Sam Montgomery is changing positions, but thinks the brief experience he got at outside linebacker will serve him well as a defensive end.
"Not only has it helped me to play end, but I also know what all of the four linemen are doing now," the rookie said on Wednesday. "Because I've learned the linebacker position as well as what the D-ends have to do, the D-tackles on the inside. So I'm learning the whole concept of the defense."
Taken in the third round out of Louisiana State University, Montgomery played defensive end
for the Tigers. When he was selected in April, the Texans said he would compete for a spot at outside linebacker. A combination of circumstances since then precipitated the switch back to the position in which he flourished in college.
"It's funny, sometimes when you get players that are 260-guys and they come to the NFL and they're sitting here eating good food three times a day and lifting weights twice a day, they can get bigger real quick," head coach Gary Kubiak said. "We watched him work as a linebacker and we had him working as a down lineman on the scout team."
Kubiak said Montgomery continued "to get a little bigger" so the Texans "decided to move in the other direction". For the foreseeable future, Montgomery will go back to being a down lineman.
"We're letting him put a little weight on," Kubiak said. "He's working with Bill and he's doing a really good job. Hopefully, before too long, he'll be in position to help us out."
Montgomery said he's focused on staying after practice and getting extra work in to improve. He's contributed mainly on scout team during the week. He's been inactive for each of the team's first three games.
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