Ryan Nall – RB
As quickly as he found himself on the depth chart he could quickly find himself off. Why are we concerned about the third string running back? Well that is simple, the Chicago Bears running game was awful last season. Right now, you could not argue that the team is better than any other team in the NFC North when it comes to the run game. The front office believes that it had to do with different philosophies around the blocking schemes, but is it more of a talent issue?
David Montgomery did not live up to my expectations, but I still have full faith in him being a strong NFL running back. Tarik Cohen was somewhat of a mess in 2019 after having a strong 2018 season. Many will say, it would not matter if the Chicago Bears had Walter Payton in his prime behind this offensive line. Well, that is a slap in the face to one of the best running backs to ever play the game.
Again, I ask, why does the third-string running back matter? The main reason is that Tarik Cohen could not be a lead back for a long length of time. The Bears would be in danger if Montgomery were to go down with an injury. Ryan Nall is not the answer. He could fill in for a game or two, but not the entire season.
Some think Artavis Pierce is the answer. I do not see it. He was not that productive at Oregon State. In fact, Nall was more productive when the two played together in 2016 and 2017. When Nall left for the NFL in 2018, Pierce’s production barely increased. This is not telling me he’s the answer as the third running back on this roster. I expect Ryan Pace to bring in a better veteran presence to play behind Montgomery.