Ty Montgomery hasn't been a running back long, but dude lit it up once he made the switch. In fact, he was good enough where the Green Bay Packers should consider just riding him as their lead back in 2017.
Before his injury this year, Eddie Lacy was clipping along well. He had 5.71 Rushing NEP on 71 carries, one of the top marks in the entire league at the time. Even still, Montgomery managed to outperform him by a smidge.
This first table will compare the two head-to-head. While their Rushing NEP marks were nearly identical, Montgomery's Success Rate took the cake.
| Running Back | Carries | Rushing NEP | Rushing NEP per Carry | Success Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ty Montgomery | 77 | 5.80 | 0.08 | 45.45% |
| Eddie Lacy | 71 | 5.71 | 0.08 | 40.85% |
That's comparing Montgomery to another quality running back. Lacy is an impending free agent, so he may not even be in the picture next year. Montgomery -- when put up against the other backs currently on the roster -- is the clear-cut champ.
| Running Back | Carries | Rushing NEP | Rushing NEP per Carry | Success Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ty Montgomery | 77 | 5.80 | 0.08 | 45.45% |
| James Starks | 63 | -20.22 | -0.32 | 22.22% |
| Christine Michael | 31 | -1.56 | -0.05 | 29.03% |
Mother of goodness, James Starks. Why it gotta be like that, man? Think of the children.
Christine Michael isn't under contract for 2017, but Montgomery and Starks are. If that's the backfield entering the 2017 season, Montgomery should be the unquestioned top option, and he was efficient enough this year to prove he can handle it. When you're tying any running back to a quarterback as good as Aaron Rodgers, the upsides in this asset should be abundantly obvious.