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Ex-Jets, Packers RB Ty Montgomery, Saints Reportedly Agree to Contract
May 15, 2020
The New Orleans Saints and free-agent running back Ty Montgomery agreed to a contract Friday, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
Montgomery spent parts of his first four NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers before getting traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. Montgomery then served as a backup running back for the New York Jets last season behind Le'Veon Bell.
In 16 games for Gang Green, including two starts, Montgomery rushed for 103 yards on 32 carries and caught 13 passes for 90 yards. He didn't score a touchdown for the first time in his five-year career.
Montgomery mostly played wide receiver in college at Stanford, and the Packers selected him as a wideout in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. He spent his rookie year at receiver before making the transition to running back.
The move was necessary after the Packers were hit hard by injuries at the position, but Montgomery seemed to take to his new role, recording career highs in 2016. He rushed for 457 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. He also caught 44 passes for 348 yards.
Injuries limited Montgomery to eight games in 2017, and he never found his rhythm in 2018. Montgomery wasn't used much last season, playing only 15 percent of the team's offensive snaps.
Montgomery will join a Saints team that has clear top players on the running back depth chart in Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray. Beyond them, however, there aren't any proven options, which could open the door for Montgomery to make the team.
In addition to being the No. 3 running back, Montgomery has the versatility to spend time at wide receiver, which is something head coach Sean Payton values.
It is no secret that Payton loves Taysom Hill, who has shown the ability to play quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and running back in the NFL. Perhaps Montgomery can be a lite version of Hill in New Orleans.
If not, the Saints likely aren't making a huge investment in Montgomery, so they won't lose much if he fails to make the team or carve out a big role.