Chicago Bears News: Damien Williams added to running back mix

The Chicago Bears bolstered their depth at the running back position on Wednesday as the team signed former Super Bowl hero Damien Williams.

Running the ball is something the Chicago Bears need to do better going forward.

Williams was a large factor in the Kansas City Chiefs’ come-back victory against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2019 Super Bowl. Williams rushed for 104 yards in that game and had two touchdowns during the fourth quarter. Williams then opted out of the 2020 season.

The addition of Williams does certainly add to a trend that has been developing throughout the Bears’ off-season. While speaking with reporters earlier this month, Bears’ general manager Ryan Pace praised the coaching staff as being one of the team’s strengths. That concept has played an important factor in how the Bears have operated since the start of free agency. The Bears have targeted players that have familiarity with the coaching staff.

That would be the reason why Andy Dalton is the team’s starting quarterback considering the ties to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. Williams continues that trend as he is familiar with the head coach Matt Nagy’s offensive system given the Kansas City ties.

One thing is also clear from this signing. The Bears will be emphasizing the run game during the 2021 season. That means that the offense that Bears fans are likely to see in 2021 is likely to be the same offense we saw during the final three weeks of the 2020 season. It will be an offense that is centered around running back David Montgomery with a passing game that consists of play-action and roll-outs.

If the Bears are going to be emphasizing the run game in 2021, then it is important that the team has more than Montgomery at the running back position. Tarik Cohen is returning from an ACL injury that ended his 2020 season prematurely but he has never been considered a between-the-tackles running back. Williams provides the Bears with something that the Bears have never had under Nagy and that is a legitimate backup running back.

The signing of Williams also makes it clear that the Bears are intent on signing offensive players that can compliment Dalton at the quarterback position. It is certain that the Bears don’t believe that Dalton is the quarterback that a team wins because of.

That is the reason why Jimmy Graham is still with the Bears and that is the reason why Allen Robinson will not be traded before the 2021 season starts. Williams is just the latest piece that places Dalton in a position where he just needs to manage the offense and not force the issue.