detroit thanks to the continued emergence of superstar RB Jahmyr Gibbs.
The fit with the Texans is fascinating, though, because of Woody Marks.
What happens to Woody Marks after David Montgomery trade?
Marks put together a promising rookie season, but now his workload seems destined to shift with the acquisition of Montgomery.
In reality, the Texans probably don't plan to change their long-term outlook on Marks much. He's still an impressive receiving back who also gets the job done on the ground.
But in the near term, this could mean a 50-50 kind of carry split between Marks and Montgomery.
The Texans may have felt this was a necessary move for one reason: Marks' injuries.
In almost every game he played as a rookie, Marks needed to depart for the blue medical tent. Most of the time, he made it back on the field, but it's still a concerning trend.
For a team that wants to finally make it past the AFC Divisional Round, veteran depth at RB is a positive thing.
Montgomery is still a quality player, and he can take the load off Marks not in a diminishing way but in a way that improves Houston's team as a whole.
2026 Phillies roster projection, 2.0
March has suddenly snuck up on us, which means actual real baseball will begin in earnest later this month. We’ll get to experience the thrill of the World Baseball Classic once it begins in a few days, but the curtain raising on the MLB season is mere weeks away at this point. That means rosters are starting to get formed and while injuries may still have their say in which team gets assembled in what way, the basic skeleton of the Phillies is likely already in place.
Roster projections are nothing new and help us get ready for the games, so making one is something of a warm up for the year. We have done this already once this season, so now, a month later, it seems appropriate to do so one more time. Let’s take another stab at what the final 26-man roster is going to look like.
Catcher – J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchan
While Realmuto is entrenched at the starter’s position, it’s the backup spot that is more interesting. There has been no indication that Garrett Stubbs is an immediate threat to taking the job back from Marchan, yet it doesn’t seem implausible that it could happen. Doing so would require the team moving on from Marchan in either a trade or a waiver placement, something they might be loathe to do so as to protect whatever catching depth they might possess.
Yet there might be a tinge of merit to the idea that Stubbs’ familiarity with the incoming ABS system might be somewhat beneficial to the team. Having had a full-ish season in Lehigh Valley with the system might be attractive in a weird sort of way. Couple that with his having worked for most of the season with Andrew Painter, an increasingly important part of the 2026 Phillies, and there could be a benefit to his remaining Realmuto’s caddy. In the end, that meager “upgrade” over Marchan probably isn’t worth a roster change, but it’s at least something to pay attention to as the spring games continue.
Infield – Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp
This group is six remains the same as nothing has changed about what may or may not happen with alignment. Outside of a surprise trade this late in the game, these will be the infielders. There is always the chance that Dylan Moore sneaks in as that 26th man that gets cut almost immediately, but he just hasn’t done much of anything this spring to warrant getting additional serious looks.
What, were you expecting Rhys Hoskins?
Outfield – Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, Adolis Garcia, Johan Rojas
No change here either, yet the specter of Bryan de la Cruz hovering in the corner and taking over for Rojas is very real.
Designated hitter – Kyle Schwarber
Easiest choice there is.
Starting rotation – Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter
Again, no changes. If anything, Rob Thomson might be chiseling this starting five in a stone tablet as opposed to writing in pencil. The reports around Painter and his re-emerging arm slot have invigorated the coaching staff and lent credence to the idea that last season was more of a rumble strip that woke him up on his path to Philadelphia. A full season of pitching after having sat out for two seasons will wear a body down, but now with a full offseason behind him and the major league coaching staff getting their hands on him, optimism is high.
Sunday’s outing helps as well.
Relief pitching – Jhoan Duran, Jose Alvarado, Brad Keller, Tanner Banks, Orion Kerkering, Zach McCambley, Kyle Backhus, Jonathan Bowlan
The reporting surrounding Kyle Backhus, coupled with the views that we have seen from him, are likely landing him the final bullpen spot. A slight uptick in velocity to go with his general funkiness on the mound are going to cause headaches for opposing batters.
McCambley is possibly teetering at this point as he either make the team or goes back to Miami thanks to Rule 5 draft rules. That return to the Marlins possibly happens whenever Wheeler is ready to return to the rotation, but if he, McCambley, can continue to get outs during spring training games, the team might lean into the idea of keeping optionable pitchers in Lehigh Valley to continue to preserve depth for the long season ahead.
Injured list – Zack Wheeler
Wheeler throwing off a mound already is good news for the team, though caution will still the rule of the day. An early May return looks like the best outcome as some minor league rehab starts will probably be needed before the team waves the green flag on his season.
Why NFL teams don’t use the transition tag over the franchise tag
In just two days, we should know whether or not the Seattle Seahawks will stay true to form under John Schneider and not use either the franchise tag or transition tag. The only times they’ve ever used the franchise tag since Schneider became general manager in 2010 were Olindo Mare and Frank Clark, the latter eventually traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in lieu of playing on the tag. Clark signed his tag and got a contract from the Chiefs afterward.
The Seahawks have three high-profile free agents who could be considered tag candidates: Rashid Shaheed, Riq Woolen, and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III. It seems more likely that all three walk in free agency than any one get the franchise or transition tag.
Last week we had a post in The Feed from regular Field Gulls commenter Donut Receipt, which linked to The Ringer NFL podcast speculating that the Seahawks could use the less heralded transition tag on Walker. While it’s not an impossibility, it’s also both risky and extremely unlikely.
The key differences between the transition tag and franchise tag
Transition tags are cheaper than franchise tags
If the Seahawks wanted to franchise tag Walker, for example, then it would cost them $14,293,000 and immediately count against the salary cap whether he signs or not. Under the transition tag, Walker’s one-year deal would also be fully guaranteed and immediately count against the cap, but the salary would be “only” $11,323,000. Saving over $3 million sounds pretty good! Except…
There is no exclusive transition tag
An exclusive franchise tag means a player cannot negotiate with other teams, whereas a non-exclusive franchise tagged player can speak with other teams and receive an offer sheet.
Transition tags are only non-exclusive and therefore players are free to negotiate elsewhere and sign an offer sheet. Just like the non-exclusive franchise tag, the original team has five days to match any offer sheet. But here’s the problem…
There is NO draft compensation for losing a player on the transition tag
If an offer sheet to a non-exclusive franchise tagged player is not matched, then the original team receives two first-round picks as compensation.
If an offer sheet to a non-exclusive transition tagged player is not matched, then the original team gets nothing in return. Zip. Zilch. Nada. There are no draft picks coming back—tagging a player also negates the compensatory pick avenue—hence this is a riskier move that is seldom made.
Transition tag usage is very rare
Dating back to 2014, only six players have been given the transition tag, most recently Kyle Dugger in 2024 before he signed an extension with the New England Patriots (only to be traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers last year). For context, eight players had a franchise tag designation just in 2024.
An example of a team losing a player with no draft compensation in return is the Miami Dolphins, who transition tagged tight end Charles Clay in the 2015 offseason. The AFC East rival Buffalo Bills signed him to a five-year, $38 million contract and Miami opted not to match.
On the flip side, the Green Bay Packers gave Chicago Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller a four-year, $56 million offer while he was transition tagged back in 2018. Chicago matched the offer and he stayed with the Bears.
Let’s not go down the transition tag road as Seahawks fans
I know such clauses are now defunct, but the Seahawks know a thing or two about a transition tag gone wrong. Steve Hutchinson, “poison pill” language from the Minnesota Vikings, Super Bowl window immediately closes, and the rest is history. Seattle has not used the transition tag in the 20 years since then.
tl;dr:
- Don’t tag, let them test the market = Possible compensatory draft picks in 2027 if they’re not re-signed
- Non-exclusive franchise tag, let them test the market = Two first-round picks in compensation if an offer sheet is not matched
- Transition tag, let them test the market = Nothing if an offer sheet is not matched
The Seahawks are unlikely to tag any of their free agents, but even less so with the transition tag.
Spurs given suspended ticket ban for Nazi salutes
Uefa has fined Tottenham Hotspur and given them a suspended ban from selling away tickets after three supporters made Nazi salutes towards Eintracht Frankfurt fans.
The incident occurred during their Champions League fixture - which Spurs won 2-0 - at the German club's Deutsche Bank Park on 28 January.
Uefa said it issued the ban for "the racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters" and it was "suspended for a probationary period of one year".
Tottenham were fined £26,000 (30,000 euros) by European football's governing body in addition to £1,966 (2,250 euros) for objects thrown by their supporters.
Spurs said the "conduct of a small number of fans" was "utterly abhorrent" and have issued them with banning orders.
"We can confirm that all three individuals found to be making Nazi salutes towards Eintracht Frankfurt fans have been identified and have received indefinite bans under the club's sanctions and banning policy," said Spurs.
"The club stands firmly against all forms of discrimination and has therefore taken the strongest possible action. The disgusting behaviour of a minority of so-called fans on the night is in no way reflective of the values of our club and its supporters."
Last week, Real Madrid launched an investigation after a supporter allegedly performed a Nazi salute before the club's Champions League win against Benfica.
Report: Lions trading David Montgomery to Texans
Sonic and Knuckles will not play together in 2026.
The Detroit Lions are reportedly trading running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. In return, the Lions will get:
- Texans’ 4th-round pick
- OL Juice Scruggs
- Texans 7th-round pick
There was clearly some tension between Montgomery and the Lions after the 2025 season, in which Montgomery saw his usage decline with the rise of Jahmyr Gibbs. Just last week, Lions general manager Brad Holmes suggested that there were still 0ngoing talks between the Lions and Montgomery.
“Obviously, look, we love David. He’s a great player. We would love to have him. Kind of want to put last year in the rearview and just move forward. But a player has to want to be at a certain place as well, so those conversations are still fluid and we’re just kind of seeing how it goes,” Holmes said last week.
With the move, the Lions will clear up just north of $3.5 million in cap space, but now they have a significant need at the second running back position.