For the second off-season in a row, Ian Cunningham came painfully close to landing his own GM position with another team. It hasn’t happened yet. The Chicago Bears aren’t complaining. That means they get their assistant GM for another off-season. His eye for talent and excellent ability to keep Ryan Poles grounded should prove most useful over the next two months. The first order of business is figuring out what they’ll do in free agency. Everybody expects them to target offensive linemen and pass rushers.
Presuming that is true, it could set up something that hasn’t happened in Chicago in almost 30 years. Would they dare take a running back in the 1st round? The initial reaction would be, of course, not. Smart teams don’t do that, right? It seems implausible until you remember this comment by Cunningham shortly before the 2023 draft two years ago when asked if he thinks taking a running back in the top 10 can be worth it.
“Yeah, I think it’s worth it.”
Ian Cunningham knows there are exceptions to rules.
This isn’t the 1970s or ’80s anymore when the nature of offense in the NFL made drafting running backs high the standard procedure. These days, it is a quarterback-driven league. The only way to justify taking a running back is if they’re such an outlier as a talent that you can’t possibly ignore them. We’re talking Saquon Barkley’s levels of skill. Rare. As it so happens, many believe this 2025 draft class has one: Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty. NFL.com has him ranked as the #1 overall prospect this year.
His comparison? LaDainian Tomlinson.
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Yes, the Bears need blocking and pass rush. Nobody disputes this. Still, try to imagine the idea of giving Caleb Williams a running back like Tomlinson. It would be a pick-your-poison situation for opposing defenses. That is the issue Ian Cunningham, Poles, and Ben Johnson must wrestle with, presuming Jeanty is still on the board when the Bears go on the clock in April.
@TGena I’m curious, since you brought up a point about the value of players who opposing defenses have to scheme around (“fear factor,” etc.): Do you believe that description applies more to Justin Fields circa 2023 or Caleb Williams circa 2024? As time passes, I am less and less interested in litigating the past. That said, I still think moving off of a QB1 who struck that “fear factor” among opposing defenses for one who doesn’t, or at least hasn’t struck it yet, was the wrong decision and set the franchise back significantly. I have never played organized football (I… Read more »
If you can trade RB Swift and his bloated salary to say Vegas for a low draft pick, then the Bears will likely have to draft one. But who and when? Is RB Jeanty special? IDK. I know RB Bijan Robinson was and is.
@Dr. Melhus The business I am in is moving the Overton window, if you’re familiar with that particular piece of jargon. So when I say “draft eight offensive guards,” what I really mean is, invest a significant chunk of draft capital on offensive guards who are ready to dominate now.
Never forget Bill George, Rick Caseres, Willie Galimore …
@Barry: If the Bears pick Jenty, I would partially agree with you. The expectation would be playoffs in 2025 and Super Bowl in 2026. Give them a year to shake the bugs out. Of course, the last time the Bears chose a running back in the first round that was a good pick would be going back a ways, either to Neal Anderson (1.27 in ’86) or Walter Payton (1.04 in ’75). Could throw in Gale Sayers too (1.04 in ’65). Enis and Benson weren’t great picks, given where they were chosen. On the flip side, historically, the Bears have… Read more »