The Chicago Bears free agent rush the past 48 hours was a sight to behold. For three years GM Ryan Pace had operated with a particular goal in mind. He wanted to spend his cap space diligently, making sure not to make any rash deals. He’d seek out fewer big names on the market and instead focus on adding depth and potential second tier talent that still had room to grow. It’s a mode of operation that worked a couple times, particularly with Akiem Hicks. However, for the most part, Bears free agency operations have struggled.
Pace knew he could no longer sit back like that. He’s yet to produce a winning season and now has a young quarterback to think about. So when the legal tampering period commenced on March 12th, the Bears leading man was ready. In the span of less than a day, he secured the rights to three key additions that could change the entire landscape on offense.
Former Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson signed a three-year, $42 million deal. He was soon followed by versatile tight end Trey Burton, arriving on a four-year $32 million contract. Last but not least was speedy receiver Taylor Gabriel, locking up his future for four years at $26 million. Three brand new pass targets, all young and talented. Mitch Trubisky was the obvious beneficiary behind it all.
Except he’s not the only one. There’s another who should be doing cartwheels over this development.
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Bears free agent blitz will be a huge help to Jordan Howard
Few men had a harder time finding space to work in 2017 than running back Jordan Howard. That was because he faced a situation where defenses stacked the tackle box with eight or more men 43.12% of the times he touched the ball. Only two other feature running backs, Leonard Fournette and Jonathan Stewart, facing higher percentages. It was a frustrating situation. The fact Howard still ran for over 1,000 yards and averaged 4.1 yards per carry is impressive.
The Bears though want to do everything in their power to maximize what Howard can do. A great goal would be finding a way to force defenders out of the box. This would give him more space to work with and possibly lead to more big plays.
Jordan Howard made history vs. Bengals, becoming the 1st #Bears RB to reach at least 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first 2 seasons. Howard rushed for 147 YDS, 2 TDs and a 6.4 AVG, forcing missed tackles on almost 20% of his carries. Here’s proof that he’s reeeaaalllyyy good: pic.twitter.com/zjaVVrYTlh
— Flo Ottis (@flo_ottis) December 11, 2017
In 2016 for example, Howard averaged a whopping 6.1 yards per carry when he faced six men or fewer in the box. The last thing opponents want is for him to have room. Yet they no longer have a choice in the matter. The arrivals of Robinson, Gabriel, and Burton combine with Adam Shaheen and a returning Cameron Meredith to provide Trubisky a litany of options in the passing game. A problem opponents didn’t have to deal with last year.
If they try to stack the box in 2018, that will mean one-on-one coverage across the board. If head coach Matt Nagy is as good a play caller as advertised, somebody will be open for Trubisky to find. Then again if the defense tries to drop more men into coverage, it’s one less at the line of scrimmage to stop Howard. It’s a classic football version of a Catch 22. Something the Bears haven’t seen since 2013 with Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Martellus Bennett.
That offense finished the year ranked eighth overall. Matt Forte finished that year with career highs in rushing yards (1,339) and rushing touchdowns (9).
