Chicago Bears: Predicting the 2017 53-man roster before training camp
Running Backs
Starter: Jordan Howard
Backups: Tarik Cohen, Jeremy Langford and Benny Cunningham
As a fifth-round selection out of Indiana, Jordan Howard had an incredible rookie season with the Chicago Bears. Howard was the second-leading rusher in the NFL, finishing with 1,313 yards and six touchdowns on 252 carries. Howard eventually became the lead back for the Bears, but his massive production was put up despite only starting 13 games.
Howard is an extremely talented back who had an impressive rookie season. Barring injury, he will be the starting running back for the Chicago Bears in 2017 and likely the single focal point of the offense. However, the positions behind him on the roster are up for grabs.
Behind Howard, the Bears have a mix of Jeremy Langford, Ka’Deem Carey, fourth-round rookie Tarik Cohen and free agent addition Benny Cunningham. Out of those four players, only three, at most, are going to make the 53-man roster.
Cohen is pretty much a lock. The Bears invested solid draft capital in the young running back and he is an extremely exciting player with the ball in his hands. Nicknamed “The Human Joystick”, Cohen has ridiculous natural quickness and athleticism. He is an ankle-breaking machine who can also catch the ball well out of the backfield. If he can adapt to the NFL game well, Cohen is a perfect change-of-pace complement to Howard.
That leaves two spots for three players. The Bears signed Cunningham as a free agent this offseason for a reason. He is a nice, veteran player who shines on special teams and can make a play on offense as well. He is a good fit for what the Bears are trying to do.
Langford has not been particularly impressive in his two seasons with the Bears, but he has good receiving skills out of the backfield and can pick up some tough yardage on the inside. If an injury to Howard were to happen, Langford would undoubtedly be a nice guy to have around.
That leaves Carey as the odd man out. I have always liked the upside that Carey has brought to the table. He is a powerful back who can be productive in stretches. However, he is far too inconsistent and is not much of a receiving threat out of the backfield. Carey’s skill set is too similar to Howard’s, making him easily expendable. This will not be an easy decision to make, but cutting Carey loose would make the most sense.
This will not be an easy decision to make. If Carey comes to camp and shows an improved ability as a receiver, this could be interesting and Langford could be in trouble. However, based on what we know now, Carey is likely the odd man out.