Last season, the Chicago Bears struck fast in the free agency market delivering a ton of defensive needs. The Bears first move for the 2024 season is landing a number 1 running back. Last season, the Bears ran the ball by committee with Khalil Herbert and a rookie out of the University of Texas, Roschon Johnson. The Bears let David Montgomery walk out the door as he signed with the Lions and had a monster year. Newly hired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron wants a number one option at the running back position and they sign D’Andre Swift to a 3 year commitment for 24 million. The 25 year old Swift had his best season of his career with the Eagles last year, his lone season in Philadelphia, and he’s a former Lions running back.

D’Andre Swift made his first ever pro bowl, as a guy drafted by Detroit in 2020 out of Georgia University. He was selected in the 2nd round 35th overall. His rookie season in Detroit he had a knack for finding the end zone with 13 rushing touchdowns. Last year with the Eagles, he had his best year running the football as he tallied over 1,000 rushing yards with (1,049). He averaged 4.6 a carry and scored 5 rushing touchdowns. He also added 39 catches out of the back field for 214 yards and 1 touchdown reception. In the last three seasons, he averaged 5 rushing touchdowns as he he has 23 total in his 4 year career.

Last year the Bears leading rusher was Khalil Herbert who played in 12 games and tallied (611) rushing yards. The 3rd year back out of Virginia Tech averaged 4.6 yards a carry and found the end zone twice. Then the rookie Roschon Johnson had 81 touches for 352 yards with 2 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 4.3 yards a touch. Johnson caught 34 balls out of the back field while Herbert caught 20 balls. The veteran D’Onta Foreman chipped in with 4 rushing touchdowns. If the Bears stayed the course with David Mongomery, he had 219 touches for over 1,000 yards as he tallied (1,015) and he found the end zone 13 times. He averaged 4.6 yards a touch. D’Andre Swift looks like an upgrade over Johnson and Herbert. If the Bears would have kept Mongomery, Swift would not be needed for this upcoming season. Anyone can now play Monday morning quarterback as Swift would now be the featured back in Chicago’s offense.

The Chicago Bears have not revealed what they are going to do with the number one pick. Will Justin Fields still be the guy behind center next season or would the Bears draft Caleb Williams out of USC? Williams is predicted to be the best quarterback in the upcoming draft. Whatever move the Bears do at the quarterback position, it will be good to have a solid running back in the back field. Bringing in D’Andre Swift gives the team a bruising style back that can wear down opposing defenses. It would give the Bears offense another weapon at Fields’ disposal. It would certainly help a rookie quarterback in Williams as well. Both Fields and Williams are duel threat quarterbacks and can make things happen by running the football if needed. With a number one threat as a running back, it keeps the defenses guessing about who’s going to to run the ball on certain plays. The Bears have two back up options in last years guys in Khalil Herbert and Rochon Johnson. One of them can be a third down option for this offense next year as well. Shane Waldron’s offense last year in Seattle had a feature back. The Seahawks had two backs that thrived in his system. It opened up play action passes for Geno Smith. I still like to see the Bears add another offensive line piece as we know Fields holds on to the ball too long at times. Another piece to the offensive line gives these backs bigger holes for Swift and others to exploit for big chunks of yardage.