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Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023, unless the team decides to ink him to an extension first.
The 24-year-old running back is heading into the final year of his four-year rookie contract, which is valued at just over $4 million. It’s possible the Bears could place the franchise tag on him next year, but that’s unlikely — and based on new general manager Ryan Poles’ recent comments, selecting a running back is a very real possibility for the Bears in the upcoming draft.
While one of the most popular storylines surrounding the Bears this offseason is their need to add wide receivers for second-year quarterback Justin Fields, Poles suggested the team plans to address offensive line and running back to help Fields, too.
“I think any time you improve the team overall, you’re helping all of the players out,” Poles said in a pre-draft meeting with the media on April 26. “That can look different. You could say he (Fields) needs receivers, receivers, receivers, but he needs blocking too and he also needs balance in terms of running the ball efficiently and getting that done up front. Then, you can do some play action pass stuff, then you can do different things.”
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Poles: ‘There’s a Ton’ of RBs in the Draft
The Bears GM was asked about the depth in the draft, and he had some telling comments.
“I would say the O-line depth is pretty good,” Poles said. “Some good depth at the DBs. There’s a couple good defensive linemen. The running back class may not be top heavy, but there’s like a ton – it’s crazy how many running backs there are.”
The Bears drafted running back Khalil Herbert in the sixth round of the 2021 draft, and he turned out to be one of the most pleasant surprises on the roster last season. Herbert had 103 carries for 433 yards (that’s 4.2 yards per carry) and two touchdowns in addition to 14 catches for 96 yards in limited opportunities. With new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy running the show, Herbert will likely be getting more chances to show what he can do.
Considering Herbert still has three more years left on his rookie contract, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Chicago took another running back on Day 3 this year. The Bears signed Darrynton Evans to a one-year deal this offseason, but other than Montgomery and Herbert, he’s the only RB currently on the team’s depth chart. Adding a back on a rookie deal would give the Bears another affordable option while also adding competition — which is something Poles also discussed.
“Any time you can bring in new, young talent that can create competition and help get better and obviously with the way free agency is, you get a rookie contract, you get a little bit of time to keep tweaking things and improve,” Poles said.
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There’s Potential to Be Had on day 3 of the Draft at RB
One strong candidate for the Bears on Day 3 is South Dakota State standout Pierre Strong Jr. As draft analyst Jacob Infante points out, Strong could provide great value at the position. Plus, as Johnathan Wood of Da Bears Blog suggested, Poles’ words strongly suggest that the Bears’ plans may not include Montgomery long term if that means spending big money.
The 5-foot-11, 207-pound Strong had an impressive campaign in 2021, racking up 1,673 yards and 18 scores on 240 carries, also catching 22 passes for 150 yards. In four years with the Jackrabbits, Strong amassed 4,495 yards and 40 TDs while averaging an impressive 7.2 yards per carry. He’s fast, bruising and makes plays like this:
It’s early, and the draft hasn’t happened yet, but if Poles does select a running back, the writing could be on the wall for Montgomery.
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