Chicago Bears Land Quality Running Back At Robbery Price

The Chicago Bears have been busy lately. After a brief period of inactivity, they’ve hit on a series of signings that help bolster their offense. It started with tight end Robert Tonyan, formerly of the Green Bay Packers. He was quickly joined by a much-needed replacement for David Montgomery. Former 3rd round pick D’Onta Foreman enjoyed a strong season in 2022 with the Carolina Panthers, going for 914 yards and five touchdowns. Now he joins the Bears on a one-year deal for $3 million. That is thievery, considering he’s still only 26 years old.

Foreman came into the league via the Houston Texans in 2017. There were signs of ability as a rookie. Sadly his first few seasons were marred by health setbacks. He was forced to move on from Houston after playing only one game between 2018 and 2019. He landed in Tennessee as a backup to Derrick Henry. Things finally started clicking for him again in 2021, topping over 500 yards with three touchdowns. Then the Panthers took a chance on him. He responded with a torrid stretch of 877 yards over the final 11 games of the season.

Chicago Bears likely aren’t done at running back.

Foreman provides something that the departed David Montgomery doesn’t: speed. He was clocked at a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash in college and that shows up frequently on tape. GM Ryan Poles has said he wants this offense to be more explosive. The combination of Foreman and Khalil Herbert should serve that purpose. There is one lingering issue. Neither player is reliable in the passing game. The Bears need somebody that can be a receiving threat. Maybe Travis Homer can fill that role, but it feels like this team isn’t done adding pieces yet.

Either way, the Chicago Bears’ offense got better today. They added two proven veterans that provide depth at the very least and could be legitimate contributors if used the right way. Poles deserves credit for how he’s approaching this. It’s becoming clearer by the minute that he will be focused on the trenches when the draft begins next month. They need blocking for Justin Fields and multiple pass rushers. With four picks in the first three rounds, they’re well-equipped to attack the problem.