The Detroit Lions have been one of the most formidable teams in the NFL, as Dan Campbell’s squad is 14-2 and will square off against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football in Week 18 in a game that will decide the NFC North champion and No.1 seed in the conference.
It’s impressive how successful Detroit has been this year despite the absurd number of injuries the team has endured. The Lions have multiple key starters out with injury, including star running back David Montgomery. The veteran suffered an MCL injury during the team’s Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills and hasn’t played since. Montgomery is targeting a divisional round return if Detroit advances that far.
With Montgomery out, Jahmyr Gibbs has assumed the full-time RB1 role, but general manager Brad Holmes could look to add another player to the position group before the start of the playoffs. Bleacher Report’s Taylyn Hadley lists the Lions as a potential landing spot for recently cut former Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.
“After spending nine years in the league, Elliott has made it clear that his goal is to win a Super Bowl,” Hadley wrote. “Ultimately, he had hoped it would be with Dallas, but his focus remains on winning one, regardless of the team.”
“With the uncertain length of Montgomery’s absence and a young second-year running back in Jahmyr Gibbs, the Lions may look to Elliott for some veteran presence behind Jared Goff,” Hadley added.
Elliott was cut by the Cowboys on Tuesday after an uninspiring season where he appeared in 15 games and rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns on 3.1 yards per attempt.
Though the 2016 No.4 overall pick is way past his prime, adding Elliott for the playoff run would be a savvy late-season signing by Brad Holmes. The three-time Pro Bowler would be a decent short-yardage back and be a nice veteran presence in the running back room.
Montgomery will likely be back in a few weeks, and we know how electric Gibbs and the former Iowa State standout are together. Adding Elliott to the mix would provide some adequate depth at the position and give the 2016 first-team All-Pro selection a chance to win a Super Bowl in the final years of his career.
