The Chicago Bears traded Jordan Howard because they felt they needed somebody with more versatility at running back. Then they traded up for David Montgomery in the draft because they felt he was perfect for what they wanted to do. All signs out of training camp was teh 3rd round pick was as advertised. Not only was he a far better pass catcher, his vision and contact balance made him hard to tackle. It didn’t take long into the first preseason game to see it all.
Early in the 2nd quarter against the Carolina Panthers and the offense struggling, the Bears decided to feature their rookie. After an early holding penalty, Chase Daniel found Montgomery on a screen who then ran 23 yards to pick up a first down.
A few plays later, Montgomery took a handoff up the middle. The initial play made it look like he would be tackled for no gain. Then the running back ducked low, let a defender go right over him, kept his balance and picked up four yards.
The best play though came at the finish. Seven yards out on 1st and goal, Montgomery took the handoff again. A Panthers defender had him dead to rights for a stop. The rookie stopped, sidestepped to his left to avoid the tackle and then burst to the end zone for the only touchdown of the half.
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David Montgomery showed everything that can make him great
Just on that one series, Montgomery showed a lot of traits that Jordan Howard never had. The ability to consistently catch the football. Being able to shift his center of gravity and cut in an entirely new direction. Vision to navigate the tight spaces between the tackles. It became clearer with each snap why the Bears traded up to get him. The guy is a genuine talent who looks like he can be lethal in this offense.
What’s so scary is the Bears offense was pretty dangerous without the presence of this type of back last year. Now that they have it, there’s no telling what they’ll be able to do. Montgomery didn’t come into the game as the starter. That honor went to Mike Davis. However, it feels like that job will be his before too long. Keeping him off the field is not something the coaches will justify forever.
