Four Glaring Takeaways From Texans' David Montgomery Trade

The Houston Texans have started off the new week with a couple of big trades to shake up their roster headed into next season, headlined by their latest trade to pick up David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions in exchange for a fourth-round pick, a seventh-round pick, and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs.

Updated compensation :

Texans get: RB David Montgomery.

Lions get: fourth-round pick, OL Juice Scruggs, and a 7th-round pick. https://t.co/fzCWeZMQ0a
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 2, 2026

It's an eye-catching move from the Texans brass to change the look of their offense headed into 2026, and brings a bit more firepower and versatility into the running back room that hadn't been in the mix last season.

Montgomery, who's spent the last three years with Detroit, has cemented himself as a steady and reliable veteran in the backfield. And on paper, he looks to be a quality pickup for Houston's offense in the early parts of this NFL offseason.

But behind the big move also come a few dominoes to fall in the process, not only giving us some hints on how Houston's roster could look at the start of next season, but how the front office may decide to approach the next few weeks of the offseason altogether.

With that in mind, here's a batch of four glaring takeaways to come as a result of Houston's trade to land Montgomery from the Lions:

1. Drafting RB Appears Off the Table

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price (RB15) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Sure, the Texans could use a day-three pick by bringing in some more depth to their running back room, but adding talent to the backfield doesn't feel like the most likely outcome for any of their four selections sitting within the first two days of the draft. They've essentially already invested a fourth and a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft to land Montgomery in the first place.

Instead, it feels way more likely that the Texans utilize those picks to build up the trenches; both offensively by bringing in more firepower on their offensive line, and on the defensive end in an effort to get the interior of the line between the edges a bit younger.

That means don't hold your breath for a big swing on Jadarian Price, Mike Washington Jr., or any other top runner that might be on the board once the Texans land on the clock, particularly in the second round.

2. Woody Marks Isn't Going Away

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) runs during the first half of an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Don't let the trade fool you. Woody Marks will still be involved in the Texans offense. It might just be in a lower capacity than what was seen last season.

Marks showed good flashes last year when he was handed the bulk of the carries in the backfield towards the end of last season. He logged over 250 touches between the regular season and postseason, proving he could be a versatile weapon in the passing game, and a home-run hitter that can offer some explosive playmaking as well.

Expect the Texans to balance the workload between Marks and Montgomery to create their own one-two punch in the backfield, as the former Lions back saw in Detroit, but without the same star power that Jahmyr Gibbs brought to that offense.

3. Goodbye, Joe Mixon

Jan 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) scores a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

While Marks won't be going anywhere heading into next season, one player's future in Houston has been defined following the move to land Montgomery, and that's Joe Mixon, if his fate for this offseason hadn't been clear enough already.

Without any clarity on what lies ahead for Mixon's health for 2026, and the Texans' ability to release the veteran running back to clear $8 million off the books, the writing is on the wall for how the front office will decide to approach his deal before free agency arrives.

Now, it's not a matter of if, but when the Texans will cut Mixon heading into the new league year.

4. More Work to Be Done Offensively

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Texans' offense certainly got better with Montgomery added into the picture, but there's bound to be tweaks to improve this unit even further, most notably on the offensive line.

Half of having a good rushing attack also falls upon the offensive line to be a steady force as well. That Texans offensive line was already set to see turnover this offseason in an effort to improve from 2025's production, but that process now becomes even more magnified with their trade to send Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns.

If the Texans want to maximize this offseason to the best of their abilities, a great deal of focus has to rely on shaping up this offensive line to be even more refined and improved than it had grown to be from last season's adjustments.