The Chicago Bears offense is going to be one of the biggest storylines of the NFL season, thanks to new head coach Ben Johnson pairing up with young quarterback Caleb Williams.
The NFL is a coach/quarterback league, but the running back plays a critical role in the offense.
Last season, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl with the best running back in the NFL, Saquon Barkley, and the Bears will need to get great production from their running back room to be a contender.
The only issue is that the Bears don’t have the best running back room, and D’Andre Swift is leading the way.
Even though Swift is the No. 1 running back in the room, there still is a chance he might not see the 53-man roster this fall, and Alex Kay from Bleacher Report thinks Swift could still be cut this season.
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“The Chicago Bears overhauled their offensive identity this offseason, signing and drafting a slew of talent to augment quarterback Caleb Williams. While they added key pieces in the trenches, receiving corps and at tight end, the Bears’ beleaguered running back platoon only saw a single seventh-round pick join the fray,” Kay wrote. “Despite Kyle Monangai being the lone notable backfield addition, Chicago could still opt to move on from incumbent starter D’Andre Swift this offseason. Swift has struggled since coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles last year. After breaching the 1,000-yard rushing mark and averaging a steady 4.6 yards per carry in 2023, he only mustered 959 yards on his 253 totes—a concerning 3.8 YPC average. Although his best contributions arguably come in the passing attack, he didn’t move the needle much in that area, either. While he did put up 386 yards on 42 receptions, he failed to score and was well off the career-high marks of 62 catches for 452 yards he set in his second professional season. Swift was able to retain a stranglehold on the RB1 duties (he was on the field for 66 percent of the offensive snaps) largely because of a lack of competent players behind him on the depth chart last season. Primary backup Roschon Johnson seems like a draft bust after the 2023 fourth-rounder mustered just 150 yards on his 55 carries. While he did vulture six touchdowns despite only earning a 28 percent snap share, it was a concerning step back from his 81-tote, 352-yard, two-touchdown rookie campaign. Monangai represents a chance for actual competition this offseason. While expectations aren’t sky-high for a late-Day 3 pick, the Rutgers product has drawn comparisons to fellow Scarlet Knight Isiah Pacheco and could push Swift for touches with a strong camp. With Swift having cap hits of $9.33 million and $8.83 million on the remaining two years of his deal, the Bears could push to deal the veteran and clear up some cap room. Cutting Swift is also be an option, especially if he’s struggling in practice and the team can’t find a taker on the trade market.”
If the Bears do cut Swift, the team better hope Monangai can take over the No. 1 running back spot and be the future of the team.
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