The value of Darrynton Evans emergence with Chicago Bears

When Khalil Herbert was placed on the IR many thought this was a good time for the Chicago Bears to see what they had in rookie Trestan Ebner. That was their initial plan, but Ebner struggled, and his poor play led to a sack. The team was not willing to trust him after that this late into the season, so they moved to Darrynton Evans.

Evans has made a small impact as a second running back, but it is obvious he is a big upgrade from Ebner. So far, he has 12 rushes for 55 yards, and one catch for 33 yards. Still, beyond the box score, the usage of Evans is what may make him valuable to the Chicago Bears.

Why Darrynton Evans’ emergence is valuable for Chicago Bears

Darrynton Evans has not been a backup to Khalil Herbert in the exact sense. The two have different skill sets, and it has caused them to change things up. One area where Evans is much better than Herbert is the passing game. We already highlighted the 33-yard catch, but Evans has also shown well in pass protection.

He only has two snaps in pass protection so far, but they have been able to get him out there in 17 passing games. These are typical snaps when Montgomery would have to be on the field, and it would get obvious.

In the past two weeks, Evans has been able to cut into the long down and distance snaps that Montgomery almost always had, and Evans has been able to mix in during the two-minute drill.

These are not situations when Herbert would ever play.

So the Chicago Bears can view this in two differing ways. First, they could say that they have three backs that can all complement each other. Montgomery is the physical runner who can get the tough yards when needed.

Herbert is the big play threat, and Evans is the passing down back who can create a spark on third and long and in the two-minute drill.

The other reality is that if Montgomery is reduced to half of the first and second down snaps, and limited third down snaps with no two-minute drill work, his role starts to get replaceable. They can find a power back to convert third and one, and get Herbert a few more first-down snaps.

If the Chicago Bears really wanted to, a group of Herbert, Evans, and a cheap power back could probably suffice. The fact that Evans is not only competent but that he can complement both Herbert and Montgomery starts to give the team options heading into the offseason.