Saturday, March 23, 2024

Chicago Bears Scouts Spotted Eyeing Under-the Radar Running Back

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The Chicago Bears have already begun reshuffling their depth chart at running back. No they haven’t made the big move to replace Jordan Howard that everyone expects. However, they did improve their depth with the addition of Mike Davis. A tough, strong, and quick-footed runner with pass-catching prowess fresh off a solid year in Seattle.

Does this mean they’re done? Probably not. Rumors swirl they may have other names in mind on the free agent market and they’ve been keeping tabs on possible players in the draft as well. Most of the notable names have already been mentioned like Miles Sanders from Penn State or David Montgomery from Iowa State.

However, a good team is prepared for all possibilities. The Bears operate by the best player available mantra in the draft and they may not be able to grab a running back until the later rounds. If so, they have to make sure they get the right guy. One name they appear to be locked on according to Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst? Devine Ozigbo of Nebraska.

“Shrine Game star Devine Ozigbo, who many believed should have been at the combine last weekend, was one of the main attractions and impressed with his performance.

While I’m still waiting on a few additional numbers, I’m told the running back weighed in at 220 pounds, one more than the Shrine. He touched 37 inches in the vertical jump, completed 19 reps on the bench and timed as fast as 4.54 in the 40.

Ozigbo, who looked very good in drills, is drawing interest from the Chicago BearsNew Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers.”

Chicago Bears Devine Ozigbo move would be an interesting committee approach

Ozigbo is an interesting case. He wasn’t on the radar for anybody coming into 2018 but ended up having himself a good year. He ran for 1,082 yards on just 155 carries, scored 12 touchdowns, and caught 23 passes for 203 more yards. Ozigbo has good size and runs with a fair degree of power, rarely going down after first contact. This was demonstrated on his touchdown run at the East-West Shrine game. He has quick feet to navigate traffic and make sharp cuts.

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The vertical jump and 40-yard dash numbers he posted show up on the film. He’s got game. More than the current draft buzz is indicating. There’s a serious chance the Bears could get him later in the draft. Maybe even as an undrafted free agent. An area of the offseason they’re expected to be more active than usual. If so that would be a fascinating addition to what could be a run-by-committee approach moving forward.

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