Gil Brandt received his gold jacket this year for his outstanding career as a scout and executive for the Dallas Cowboys from the 1960s through the 1980s. During that time he helped construct a team that went to the playoffs for 20-straight seasons, delivered two Super Bowl championships, and trotted a line of players into Canton. One position he knew well was running back. So it’s little surprise that the man is already a fan of David Montgomery.
Brandt knows what great backs are supposed to look like. He saw Hugh McElhenny up close as a scout for the 49ers in the late 1950s. Then he helped Dallas draft Pro Bowler Calvin Hills and of course Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett. Not to mention Super Bowl MVP Duane Thomas. So it was quite an honor when he ranked the Bears rookie as his #1 rookie riser of 2019.
Not only that. He also compared him to a former Chicago great.
“Two years ago, when he was offensive coordinator for the Chiefs, Matt Nagy helped turn a third-round pick (Kareem Hunt) into the NFL’s rushing leader. Can the Bears head coach work the same magic with Montgomery this year? In Chicago’s preseason opener, Montgomery looked like the second coming of Matt Forte, contributing on the ground (three carries for 16 yards and a score) and through the air (three catches for 30 yards).
Montgomery’s all-around skills make him a better fit for Nagy’s offense than Jordan Howard, who ran for a team-high 935 yards last season before being traded to Philadelphia. Montgomery will have every chance to become Chicago’s bell-cow back, with Tarik Cohen and Mike Davis serving as complementary weapons.”
David Montgomery is already building the bandwagon
It’s fitting that Brandt chose Forte as the comparison for Montgomery. During the latter’s strong preseason performance, Forte spoke out on Twitter about how much he likes the rookie’s game. Probably because he saw so much of himself. The smooth, patient running. The strong cutting ability and the soft hands for catching the football. They do really have much in common in terms of their playing styles and skillsets.
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Forte was a little faster than Montgomery while Montgomery appears to be a little stronger. Either way, if the Bears have indeed gotten a player of Forte’s caliber, then this offense just got infinitely better. Teams had a hard time stopping the offense even when it was outdated or lacked talent as long as Forte was on the field. Imagine if he’d had the play calling of Matt Nagy and the current talent at quarterback and wide receiver they now have.
It would’ve been fun times for him. This may only raise expectations for Montgomery that much higher.
