5 things the Chicago Bears’ initial 53-man roster tells us
By Ryan Heckman
1. Running back must not be an issue
It is not the opinion most fans hold, but the Bears sure seem to be confident in their running back situation. Obviously, David Montgomery is not 100 percent and his Week 1 status is up in the air. But, the way roster cuts went, one may think he is not far from returning to action.
Chicago had rookie undrafted running back Artavis Pierce in camp, and he looked strong. In fact, he looked like he had a real shot to make the team and even play meaningful snaps if Montgomery missed time.
But, in the end, Ryan Nall took that final running back spot and Pierce was cut.
The coaching staff must love Nall, for some odd reason. He isn’t going to blow you away lining up as a true tailback. But, if they decided to use a fullback, Nall is your guy. The question is, though, will they use a fullback? And if so, why not J.P. Holtz?
Cordarrelle Patterson reached a top speed of 22.23 mph on this run, the fastest speed reached by a ball carrier in two years 😱😱 @ceeflashpee84
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) September 15, 2019
(h/t @NextGenStats) pic.twitter.com/CftcRQjf4Y
Back to the depth issue at hand. If Montgomery misses Week 1, then Nagy’s assessment of Cordarrelle Patterson must have been serious as a heart attack. There is no chance the Bears feed Tarik Cohen 15-20 carries, and Nall receiving anything more than a handful of touches would be a recipe for failure.
Patterson has been efficient as a runner throughout his career, so here we go. If not Montgomery, it’s Patterson’s show.