Chicago Bears: 5 Breakout players set to shine in 2019

1. David Montgomery, Running Back

The fact that Howard was not a fit in Nagy’s offense was the worst-kept secret in Chicago. Howard is a bulldozer and he wears down defenses. He isn’t elusive and isn’t very fast. When he gets hit he doesn’t go very much further. That bogs down the offense.

Nagy wanted a running back who could not only go through the line and evade would-be tacklers but also go to the outside and evade them that way as well.

After trading away Howard and signing Mike Davis in free agency, Pace went to the draft to get the perfect back for Nagy’s system: David Montgomery.

Montgomery is a running back in the mold of Kareem Hunt (minus the baggage). He led college football in broken tackles the last two seasons. He isn’t fast but he’s quick and is strong and balanced. It takes a lot to get him down, and it’s difficult for just one player to bring him down.

The Iowa State product can also make an impact in the passing game. He has soft hands and runs good routes, and when he gets into the open field he uses his elusiveness to good use. He creates separation and once he breaks free he can turn any play into a big gain.

Montgomery put on a show in camp. There were times when he juked multiple defenders and then had four or five players trying to get him down on the same play. He impressed the coaches with his abilities.

He also put his abilities on display at the first preseason game. Montgomery only carried the ball three times and had three catches, but made a variety of moves and cuts and scored a touchdown. He got a chance to show his skills and he did, and he raised hopes in the process.

There is a lot of pressure on Montgomery. It’s tough enough to be a running back with on a team like the Chicago Bears. It’s tougher to have the pressure of high expectations. Montgomery accepts that pressure and is ready to show how good he really is. If he succeeds, Nagy’s offense can end up being almost as dominant as the defense.