Chicago Bears: 5 Bold predictions for 2019 pre-training camp

2. David Montgomery will turn heads in his rookie season

The Chicago Bears weren’t satisfied with the running backs unit’s performance last season. There weren’t many big plays made from there and other than Tarik Cohen, there wasn’t much contribution to the passing game from the backfield.

Pace decided to make a big change to the unit. He traded away Jordan Howard to the Philadelphia Eagles for a late-round draft pick. Howard was immensely popular with the fans but he didn’t seem to fit in Nagy’s system. He couldn’t break away from would-be tacklers. After two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to open up his career, he rushed for 935 yards (after getting 399 yards in his last five games) and was practically nonexistent in the passing game.

While many feel that trading Howard was a risky move, if the Bears didn’t think Howard was a fit to the offense then the trade wasn’t risky. Howard needed to get fed the ball continuously and when Nagy did that late in the season the offense wasn’t balanced and kind of suffered.

With the loss of Howard, the Bears needed to solidify the running game. They signed Mike Davis out of Seattle then turned to the draft for more help. Their first pick wasn’t until the third round, but they found a running back who fits the system perfectly, David Montgomery.

Montgomery could be a great pickup for the Chicago Bears. He is one of those quick rather than fast running backs. He is incredibly athletic, using that ability to run away from tacklers. Even when they get close to him, his great balance helps him break tackles and make big plays.

In the passing game, Montgomery has soft hands and runs good routes. Once he makes the catch, he uses his athleticism and balance to turn a five-yard pass on the flat into a 10 or 15-yard play. Having him do that helps open up space for the receivers, and when they make their plays, that opens up space for the running game.

With Montgomery, the Bears’ offense can open up and be a scoring machine. They’ll make a lot of big plays and put a lot of pressure on the opposing defenses. They finished last season ranked 9th in points, but they could easily be in the top five this season with Montgomery’s help as he’ll lead all rookie running backs in rushing.

Prediction: 243 carries, 1,118 yards (4.6 yards per rush), 8 touchdowns; 75 receptions, 719 yards, 3 touchdowns