Previewing the Chicago Bears running backs for 2017

Breaking down the Chicago Bears running back situation for the 2017 season.

Chicago Bears training camp is in full swing down in Bourbonnais, with preseason games just around the corner. As such, we at Da Windy City are taking a look at who our 2017 Chicago Bears will be when the season opens up Sunday, September 10.

Yesterday, we discussed new and old faces at the quarterback position and previewed who would make the final roster. Up next, we’ll be breaking down the running back room.

New faces

Though Jordan Howard took over at running back and became a bona fide star last season, running back was still a position of interest for the Chicago Bears. Specifically, who was going to spell him and change the pace on teams? After all, though he’ll likely improve somewhat as a receiver, he won’t transform into Matt Forte overnight in that aspect.

The addition of free agent Benny Cunningham seemingly addressed that need fully at first. For one, Cunningham proved himself a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield with the L.A. Rams and a solid spot-starter at need. Perhaps more relevantly, though, Cunningham does a lot of special teams work, including returning kicks. In fact, while Deonte Thompson ranked seventh last year with 23.0 yards per return, Cunningham ranked third (27.2 yds/return).

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But the Bears weren’t satisfied with just grabbing a veteran contributor. They took aim at a playmaking back in the draft too.

Enter their fourth-round pick, mighty mouse Tarik Cohen. Naturally, his slight stature and lower level of competition had many rolling their eyes at the selection. But what outsiders saw as a head-scratcher, the Bears saw as a potential diamond in the rough.

Cohen’s vision, speed and incredible agility give the Bears a playmaker unlike any they’ve had arguably since Devin Hester. Plus, he shows strong hands as a receiver and can line up out wide for actual receiver-type routes. As such, the Bears appear ready to use him in a similar capacity to Darren Sproles or Tyreek Hill. Basically, get him on the field, get him the ball in space and enjoy the show.

And so far in training camp, the show has looked really good.

With the addition of Cohen, the Bears’ running back room may have become one of the most exciting and intriguing position groups on the roster. And if they use him correctly, the impact on offense could end up being tremendous.

Predicting the depth chart

At this point, there should be no doubt as to who the top dog in this position group is.

Howard took the reins last year due to a Langford injury and never let up. Despite only starting 13 games, he easily set a new rookie rushing record (1,313 yards), posted seven 100-yard games, and made the Pro Bowl. Not bad for a fifth-round pick, huh? Though he remains raw as a receiver, Howard’s talents as a pure runner scream bell-cow back.

After him, though, the pecking order becomes less clear.

I imagine that, in an ideal world, Jeremy Langford would easily win the backup job behind Howard. The former third-round pick does have skill as a receiver as well as agility and speed. And as a rookie, he showed enough significant flashes to make the Bears feel comfortable parting with Matt Forte.

But two things currently stand in Langford’s way at the moment. Firstly, he didn’t play particularly well last year and appears limited as a between-the-tackles rusher. He doesn’t play as fast as he is and left uncounted yards on the field last year. Furthermore, including this training camp, he’s been injured quite a bit. And we all know how cruel the NFL can be when you’re not able to stay on the field.

Meanwhile, despite being somewhat limited as a player, Ka’Deem Carey keeps on bringing it when given opportunities. In fact, going back to last year, he even managed a higher yards-per-carry average (3.9) than Langford did (3.2). He’s not special, but perhaps the coaching staff could decide that Carey gives them more than Langford.

Plus, Carey and Cunningham offer special teams value, whereas Langford doesn’t have a huge role in that aspect. Could that factor, combined with general availability, spell doom for Langford? Or do the Bears still think they can bring out some of the big play ability he showed in his first season?

Final thoughts

With a full season as a starter under his belt, Howard will make a legitimate run at this year’s rushing title if he and his line stay healthy. And Cohen, should he continue his strong performance throughout the preseason, will get chances of his own, whether at running back or slot receiver. His open-field running and receiving abilities are too enticing to keep off the field completely.

But whereas I thought Carey might be in the greatest danger before camp, the focus now shifts to Langford. If he can’t stay consistently healthy in camp and preseason, he likely will be the odd man out. If that happens, it would be a disappointing turn of events for the 2015 third-rounder. In the meantime, Cunningham will probably return a few kicks and occasionally operate as a third-down back.

Next: Previewing Chicago Bears quarterbacks for 2017

In the end, though, the running back room starts and ends with Jordan Howard. And almost nothing that happens in Chicago Bears training camp is likely to change that.