Nobody can say for certain the Chicago Bears roster is set for 2020. Questions linger. That’s not to say it is a bad roster. It certainly looks better on paper than 2019. They have a vastly improved pass rush with the arrival of Robert Quinn. Jaylon Johnson and Tre Roberson also bring youth and depth to cornerback while Tashaun Gipson provides another playmaker on the back end. Offensively? Tight end is much better with Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet. Quarterback? It may not be better, but it’s deeper for sure. A lingering question is are the Bears good enough at running back? Based on the calls for Raheem Mostert, some feel the answer is no.

David Montgomery is the unquestioned starter for the Bears. He earned his wings last season with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Still, he struggled to produce big plays on the ground so there are fears on if he can handle a full workload. This might explain why Mostert, who has some explosiveness to him, might be considered a target. Especially after he demanded a trade from the San Francisco 49ers.

Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report tagged the Bears as a prime landing spot.

“Last season, the Bears ranked 27th in rushing yards with Montgomery as the lead tailback, and he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. The front office didn’t add a notable veteran to the backfield in the offseason, which leaves Tarik Cohen as the change-of-pace option.

Cohen hasn’t recorded more than 99 rush attempts in any of his three seasons. He’s more of a receiver than ball-carrier at the position, logging a career total of 1,027 yards on the ground and 1,534 yards as a pass-catcher…

…If Trubisky or Foles struggle under center, Mostert and Montgomery could carry this team to victories as key components of a physical offensive game plan.”

Raheem Mostert is a product of the system he played in

It’s not hard to understand the hype around Mostert. The former undrafted free agent bounced around teams dating back to 2015 including a stop with the Bears in 2016. He eventually landed in San Francisco where he was primarily a backup for three seasons. Then at the start of December of last season, he became their primary running back. He averaged at least 4.8 yards per carry in all but one of the final eight games they played.

This included his breakout performance in the NFC championship where he rampaged the Green Bay Packers for 220 yards and four touchdowns. Unsurprisingly, Mostert hoped his contributions would be rewarded with a pay raise this offseason. Something that the 49ers have refused to oblige. Hence the trade request. So should the Bears consider a move for him?

No. Context is always key. While Mostert was excellent to end last year, he had a ton of help. Both from the blocking up front and the superb play calling of head coach Kyle Shanahan. That offensive system has a long, long history of elevating no-name running backs into strong contributors. He likely would feel far less at home in Matt Nagy’s system, which is significantly different.

The player everybody saw back in January would be long gone if he came to Chicago.