Predicting Chicago Bears' Backup Running Back Battle In Training Camp

Chicago Bears
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

As the Chicago Bears head into training camp in 2015, they are prepared to show fans a much different offense than of previous seasons. After John Fox took over as head coach and brought in his offensive coordinator from the Denver Broncos in Adam Gase, things quickly changed for the better.

Fox has seen a lot of success prior to coming to Chicago, and one reason for that his commitment to the run game — something former head coach Marc Trestman could not seem to fully grasp. With the Carolina Panthers, Fox used a running-back-by-committee approach and primarily ran DeAngelo Williams alongside Jonathan Stewart. In Denver, Fox wasn’t afraid to use any of his backs on any given Sunday — Ronnie Hillman, Montee Ball and C.J. Anderson all saw significant time in his system recently.

This begs the question many Bears fans are asking: Who will Fox choose to run alongside longtime starter Matt Forte? At the age of 29, Forte probably has two or three solid years left before he exits his role of the feature back. This, of course, means that Fox needs to keep his legs fresh by pairing him with another back to take some of the load off.

Forte, historically, has been a monster in the passing game — all while carrying the load on the ground. In 2014, Forte caught a career-high 102 passes while rushing for over 1,000 yards on 266 carries. 308 touches is a lot for a guy who will turn 30 by the end of the 2015 season. For this reason alone, it is my belief that Fox will begin to insert a run game featuring more than just Forte.

In 2014, Forte’s backup, rookie Ka’Deem Carey, rushed for only 158 yards on a measly 36 attempts. While he was a college standout, Carey doesn’t look like he will fare well in a crowded backfield also featuring the likes of Jacquizz Rodgers, Daniel Thomas and 2015 fourth-round pick Jeremy Langford, especially being a poor pass blocker.

So, assuming Fox will want to dish out anywhere from 20 to 30 percent of Forte’s workload, who gets the carries? The fact that Chicago struggled mightily on kick and punt returns a year ago leads me to believe that this role is carved out for Rodgers, and it is his position to lose. Rodgers may be featured every once and a while in certain packages, but he will likely be a special teams player on most days.

What about Thomas? The way I see it, he is simply a camp body. I don’t see the Bears cutting ties with Carey after only one year, so don’t expect Thomas to stick around long after August is over.

This leaves the obvious choice — Langford.

At Michigan State, Langford proved he was the real deal. With big shoes to fill after Le’Veon Bell left, Langford jumped right in and made sure the Spartans’ ground game didn’t miss a beat. Rushing for just under 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns, Langford was a nightmare for opposing defenses. Chicago drafted him with one goal in mind — to find a home run hitter.

Langford ran the fastest 40-yard dash time at the 2015 Combine at 4.42 seconds. He is a well-balanced back who could surprise a lot of folks as he gets his chances behind Forte. Like Forte, Langford is one of the more patient backs you will see coming out of the college level. One of the biggest reasons he saw so much success was because he waited for his opportunities to open up. And then, he was gone.

If you want to count on something heading into the 2015 season, my money is on Langford to be there right behind Forte come Week 1. Chicago went out and grabbed him for a reason, and throughout training camp and the preseason we will see exactly that.

Ryan Heckman is a writer for www.RantSports.com covering the NBA and NFL. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

Related

Chicago Bears Already Set at Nose Tackle

Bears Would Be Unwise to Move Kyle Long to Tackle

Share On FacebookShare StumbleUpon