The Jordan Howard trade has come under a lot of scrutiny from Chicago Bears fans in the past 24 hours. How could they do this? Why would they do this? Howard is the heart and soul of this team. Giving him away makes no sense. Except things are never that cut and dry in the NFL. Only superstars can be considered safe in this league and even that can be questioned after seeing what happened to Khalil Mack and Odell Beckham Jr.
Whether people liked it or not, this move was coming. It became apparent as early as last season when Matt Nagy was hired as head coach. Some things just take longer to accomplish than others. Now that the trade has happened and Howard is an Eagle, it’s time to examine things from as cold and logical a standpoint as possible.
Here are five realities about the trade that Bears fans must understand and accept.
#1 – Bears could’ve gotten more in Jordan Howard trade if they’d acted sooner
A lot of people are unhappy with the compensation the Bears got for Howard. A 6th round pick in 2020 that could become a 5th rounder if certain conditions are met. Given what he accomplished in his three years with the team, it’s easy to understand their displeasure. However, this is the reality of the modern NFL.
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Howard, despite being only 24-years old, was not in the best tradeable position. He was in the final year of his contract and coming off the worst season of his career. The value just wasn’t where it was a year ago. Could the Bears have gotten more if they’d moved him then? Yes. It’s simply the truth. Instead they chose to ride out the season with him and made the playoffs as a result. At least he got to experience that in a Bears uniform.
#2 – This is not the Greg Olsen trade all over again
Already many fans are getting nightmare flashbacks to 2011 when the Bears traded former 1st round pick Greg Olsen to the Carolina Panthers. A move that got them a 3rd round pick at the time. The explanation was that he just didn’t fit in the offensive system of coordinator Mike Martz, who primarily desired blockers at tight end.
Olsen ended up going to three Pro Bowls and would become one of the top tight ends in football for a period of 4-5 years in Carolina.
So why is this time different? Circumstances. The Martz offense was archaic by that point in time. It was clear Olsen was the new breed of tight end that was beginning to manifest in the NFL. Martz was just too set in his ways to realize it. This time is different.
Howard is not the caliber of athlete Olsen was. He’s not on the cutting edge of his position. The roles are reversed this time. He’s a running back who belongs in an era three decades in the past. The Nagy offense demands athletes of today, ones with speed, versatility, and explosiveness. Like it or not, Howard is known for none of those things.
#3 – He really wasn’t a fit in Matt Nagy’s system
Some people will continue to declare that the Bears gave up on Howard too easily. If Nagy had only tried hard enough, he could’ve made it work. The reality is Nagy did the best he could. He made blocking adjustments and studied tirelessly to find plays that worked. It still wasn’t enough. Howard averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in 2018.
The fact is it’s irresponsible of Nagy to try bending his offense to the limitations of one player. His job isn’t to make Howard a success. It’s to make the offense as a whole a success. If he believes a change in running back type will further that end, then it’s his right as a head coach to make that change.
#4 – Ryan Pace knows running backs
People are calling out GM Ryan Pace for making a “dumb” move by trading Howard. A bit ironic since Pace was the one who found Howard in the first place, drafting him in the 5th round of the 2016 draft. Truth be told, Pace has a fairly long history when it comes to finding quality running backs.
Jeremy Langford, a 4th round pick in 2015, had a strong rookie season over 800 yards rushing while filling in for an injured Matt Forte. A year later he drafted Howard. A year after that he acquired Tarik Cohen in the 4th round of the 2017 draft.
Suffice to say the man has a strong eye for the position given all his major acquisitions came on Day 3 of the draft. One would think he’s earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to big decisions there.
#5 – This franchise doesn’t mourn losses for long at that position
No team has a greater legacy at running back than the Bears. That’s just the facts. Every era of Chicago football has seen at least one good running back. One merely has to look at recent history for evidence. It started in 2001 when Anthony Thomas won Rookie of the Year honors. Three years later he was replaced by a free agent signing named Thomas Jones.
Jones guided the team to the Super Bowl with his steady, dependable style and tremendous leadership. Then he was traded in 2007 and the running game vanished. Did the Bears wallow in self-pity? Nope. They just drafted Matt Forte. He became the fixture of their offense for almost a decade. Then the same year he leaves in 2016, they drafted Howard.
The Bears have proven many times they can move on from productive running backs and get away with it. It’s a matter of giving them time to do their work.
