The Chicago Bears traded up for David Montgomery in the 2019 draft. Most felt it was because they were desperate for a running back and want to make sure they got a guy they liked. That is certainly part of it, but not all. There is a growing belief that GM Ryan Pace and his staff were enamored with Montgomery before the draft even began. There was a genuine fear that he would fall far enough for them to have a chance at him.
Thankfully things played out in their favor. They moved up in a deal with the New England Patriots to get their guy. Since then Montgomery has not disappointed. He was a constant standout in minicamps, delivered the best highlight of training camp down in Bourbonnais and then showcased exactly what he can be for this team in the preseason opener against Carolina. A game where he demonstrated everything from vision, to strength, quickness, and receiving prowess.
Yet the prevailing belief is that he’ll likely be a regular piece is a running back-by-committee approach for the Bears. One where he, Mike Davis, and Tarik Cohen each get their shares of the action. Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports though, who visited with the team recently, got a strong sense the plans for the rookie go deeper than that.
David Montgomery may be too good to keep off the field
This wouldn’t be the first time that Bears head coach Matt Nagy bypassed the idea of a committee approach to showcase a rookie. Back in 2017, as offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, the expectations were the team would run something similar with veteran Charcandrick West and rookie Kareem Hunt. Then Hunt started the season opener in New England, dominated and was the unquestioned feature back from that point on.
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Could it be possible for such a thing to happen again? Based on the stream of whispers around the team, it certainly feels like Montgomery is capable of that. He proved he can put an offense on his back at Iowa State. He has the versatile skill set to stay on the field for every down. Given his work ethic and self-confidence, he doesn’t seem like the type who would be overwhelmed by the pressure of being given heavy responsibilities from the jump.
