Getty Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles.
The Chicago Bears have made a flurry of offseason moves in the NFL draft, free agency and the trade market, at least some of which may come up shy of expectations.
Some bets appear surer than others, though one of the most precarious may be the signing of former Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles running back D’Andre Swift. That was the position of David Kenyon of Bleacher Report on Sunday, July 14, when he projected Swift will end up the Bears’ “biggest bust” of the 2024 campaign.
“Chicago charged after D’Andre Swift and rapidly signed him to a three-year contract in free agency,” Kenyon wrote. “He’s been a decently efficient player through four seasons, too. The offensive line is still an issue, though, and the Bears’ strength is now at receiver with Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze joining DJ Moore. Swift, who totaled 1,263 scrimmage yards in 2023, might not come close to that number in 2024.”
Swift signed for $24 million in March, and the Bears guaranteed a total of $15.3 million on his deal.
D’Andre Swift’s Pass-Catching Acumen Makes Him Good Fit for New-Look Bears Offense
GettyRunning back D’Andre Swift of the Chicago Bears.
While Kenyon’s point is fair that Swift may not approach his yardage accumulation from last season, it is unfair to say that outcome necessarily renders the running back a bust in Chicago.
Swift can’t categorically be called a bust if he provides the Bears with an upgrade over whatever the expected outcomes of Khalil Herbert and/or Roschon Johnson would be if Swift wasn’t in the same uniform.
Swift earned Pro Bowl honors last season by amassing 1,049 rushing yards, 214 receiving yards and scoring 6 total TDs. The tread on his proverbial tires is minimal, as he is only 25 years old and has amassed just 593 career carries across 56 games played.
A repeat Pro Bowl selection probably is unlikely considering the Bears’s offense is liable to become a more pass-heavy team with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams at quarterback and a host of pass-catching options.
But Swift is a vastly more accomplished receiver out of the backfield than either Herbert or Johnson at this point in their respective careers, which explains — at least in part — why the Bears targeted him in free agency despite holding the rights to two young, competent players in Herbert and Johnson.
As such, Swift is only a bust if the Bears paid him huge — relative to the running back position and its pay scale across the NFL — when they could have gotten 80-90% of that production from players already under contract without spending an extra dime.
Bears Could Look to Trade RB Khalil Herbert for Future Draft Pick
GettyChicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert.
Herbert has been a quality back in each of the past two seasons and has played in 25 games over that span. During that time, he has amassed 261 carries for 1,342 yards and 6 rushing TDs to go along with 29 receptions for 191 receiving yards and 2 scores.
Herbert is entering his age-26 season, which is the final on his four-year rookie deal worth just $3.6 million total. Herbert is the same height (5-foot-9) and almost the exact same listed weight (212 pounds compared to 215 pounds) as Swift. However, given the Bears’ investment in Swift, they clearly believe he can give them more moving forward.
Chicago also spent a fourth-round pick on Johnson in 2023, who had a reasonable rookie campaign. Johnson gained 561 yards from scrimmage and scored 2 total TDs on 4.3 yards per rush attempt and 34 receptions.
Considering that Herbert is entering a contract year and can offer some team out there significant value in 2024 based on his price-to-production ratio, Chicago may look to move him in a trade before the season begins in early September.
Heavy’s Jordan Wilson authored a trade pitch on July 12 that would see the Bears flip Herbert and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-rounder in next year’s draft.
“While the Bears are taking a risk on Swift after his breakout year in Philadelphia, they are financially committed to him through at least 2025,” Wilson wrote. “In such a situation, there is just not much reason to make Herbert play the No. 3 role — especially with him in the final year of his contract and potentially capable of returning a draft pick for the future.”
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