Tag: David Montgomery

Bears name David Montgomery and Nick Williams recipients of Brian Piccolo Award

On the 50th anniversary of Brian Piccolo’s death, the Bears named David Montgomery and Nick Williams the recipients of the award.

It’s been 50 years since Brian Piccolo passed away and on Tuesday, the Chicago Bears announced running back David Montgomery and defensive tackle Nick Williams as the winners for the prestigious Brian Piccolo Award.

Since the death of Piccolo on June 26, 1970, the Bears have given the honor to a Bears rookie, then in 1992, the Bears expanded the award to include a veteran. The award is voted upon by teammates and is given to the players that “best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication, and sense of humor of Brian Piccolo.”

The award is usually presented before the NFL Draft, but the coronavirus pandemic led the Bears to postpone the announcement until today. Both Montgomery and Williams issues statements on receiving the award.

“It’s a blessing to receive the Piccolo Award,” Montgomery said, via ChicagoBears.com. “I’d like to thank the Bears organization, the Piccolo family, and my teammates for making this possible. Being linked to Brian Piccolo and his legacy with the Bears is very humbling. Anytime your teammates or peers vote for you for anything, it’s a huge honor. Being a running back for the Bears with the rich history at that position makes this especially unique and I’m just very grateful.”

Montgomery had a productive rookie season where he had 242 carries, rushed for 889 yards and six touchdowns then caught 25 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown. Williams, who signed with the Detroit Lions to a two-year, $10 million deal, stepped up for the Bears in 2019 when Akiem Hicks battled injures. Williams would lead the Bears defensive linemen with 42 tackles, six sacks and five tackles-for-loss.

“When I found out I was receiving the Brian Piccolo Award, it was a huge honor,” Williams said. “It exemplifies teamwork, courage, loyalty, dedication, and just a sense of humor. Having a sense of humor is something that stuck with me throughout the locker room. I’ve always cracked jokes with guys and tried to look on the bright side of things. When things may not have been going our way, I tried to lift them up, especially the defensive line room. I think being a locker room guy exemplifies the award and it’s a huge honor for me to even join this list of guys. Even one of the most recent winners, Akiem Hicks, one of my good friends. I know what type of player and teammate he was. It’s just a huge honor.”

Part of today’s announcement with the award winners was that the Bears would be launching the “All Four One” campaign to benefit the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. Since 1970, the research fund “has committed more than $8.3 million to the development of improved diagnostic tools and more effective treatments.”

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5 reasons why the Bears offense will be better in 2020

Don’t expect the Bears offense to be one of the best in the league this season, but they should be much better than they were in 2019.

The success of the Chicago Bears in 2020 depends on their offense. While the defense has carried this team for the better part of their storied 100-year history, the defense can only do so much, especially in a pass-happy league.

The Bears had one of the worst offenses in 2019, where they ranked among the bottom dwellers in the NFL that had top-five draft picks. Disappointing considering Chicago had a great defense, even amid some devastating injury blows.

While head coach Matt Nagy has cultivated this amazing culture in Chicago, ultimately he was brought in to bring the Bears’ offense out of hibernation. And that hasn’t exactly happened over these last two years.

Don’t expect this offense to be one of the best in the league this season, but they should be much better than they were in 2019. Let’s take a look at five reasons why the Bears offense will be better in 2020.

1. It can’t get much worse than 2019

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Bears offense was one of the worst in the NFL last season, and that’s just using the eye test. But were things really as bad as they seemed? Yes, the Bears offense was really that terrible in 2019. Here are some of the ugly statistics.

  • 17.5 points per game (29th in NFL)
  • 296.8 yards per game (29th)
  • 4.7 yards per play (31st)
  • 5.3 net per attempt (32nd)
  • 3.7 yards per rush (30th)
  • 35.6% 3rd-down conversion (25th)
  • 52.2% red-zone TDs (24th)

Luckily there’s nowhere to go but up for this offense, and the Bears have been making some offseason adjustments accordingly. According to running back Tarik Cohen, the Bears are looking to simplify things in 2020. Cohen said that it’s “going to be hard to tell who’s getting the ball and when or how they’re getting the ball” on offense this year, which wasn’t exactly the case last season.

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Gil Brandt claims backup running back is Bears’ biggest roster concern

The Bears don’t have a serviceable backup, and they didn’t add a veteran through free agency or a rookie through the draft.

There’s no question that David Montgomery will be the starting running back for the Chicago Bears for the 2020 season. The question is, do the Bears have a serviceable backup even though the Bears didn’t add a veteran through free agency or a rookie through the draft.

The second-year running back out of Iowa State showed promise in his rookie year with 242 carries, 889 yards and six touchdowns. Last year Tarik Cohen had 64 carries but saw most of his time on the offense as a pass-catcher as he was targeted 104 times. Then the Bears have Ryan Nail, who had two carries, and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who ran the ball 17 times. There’s no sense of competition in carries for Montgomery, but what if he fails to deliver a better season or suffers an injury?

Those are two assumptions that might not happen, but the Bears don’t seem to have a reliable backup plan if those situations occur. NFL Hall of Fame executive Gil Brandt believes the backup running back void is the biggest issue on the roster.

Like the Eagles, the Bears will be taking a huge risk if a veteran isn’t added to the RB depth chart behind lead ball carrier David Montgomery. Tarik Cohen had 64 carries last season, but he doesn’t have the size to fill the role of an every-down back. The only other options on the roster currently include Ryan Nall, who recorded 8 yards on two carries after being promoted from the practice squad, and undrafted rookies Artavis Pierce and Napoleon Maxwell.

There are some options for the Bears if they choose to look at backup running backs. Former Atlanta Falcon Devonta Freeman is the top remaining running back on the market, but his contract demands are unlikely for a backup role. Some other running backs on the market include Lamar Miller, LeSean McCoy, Isaiah Crowell, Spencer Ware and Bilal Powell.

Another option for the Bears is after the preseason where rosters get cut down to 53 players. Chicago could have a chance to sign a valuable backup from the waiver wire.

For head coach Matt Nagy, the offense is going to feature a lot of Montgomery rather if it’s on the ground, through the air, or in pass protection. The 23-year old Montgomery is to have a significant workload and will develop the ability to play all three downs for a team that is eager to get back to the playoffs.

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Miles Sanders lands at No. 19 in ranking of the NFL’s most elusive running backs

Eagles Miles Sanders is No. 19 in ranking of NFL’s most elusive running backs

The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the top young running backs in the NFL and he should only get better as he sets to enter year two.

Sanders is an elite threat as a running back and proved his merit as a receiver during his rookie year also, proving to be the Eagles’ best deep threat as well. Sanders can do it all, but according to Pro Football Focus, he must get better at breaking tackles.

PFF recently ranked all 32 NFL running backs on their propensity to force missed tackles on both rushing attempts and receptions, while also diving into other metrics, such as how effective they were after contact and how well they performed after the catch.

In a ranking that should cause an uproar from Eagles fans, Sanders landed just inside the top-20 at No. 19 on the list.

19. MILES SANDERS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Sanders undoubtedly had a productive rookie season. As sad as it is, he effectively served as the Eagles’ best deep receiver last year with the attrition they dealt with at the wide receiver position, and he should continue to have a positive impact in the passing game. His PFF rushing grade from this past season (58.5) doesn’t quite match the production he had on the ground, though. Part of that is the fact that he was running behind PFF’s highest-graded run-blocking offensive line in the NFL, but another consideration is that he didn’t make defenders miss at a high rate. There’s reason to believe he can improve in that area. Sanders just needs to show it in 2020.

The ranking was based on the running back’s ability to make tacklers miss and elusive abilities in the open field, but shouldn’t be an indication of where certain players are in overall rankings.

For some perspective, Ezekiel Elliott and Christian McCaffrey were extremely low on the list.

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3 bold predictions for the Chicago Bears offense in 2020

From running backs to receivers to tight ends, our Bears Wire staff shares their bold predictions for the Bears offense in 2020.

When it comes to the Chicago Bears’ offense, there’s plenty of room for improvement across the board. That’s what happens when your offense was one of the worst in the NFL last season.

The Bears have made fixing the offense a priority this offseason, including bringing in four new offensive coaches and adding players at specific positions of need, including trading for quarterback Nick Foles, who will battle Mitchell Trubisky for the starting job.

Despite the offense’s struggles, there are reasons to be optimistic that this unit can be much better than they were in 2019, including some young talent and proven veterans.

From running backs to receivers to tight ends, our Bears Wire staff shares their bold predictions for the Bears offense in 2020.

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Where does David Montgomery rank among elusive RBs in NFL?

PFF ranked every starting running back in the NFL by elusiveness, and Bears RB David Montgomery landed in the middle of the pack at No. 16.

Expectations are high for Chicago Bears second-year running back David Montgomery heading into 2020 following a solid rookie campaign.

Montgomery wasn’t helped by the Bears offensive line or Matt Nagy’s play calling, where he got more than 20 carries in four games last season, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries.

Still, Montgomery flashed his potential in his rookie season, where he had 889 rushing yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry, and six touchdowns. He also added 25 receptions for 185 yards and a score. Montgomery surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie. Montgomery also thrived as a pass blocker, where he ranked as the second best pass-blocking running back in 2019.

Coming out of Iowa State, Montgomery was praised for his elusiveness and ability to force missed tackles, which is something that manifested at times during his rookie year.

Pro Football Focus ranked every starting running back in the NFL by elusiveness, and Montgomery landed in the middle of the pack at No. 16.

Montgomery was a PFF favorite coming out of Iowa State precisely because of how elusive he was. You want to talk about a crazy stat? Montgomery forced more than 100 missed tackles as a runner and receiver in both 2017 and 2018 with the Cyclones. No other running back accomplished that feat in either of those seasons. That ability carried over to the NFL as a rookie last season — Montgomery ranked eighth among running backs on this list in missed tackles forced per touch — but he wasn’t able to turn that into efficient play as a runner or a receiver. 

Fixing the run game has been one of the focuses this offseason. Matt Nagy has been working with his new offensive coaches — offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and tight ends coach Clancy Barone — to help dissect what went wrong on offense, particularly the run game.

If the Bears right the ship on offense and Nagy really commits to running the football, Montgomery could be looking at a breakout year for Chicago in his second season.

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Mitchell Trubisky has been working with Bears offensive weapons this offseason

During a virtual offseason, Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky has been organizing workout sessions with his teammates to work on routes.

It’s no secret that the Chicago Bears were bad — like really bad — on offense in 2019. Which is why some offensive players have been putting in extra work during an entirely virtual offseason.

The Bears aren’t expected to return to Halas Hall until the start of training camp in late July, and Bears coach Matt Nagy decided to end their offseason program a week and a half early to give players more time to train in preparation for camp.

But some players have already gotten a head start.

While Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will have to win the starting job over veteran Nick Foles, he’s been organizing workout sessions with teammates this offseason and continuing to build chemistry with them.

Trubisky has been throwing with receiver Allen Robinson, running backs David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen and new tight end Demetrius Harris among others, where they work on routes with no time limit on these sessions.

Harris, who worked with Nagy in Kansas City, said that his immediate impression of Trubisky is that he’s a hard worker, something that many of his teammates have said over the years.

But following his worst season in 2019, Trubisky faces an uphill battle when it comes to proving he can be Chicago’s franchise quarterback. First, he’ll have to win the starting job over an experienced Foles, who has worked in a similar offense in Philadelphia and Kansas City.

But to do that, Trubisky needs to work on his biggest areas of concern. Nagy has said Trubisky needs to become a master of reading coverages and defenses, something that has contributed to his struggles in his three seasons. Trubisky has flashed some impressive moments, but overall he’s been inconsistent.

While many have Foles pegged as the obvious choice as starter, don’t count Trubisky out just yet. The hope remains Trubisky will finally put it all together this year. And maybe a kick in the butt is exactly what he needs to get there.

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David Montgomery was second best pass-blocking RB in 2019

Bears RB David Montgomery had a solid rookie season, and he was one of the best RBs in pass protection last year.

The Chicago Bears are expecting big things from running back David Montgomery heading into his second season.

While Montgomery didn’t have a flashy rookie campaign, he put together a solid year behind a struggling offensive line and one of the league’s worst offenses.

Montgomery had 889 rushing yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry, and six touchdowns. He also added 25 receptions for 185 yards and a score. Montgomery surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie.

But Montgomery was also effective in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, Montgomery was the second best pass-blocking running back in the NFL in 2019.

Montgomery has all of the traits to be a reliable three-down back for the Bears, including his pass-blocking ability and threat out of the backfield.

It’s difficult to judge Montgomery in his rookie season considering the struggles Chicago’s offense experienced as a whole. He wasn’t helped by his offensive line or Matt Nagy’s playcalling. Montgomery had more than 20 rushing attempts in just four games, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries.

Fixing the run game has been a priority for the Bears this offseason. The offensive line will look identical minus right guard following Kyle Long’s retirement. Chicago signed veteran offensive lineman Germain Ifedi, who figures to occupy the right guard spot.

Nagy also added some new offensive minds that specialize in the run game, including offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and offensive line coach Juan Castillo.

With the attention to the run game this offseason, Montgomery is primed for a breakout season in 2020.

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8 Bears we’re most excited to see in 2020

The Bears made moves this offseason that they hope will bolster their team and have some returning players that aim to contribute in 2020.

We’re still a few months from the start of the 2020 season, where the Chicago Bears will be looking to prove that their disappointing 2019 season was a fluke rather than a trend.

The Bears made some moves this offseason that they hope will bolster their team, including the additions of pass rusher Robert Quinn, quarterback Nick Foles and rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

But there are several players from last season that are either returning from injury or have the potential to have breakout seasons.

Here are the eight Bears we’re most excited to see play in 2020.

1. DT Akiem Hicks

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

While the Bears defense was among the best in the NFL last season, they certainly missed the presence of defensive tackle Akiem Hicks in the middle. Hicks suffered an elbow injury in Week 5, and he was placed on injured reserve. Hicks’ return instantly improves Chicago’s pass rush, which struggled with his absence last season.

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Bears RB David Montgomery poised to make big leap in Year 2

If the Bears offense rebounds in 2020, that could only mean good news for RB David Montgomery.

There wasn’t much that went right on offense for the Chicago Bears last season, particularly the run game. So it was difficult to judge running back David Montgomery behind a line that couldn’t create running lanes.

Still, Montgomery had a solid rookie season, where he tallied 889 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. And if the Bears offense rebounds in 2020, that could only mean good news for Montgomery.

When examining second-year players that could be looking at breakout seasons in 2020, NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha believes Montgomery is poised to make a big leap in his sophomore season.

He had a solid rookie season (889 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns), but he’s capable of so much more with a better offense. The Bears ranked 29th in the NFL in total offense last year, largely because embattled quarterback Mitch Trubisky struggled so mightily. That all could change if Nick Foles wins the job or simply pushes Trubisky to play at a higher level.

Remember this: Bears GM Ryan Pace made a sizable investment to trade up in the third round to select Montgomery (giving up three picks). The belief was that Montgomery would be a workhorse back, and he showed that potential late in the season. In Chicago’s final three wins of 2019, he gained 274 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Montgomery now enters this season as the only back on this roster who attempted more than 64 rushes last year, and the Bears didn’t add another ball carrier in this draft. In other words, it’s time for him to shine.

When the Bears got Montgomery going, they were winning games. Montgomery rushed for 60 or more yards in seven games last season, and the Bears won six of those games. Montgomery also had a late surge in 2019, where he rushed for 274 yards and 113 yards on 23 carries against the Minnesota Vikings.

Montgomery certainly showed that he could be a workhorse back that the Bears are looking for in his rookie season. But Montgomery averaged just 3.7 yards per carry behind a struggling offensive line, something that has been a focus this offseason.

The Bears have made some offseason moves that they believe will help right the ship with the running game and allow Montgomery more opportunities to shine. While Chicago’s offensive line will remain the same aside from a new right guard, which appears to be Germain Ifedi, the Bears brought in new offensive line coach Juan Castillo to help get the run game on track.

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