An Unexpected Name Helped Lure D’Andre Swift To Chicago

D’Andre Swift was the biggest free agent acquisition for the Chicago Bears. The running back is coming off a Pro Bowl season with the Philadelphia Eagles and should give the offense much-needed explosiveness from that position. GM Ryan Poles felt the running game also needed more versatility. Swift is a strong receiver out of the backfield. It isn’t surprising they were interested. The interesting question is how they lured him to Chicago since plenty of teams were dabbling in that market.

Money obviously played a part. The Bears gave Swift a strong three-year deal at $8 million per year. It’s a solid payday for somebody who was overlooked for much of his early career. However, that wasn’t the only reason Swift came to Chicago. He spoke to Larry Mayer of Chicagobears.com on the subject. It turns out there was somebody already on the roster he’d be eager to play with for some time. That is wide receiver D.J. Moore. As it turns out, the two have a history together.

“Who are you excited to play with in Chicago?

DJ Moore. We grew up together. That’s my guy. He’s from Philly. He went to Imhotep (Institute Charter High School); I went to Saint Joseph’s Prep. He’s stayed at my house before to go to workouts in the morning, that type of thing. We’re close. He’s excited — he was the first person to call me.”

D’Andre Swift is another example of Poles finding chemistry.

It seems like the Bears GM has a natural talent for finding players who have relationships going back years. He reunited Jack Sanborn and T.J. Edwards on defense last year. The two were teammates at Wisconsin and are also Illinois natives. No doubt, getting to play on the same team with Moore for the first time is something that appealed to Swift. It isn’t surprising the two kids from Philadelphia found success in the NFL. That town builds them tough. It is fitting they found a way back into contact after spending all of college and their first years in the pros almost completely out of contact.

The best part is both of them are in their prime. D’Andre Swift is 25 and Moore is 26. They could be together for the next few years if they stay healthy and productive. There is no doubt the Bears are counting on that. Adding Swift seems to have made Moore happy, which is something the team wanted to do, knowing he’d be upset about losing Justin Fields. If these two play up to their standards, the next quarterback should have lots of success right out of the game.