Chicago Bears Training Camp: Previewing the Running Backs

As the Chicago Bears close in on the start of training camp, we preview the different position groups. First up, we look at the running backs.

Chicago Bears football is closing in! In less than three weeks (July 27th to be exact) the players report for training camp. Once that starts, things start moving fast and before we know it, the regular season will be here.

Before we get there, however, we need to know who is on the roster. The Bears made quite a few moves so there are some new faces. Because of that, some familiar faces might find themselves on the outside looking in.

Also, some of the position groups experienced a great deal of change. Some positions (I’m looking at you, offensive line) finally got the attention they needed and became stronger.

As the start of training camp gets closer, we will preview each position. Today, we start with the running back unit.

The running backs group is much deeper than in recent years

Last season, the Bears had trouble with depth. When Tarik Cohen went down, it threw the unit into disarray. They did not have a proper backup to starter David Montgomery. Head coach Matt Nagy used Cordarrelle Patterson as the main guy behind Montgomery, but he was ineffective. The team also rookie Artavis Pierce and brought in Lamar Miller to help, but Nagy hardly used either player.

This offseason, general manager Ryan Pace worked on the depth. Cohen is healthy and ready to go. In addition, the Bears signed former Kansas City Chiefs back Damien Williams. Williams is a starting-caliber player who opted out of the 2020 season. Additionally, the Bears brought back Pierce and Ryan Nall and drafted Khalil Herbert.

Pierce and Herbert likely see more time on special teams than in the backfield but it’ll be nice to have them available should the injury bug hit the team like it did the last few years. Pierce has a good burst of speed and can break out some big plays. Herbert is a strong back who decisively hits the hole. He has the speed to get away from would-be tacklers and can turn the corner quickly. Nall is the fullback and could also see some time at tight end.

Montgomery trained hard in the offseason so he could break out this season. In his second season, he ran for 1,070 yards and had 1,508 total yards. He also had 10 total touchdowns. He struggled early in the season, especially when the offensive line was a mess. When the line improved, Montgomery thrived. In the final six games of the regular season, he had 824 total yards (598 of them rushing) and 8 total touchdowns (seven of them rushing).

Now, with an improved offensive line, Montgomery is ready to explode. He hears the talk about him not being elite and wants to prove the doubters wrong.

It wasn’t enough for me last year, knowing the untapped potential that I have. I don’t think I left it all out on the field like I should have. I think I could have done better for my guys around me… That’s what the offseason’s for, for me to go back to the drawing board, to fix things…

Montgomery worked on his speed in the offseason and he allegedly increased his speed. We’ll see how true that is once the games begin.

Cohen looks to bounce back from his knee injury. He’ll play the same gadget back that he worked so effectively in 2018. He’ll catch passes coming out of the backfield and he’ll also play some slot receiver. With Williams in the mix, Nagy can move Cohen around even more. Williams can also play enough snaps to keep Montgomery fresh throughout the season.

This is a much better unit than the Chicago Bears have had in quite a while. There is a good mix of the types of runners and now Nagy has the flexibility to move pieces around. The running game will be stronger in 2021 and should help the Bears offense score many more points.