The Chicago Bears looked like a team poised to make a big addition at running back this offseason. It made sense. New head coach Ben Johnson loves to run the ball. They only ranked 25th in rushing last season. D’Andre Swift never felt like a true three-down back. Adding somebody with more of a power element made sense, or even an outright Swift replacement. However, the board didn’t cooperate in the draft. Whenever they were poised to grab someone, other teams went on a run picking players at the position. GM Ryan Poles had no choice but to delay addressing it until the 7th round.
While the team is happy with Kyle Monangai, questions remain. It is difficult to determine what the plan is for the ground attack going into this season. Poles had some interesting comments during an appearance on Kap & J-Hood for ESPN 1000. He did leave the door open to bring in a veteran like Nick Chubb, but it sounds like the team is eager to see if they can improve internally. One name he mentioned is Roschon Johnson, whom Poles seems to feel was misused last season by the previous Bears coaching staff.
Ryan Poles has logical reasons to explore Johnson further.
The former 4th round pick out of Texas has been a steady, reliable presence on offense over the past two years. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry as a rookie in 2023. Last year was a major downturn at just 2.3. Yet at the same time, he scored six touchdowns and had 17 runs that resulted in 1st downs, up from 16 the previous year despite getting 26 fewer carries. Ryan Poles is correct. It never felt like the Bears were using Johnson the right way. He was always more of a power back in college. Any team that drafted him should’ve known that was the best way to use him. Yet Shane Waldron and the coaches seemed to deploy him in too many designs that were meant more for Swift or guys who had the speed to get outside.
This won’t be a problem under Ben Johnson. He constantly featured a power element to his ground game in Detroit. Getting downhill is something the Bears will do. Poles knows this. That may explain why the team is eager to see what Johnson can do.
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