Sam Montgomery visited Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals helmet on the field prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
The Houston Texans cut ties with rookie pass rusher Sam Montgomery following a violation of team rules. Teammates- and fellow rookies- Cierre Wood and Willie Jefferson were also dropped as a result of the incident, and they were reportedly cut due to marijuana usage. FanSided’s Josh Sanchez obtained Montgomery’s drug tests that point to the conclusion that Montgomery did not smoke weed; he was merely cut as a result of being involved in the incident in some manner.
Montgomery has been a disappointment very early on in his NFL career, and it goes beyond this release. He just hasn’t been able to get on the field, and it was clear that he wasn’t a scheme fit as either a 3-4 OLB or 3-4 DE with the Houston Texans. He’s best utilized as a 4-3 DE, where his first-round talent (picked in the third round due to character concerns) can perchance come out.
The National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson reports that Sam Montgomery visited the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this week, and it’s definitely not a surprise to hear that the Bengals are working out a player with character concerns. Things have worked out well for the Bengals with these kinds of players, as both Vontaze Burficit and Carlos Dunlap are excelling on defense; they had red flags attached to their names when they came into the draft.
Montgomery has plenty of talent, but he didn’t even consistently show it in college either. He’s a worthy gamble for the Bengals, but he will be kept on a very short leash. He may not have smoked weed, but his work ethic was questioned multiple times in college at LSU. Keep a close eye on any news relating to a potential offer, because Montgomery-Bengals seems to be a solid fit on paper.
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