Getty RB Lamar Miller worked out for the Bears Wednesday. Chicago is reportedly adding him to their practice squad. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
It looks like the Chicago Bears are looking at the possibility of bringing in another running back now that Tarik Cohen is done for the season. The Bears worked out four backs on Wednesday, including former Houston Texans Pro Bowler Lamar Miller, per NFL insider Albert Breer.
Chicago also worked out rushers Dalyn Dawkins, Tavien Feaster and Jonathan Williams.
Today’s tryout/visit list includes …
• The Bears working out RB Lamar Miller.
• The Broncos hosting DT Timmy Jernigan.
Miller spent his first four seasons with the Miami Dolphins before landing in Houston, where he played from 2016-2018. He tore his ACL during the 2019 preseason, and he hasn’t played since.
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Lamar Miller Stats: He Would Fit Well in Matt Nagy’s Offense
Miller has played in 105 games in his seven seasons, starting 89. He has rushed for 5,864 yards on 1,354 carries (that’s an average of 4.3 yards per carry), and he has 32 touchdowns on the ground. He also established himself as quite the dual-threat back, catching 209 passes for 1,565 yards and eight scores.
Miller made the Pro Bowl in 2018, accumulating 1,136 total yards and six touchdowns in 14 games. He would be a solid compliment to David Montgomery with Cohen out for the year, as he has good hands coming out of the backfield, and his speed was undeniable prior to the knee injury. Thus, his health is the primary question mark surrounding him.
Miller tore his ACL just as he was entering the final year of his contract, which was a huge blow in myriad ways for the 5’10” 220 pound back, but if he’s looking anything close to how he looked in the video he shared on social media in July, the Bears could be getting some big time value if they sign him.
And Then There Were Three: Which Other RBs Worked Out for the Bears?
The Bears also brought in running backs Dalyn Dawkins, Tavien Feaster and Jonathan Williams for workouts Wednesday. Dawkins, the nephew of ex-NFL great Brian Dawkins, played three years at Colorado State after transferring over from Purdue. In 46 games, he ran for 3,300 yards on 589 carries (that’s 5.6 ypc), scoring 14 touchdowns.
Dawkins also established himself as a receiving threat, catching 79 passes for 734 yards and three scores. The Titans signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2018, but he spent most of the 2018 and 2019 seasons on the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster a few times each year, appearing in four total games, where he had 11 rushes for 26 yards.
Williams would be an interesting addition for Chicago. If signed, he would likely fill Artavis Pierce’s spot on the practice squad. He played his college ball at Arkansas, where he had 2,321 yards on 406 carries (5.7 ypc). He missed his senior year due to a foot injury, but was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft by the Bills.
He played in 11 games as a rookie, rushing for 94 yards on 27 carries. He was a surprise cut for the Bills the next year, and he bounced around a bit, spending time on both the Broncos’ and Saints’ practice squads before being promoted to New Orleans’ roster. He landed with the Colts in 2019, where he played in nine games, starting one. He finished the year with 49 carries for 235 yards and a score. The Lions toyed with adding him this year — they actually added him to their active roster when they played the Bears Week 1 — but he never saw action, and they released him shortly after.
Feaster, an undrafted free agent, spent his first three seasons at Clemson before transferring to South Carolina in 2019. He’s the only back the Bears worked out Wednesday who doesn’t have any NFL experience. The 5’11” 221 pound back ran for 20 touchdowns and 2,002 yards on 346 carries in 48 games, and he averaged an impressive 5.8 yards a carry in college. He also caught 40 passes for 270 yards.
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