Everyone knows that the success of former number one overall pick and potential franchise quarterback Caleb Williams is going to decide the fate of the Chicago Bears this offseason.
However, as Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports notes, the success, or lack thereof, of D’Andre Swift will go a long way in telling the outcome of the season as well. He listed him as the Bears' x-factor.
"The key to this season in Motor City is how Williams and Johnson coexist, provided of course the quarterback gets adequate protection from his rebuilt front. But almost nobody is talking about how much Johnson leaned upon the ground game in his Detroit Lions run. Swift even spent time with Johnson in Motown. He was woefully inefficient to start his 2024 season in Chicago, but he's still got home run burst. Maybe he'll be paired effectively with rookie Kyle Monangai, a preseason standout, to give the Bears a legitimate one-two punch."Cody Benjamin
D'Andre Swift can make-or-break Chicago Bears offense
Benjamin obviously was thinking of Swift and Johnson and their time together in Detroit when he referred to the Bears as a team from the Motor City. Still, we will let that slide and look into the analysis.
He is correct that Swift could end up with a huge role in this offense. Johnson builds his offense off the run game, and while Swift may not be a long-term threat to stay with the team, as the roster currently stands, it would be hard to unseat him.
Roschon Johnson has been in the NFL for two seasons and has 502 yards. He could certainly start to find his way in year three with a new scheme and better situation, but he has done nothing to prove it so far. Beyond that, he has a history of nagging health questions.
The only other legitimate option on the roster is a seventh-round rookie, Kyle Monangai. This is a draft pick by the new head coach. Monangai is the only running back on the roster who was selected by the current head coach, not just a player left over that he has to deal with.
So, if anyone could get ahead quickly, it is the rookie. However, he is a rookie, having been drafted in the seventh round. He fell because he lacks the speed that Swift possesses, and he may struggle to get off to a fast start as he makes a big leap into the NFL.
Read more: Bears urged to re-sign hard-hitting defender looking to bounce back from injury
Even if Monangai took a step or two as a rookie, he would do so in a split with Swift. It is hard to see anyone looking back at the Bears run game as a success without Swift producing in some significant way.