The Chicago Bears have undergone plenty of changes after a 5-12 season a year ago. Head coach Ben Johnson’s arrival was one of the most pivotal moments of this offseason and it shined a spotlight on how they can tweak the roster to replicate his success with the Detroit Lions.
One of the most obvious ways was enhancing the ground game. After crafting an elite rushing attack led by David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit, many have linked the Bears to a running back in this week’s draft.
This has led some to believe that current Bears running back D’Andre Swift is on thin ice heading into the upcoming season. But some recent news indicates that he’s not the playmaker that should be worried about his job when Chicago is on the clock.
Bears RB Roschon Johnson’s Job is in Danger Entering NFL Draft
ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped a notebook with the latest intel heading into the draft on Monday morning. Among the notes was a line that the Bears are looking into selecting a running back with the 10th overall pick. But instead of having that player replace Swift, Schefter suggests that it could be as a complement to form the two-headed backfield that Johnson had in Detroit.
“There are multiple personnel people who believe the Bears are praying that Jeanty slips to them at No. 10,” Schefter wrote. “They think new Bears coach Ben Johnson could feature Jeanty and D’Andre Swift as a two-headed duo the way the Lions did with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs when Johnson was Detroit’s offensive coordinator.”
The inclusion of Swift makes it seem like the 26-year-old is firmly entrenched in Johnson’s plans in Chicago. But it also spells disaster for the rest of the depth chart, specifically third-year running back Roschon Johnson.
Roschon Johnson was a fourth-round pick by the Bears in the 2023 draft but hasn’t done much since coming out of Texas. After running for 352 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie season, he had a disastrous sophomore campaign with 150 yards and six touchdowns on 55 carries.
A 2.7 yards per carry average isn’t good news for anyone looking for a job in the NFL. With the Bears also signing Travis Homer in free agency, it could mean that Roschon Johnson is on the chopping block.
This makes sense when you consider that Ben Johnson gave Swift a positive review during the NFL Scouting Combine and Chicago would eat $10 million in dead money if they released him before June 1. While the Bears could save $6.6 million if they trade him during the draft, teams may not be willing to give up much if they know they want to take a running back in the draft.
It’s something that could buy Swift another year in Chicago but leave Roschon Johnson on the outside looking in.