Chicago Bears: 3 Offensive players with potential to breakout in 2020
David Montgomery, RB
The Chicago Bears traded away Jordan Howard and brought in a running back many thought fit Matt Nagy’s system better. I like Howard but never found him to be special. In a league where teams either have a star running back or a replaceable one, Howard was a replaceable one. Honestly, not many star running backs are non-replaceable either.
Look at Le’Veon Bell in Pittsburgh. The team did not want to overpay him and James Conner stepped in and played well. Conner did not fully replicate that in 2019, but Bell was not great for the Jets either. Overpaying the running back position usually leads to nothing more than a somewhat competitive team that hardly succeeds beyond the regular season.
David Montgomery started in only eight games for the Chicago Bears last year. He still found a way to gain 889 yards and score six touchdowns on the ground. He added another 185 yards through the air for 1,074 all-purpose yards and another walk into the end zone for a total of seven. Although he only started eight games, he saw a healthy 242 carries or 15 carries per game. I would like to see his carries go up to 260 this year.
Hot. Three must-watch training camp battles. light
Montgomery ran behind a struggling offensive line in 2019. Hopefully, with a shift in the blocking scheme, the line can create a little more space for the elusive back. Montgomery has the potential to increase his 3.7 yards-per-carry average to over 4.0 and with his ability to break tackles (28 last season), he should easily break the 1,000-yard mark. The key will be finding double-digit touchdowns with his legs and a few more through the air.
A big year from Montgomery, or any of these three, would mean better offensive production and the possibility of reaching the playoffs and beyond in 2020.