The Chicago Bears just signed running back D’Onta Foreman this offseason, but one analyst is already encouraging the team to put the rusher on the trade block before the regular season begins.
In his August 15 column for Bleacher Report, Matt Holder listed one player every team should trade this preseason, and for the Bears, he chose Foreman.
“Sure, Chicago just signed the journeyman in the offseason, but that was before it took Roschon Johnson in the fourth round of the draft,” Holder wrote. “Plus, its lead back is still expected to be Khalil Herbert, who is under contract for two more years while Foreman inked just a one-year deal. In other words, the Bears would still have two young running backs at their disposal even if they sent Foreman elsewhere, and they would pick up some more assets in the process.”
Foreman Is Coming Off a Career Year
Comparing D’Onta Foreman and Nick Chubb, Weeks 7-18.
Foreman: 191 carries for 876 yards, five touchdowns, 32 missed tackles forced, 12 carries of 15 or more yards.
Chubb: 192 carries for 876 yards, five touchdowns, 41 missed tackles forced, 12 carries of 15 or more yards.
The Bears inked Foreman to a one-year, $2 million deal with $1 million guaranteed, and he will have low-risk, high-reward potential no matter where he plays. But the plan is to utilize him as a pass-catching weapon out of the backfield for quarterback Justin Fields.
A third-round pick for the Houston Texans in 2017, the 6-foot-1, 235-pound running back has bounced around a bit over his five seasons in the league, also playing for the Tennessee Titans and the Carolina Panthers, where he spent the 2022 season. After the Panthers traded superstar running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in October of 2022, Foreman became RB1 for Carolina.
As USA Today’s Doug Farrar noted, after Foreman took over for McCaffrey in the lineup, his numbers were comparable to four-time Pro Bowl RB Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns, as both rushed for 876 yards from Weeks 7-18 (Chubb did it in 192 carries, while Foreman did it in 191). Both running backs scored five touchdowns in that span.
The 27-year-old Foreman finished his 2022 campaign with 916 yards rushing on 203 carries (4.5 yards per carry) and five touchdowns, all career highs. He’s also capable of making a contribution as a pass catcher, so don’t expect Chicago to trade him away unless a team with significant needs at running back comes calling. Even then, it may take a solid offer, as Fields, in his pivotal third season, needs all the weapons on offense he can get.
Foreman Has Been Good for Bears RBs Room
#Bears fans are going to like new RB D’Onta Foreman — he’s a one-cut RB w/ speed to stretch defenses outside the tackles and size to batter ILBs on inside-hitters.
He reads his blocks well and has the burst to get away from tacklers in the backfield. Awesome value signing 👌
On August 6, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine named Foreman one of the top steals of free agency this year. He is second behind Khalil Herbert on Chicago’s depth chart and just ahead of rookie Roschon Johnson, who noted during training camp the various things he has been learning from Foreman.
“There’s been a lot of different things, as far as how he kind of grasps the system and he takes things and learns,” Johnson said. “How he makes the systems stick to his brain. The reps, really just getting reps. That’s the main thing, just putting yourself in the fire and seeing how you respond. Seeing what you did do good and what you didn’t do good. I think he does a good job of that. That’s the main thing.”
Foreman had three carries for 9.0 yards in Chicago’s 23-17 preseason win over the Titans, playing just nine snaps. He was more limited, along with the majority of Chicago starters, so it will be interesting to see how often the Bears use the veteran back, who has missed a few days of camp with an undisclosed injury.
If Herbert and Johnson, who are both still on rookie contracts, play well when the regular season hits, general manager Ryan Poles might consider sending Foreman off. As it stands, though, it looks like the plan for Foreman will be to fill the role of the now-departed David Montgomery.
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Bears Urged to Trade Offensive Playmaker for Draft Capital