David Montgomery is the Chicago Bears' starting running back in 2020. There's no debate about that. There's no competition for carries on the roster, and the Bears failed to add a reasonable contender to challenge him for reps in free agency or the NFL Draft.
This season is Montgomery's, for better or worse.
But what if he fails to deliver this year? His rookie season certainly showed promise, but no one would confuse his 889 yards and six touchdowns as franchise-back production. An improved offensive line -- at least, in theory -- should help. So should better quarterback play, assuming a quality starter emerges from the Nick Foles - Mitch Trubisky competition.
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Still, these are a lot of assumptions. And one thing the Bears don't have is a solid backup plan if Montgomery struggles. In fact, backup running back was dubbed the Bears' biggest roster void by NFL Hall of Fame evaluator, Gil Brandt.
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 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.
I touched on this topic in a recent breakdown of Artavis Pierce, who doesn't profile as a prospect with a very high ceiling. An unsigned veteran like Devonta Freeman would fix the problem immediately, but his contract demands are unreasonable for a backup role.
So where do the Bears go from here? There aren't many options left, but that will change as rosters shrink when preseason concludes. Maybe the Bears will pluck a viable backup from the waiver wire or find a hidden gem during August's games.
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Regardless, Chicago's offense will center around Montgomery's ability to play all three downs and shoulder a significant workload in what's expected to be a season that challenges for playoff contention.