Getty Bears RB David Montgomery.
David Montgomery continues to put in work. The Chicago Bears running back has been spending the offseason working with Rischad Whitfield — also known as the Footwork King — and now, it appears as though the 23-year-old running back is working on his speed and acceleration in addition to his footwork.
In a video shared by Montgomery on Instagram last week, the former Iowa State standout is seen sprinting hard down a random driveway, looking as fast as he has looked since getting drafted by the Bears in the third round in 2019.
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Speed Was Primary Knock Against Montgomery Coming Out of the Draft in 2019
Lack of speed and burst were among some of the weaknesses draft analysts and scouts found in his game coming out of Iowa State, and the Bears running back seems determined to improve them.
Here’s a snippet from Montgomery’s draft profile, courtesy of NFL.com: “Runs with some tightness in his hips…Unable to make steep cuts against the grain on backside…Below-average burst to open space…Lacks pure speed to outrun NFL linebackers to the corner…Makes a tackler miss, but doesn’t have juice to get away from the next one.”
Based on his 2020 season alone, Montgomery assuredly has plenty of juice. He earned an 81.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and an 83.9 rushing grade last year, and his 1,070 yards was fifth in the NFL. He became the focal point of the Bears offense as the season progressed, and he has clearly taken his increased role in the offense seriously.
Montgomery Has Adjusted to the Pro Game Well
Based on how he has tackled his first two offseasons, it looks as though Montgomery tries to use the time to improve certain aspects of his game. Last season, he worked with Whitfield in addition to changing his diet. “My favorite thing was like flame-hot beef jerky and, like, some Swiss cheese,” the Bears running back said prior to last season, per Sports Illustrated. “I realized that that wasn’t good for me. Whenever I felt the craving for a Krispy Kreme donut, I’d definitely go have one, back in the day. But now I fight the urge to go have one.”
He also earned the respect of the locker room in his second season.
“For us, inside the locker room, we know the kind of player that David is. He’s always been the same player. We know when he gets the ball, he’s going to make the first dude miss. He’s never going to be taken down by the first person,” Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson said about Montgomery, per the Chicago Tribune.
“David is a beast, man,” wideout Darnell Mooney added. “You always know he is going to run through two or three guys regardless of who is around.”
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