One of the bigger surprises of the Chicago Bears‘ roster cuts was their decision to retain running back Roschon Johnson. Throughout most of training camp and the preseason, it felt like Salvon Ahmed had outplayed the embattled veteran. Yet it was the latter who ended up getting released, re-signing on the practice squad. The most likely explanation was that the coaching staff felt Johnson still offered more versatility in pass protection and special teams. If that is the case, then Johnson should be really nervous about another addition to the practice squad.
Ahmed wasn’t the only running back the Bears brought in. They also reached an agreement with Zavier Scott, a former undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts who spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings. He accounted for over 200 total yards and a touchdown as a backup. What stands out about him is his versatility. Scott is 6’1″, 220 lbs, and runs with good power and effort. He has deceptively good hands and feet as a receiver as well. Last season, he also recorded three tackles on special teams. In 12 pass-blocking reps, he did not allow a single pressure.
Roschon Johnson is not out of danger.
He may have survived Ahmed’s threat over the past month, but Scott brings something different to the table. He has the same wide array of capabilities the coaches are looking for. Not to mention much less wear and tear on his body despite being two years older than Johnson. Scott spent two years in Kevin O’Connell’s offense with the Vikings. So he is familiar with the wide-zone rushing scheme and its responsibilities. While he isn’t the most explosive player, he runs hard, particularly to his right. Considering that is where Darnell Wright and Jonah Jackson are, it further explains why the Bears like him.
The biggest selling point might be his speed. Scott was reportedly clocked as low as 4.38 in the 40-yard dash coming out of Maine. Ben Johnson loves his players to have some juice, which is something Roschon Johnson never offered. More than anything, Scott is the exact type of player this staff likes. He’s willing to do anything asked of him, be it running, receiving, or blocking. No job is too dirty for him. A team of unselfish players tends to win a lot of ball games.
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The Bears now have their insurance.
One of the most pressing issues with Johnson, going back years, is his health. He always seems to deal with nagging injuries every year. Last season was no exception. The team clearly doesn’t plan to put all of their eggs in that basket. They were fortunate that Swift and Monangai stayed healthy for most of last season. Banking on that happening again is unwise. Injuries happen every year, and running back is a physically taxing position. Having a reliable #3 option is much more important than people realize.
Johnson is a good player. He plugs many of the gaps the Bears need at that position. Adding Scott wasn’t about his ability. It was about his availability. They won’t go through another year gambling that he can stay healthy for 17 games. If he goes down, they can now bring Scott up and let him do most of the same jobs as Johnson. Hopefully, without missing a beat.
