Running Backs
Gained:
- RB Artavis Pierce (rookie)
- RB Napoleon Maxwell (rookie)
Lost:
- RB Mike Davis
- RB Kerrith Whyte Jr.
The Bears had a lot of faith in the running back trio dubbed Run DMC — featuring David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen and Mike Davis. But Chicago’s run game never really got off the ground running, and Davis was released mid-season. Overall, the Bears run game was a disappointment under an offensive playcaller in Matt Nagy that’s not prone to running the ball.
This year, the Bears didn’t do much in the offseason to upgrade at running back. They’re putting a lot of faith in the guys already on the roster — specifically preseason darling Ryan Nall — to serve as a complement for Montgomery. The Bears did add two undrafted free agents to the running backs room, and we’ll see whether Artavis Pierce or Napoleon Maxwell can surprise in camp. Still, there is no proven veteran to backup Montgomery, which is certainly a change from last year.
The verdict: Downgrade