The Chicago Bears made a plethora of moves, including moving on from Jeremy Langford to carry rookie running back Taquan Mizzell.
Mizzell was an undrafted free agent from Virginia. He did not get a combine invite, but at about 5’10”, 185 pounds, you could understand what type of back he profiles as.
NFL.com saw his strengths as quick-footed, elusive runner who can contribute in the passing game. However, his weaknesses are his size and inability to run between the tackles along with him being called a “juke junkie”.
For those who may have wanted to make Jeremy Langford a de facto wide receiver, you will see the addition of Mizzell as a potential upgrade.
In his limited time in the preseason the best highlight he showed was working out of the slot. Mizzell breaks down his defender over the middle and holds onto the catch for a 15-yard play.
The Bears have been looking for answers in the slot. Kendall Wright, Victor Cruz, Daniel Braverman, they have spent resources on this spot. They also have players such as Zach Miller, Adam Shaheen, Daniel Brown and Tarik Cohen who can work out of the slot. Add in Mizzell, who has experience here. Without Markus Wheaton whose status is unknown, the Bears may be shifting Wright to the outside. This is where having so many options who can split out wide becomes a smart option.
Jordan Howard is a power running back and now with Cohen, Mizzell and Benny Cunningham, they will have no concerns about anything that he needs to bring in the passing game. The Bears are throwing resources at these spots, and it looks like some of these additions are going to stick. We will see if Mizzell can do anything to stick around this season.