When Ben Johnson was hired as Chicago Bears' head coach, the easy follow up was to put running back D'Andre Swift on a warm seat. The two spent three years together with the Detroit Lions, and Swift proved he was not up the task of being a workhorse back.
It was not for a lack of effort that Swift was not seriously displaced as the lead back during the offseason. But to the Bears' credit, they did not force it and gave Swift a chance to prove himself.
Through three games this season, Swift is averaging 3.5 yards per carry and deeper peripheral numbers back up a general lack of proficiency. He was dealing with a quad injury entering Week 3, but he played through it as Kyle Monangai continued to take a back seat as the No. 2 running back (17 snaps).
It's fair to assume Monangai will take on a larger role as time goes on this season. What that will look like is unclear, though, and it's not as if he has been overly impressive with his opportunities so far.
But at least Monangai, as a rookie, has the promise and potential on his side. That ship has sailed for Swift; he is what he is at this point.
On Wednesday, Johnson acknowledged how the run game can be better while also making it clear he's not overly concerned just yet.
"It can be better all over the place right now", Johnson said...."I've alluded to it in the past it can take a little time before this all meshes, and it all gels together. We've got some new faces up front that haven't played a ton of ball together yet."
Johnson mentioned that the Bears' group of runners has areas to improve, but he placed a large onus on himself and the coaching staff for getting the run game on track. He said he's "not discouraged at all" because he sees "how close we are."
Ideal and realistic running back help for the Bears may be available
In light of Swift thus far being essentially "who we thought he was" as a runner, Bears fans might like to see a significant move to trade for a running back. But that's not realistic, at least without a significant injury to Swift, in terms of draft capital that would have to be surrendered to get someone like Alvin Kamara, Travis Etienne, or Breece Hall.
A trade for a noteworthy running back also comes with the idea that the Bears are a legit contender in the NFC North, and frankly, it's hard to see that right now.
But if the Bears aim lower, and more realistically, and ideal potential trade target has been revealed.
In Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens, the Detroit Lions had four active running backs: Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, of course, along with Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors.
That led Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports, in light of running back injuries around the league, to wonder if the Lions will get calls from teams interested in trading for Craig Reynolds.
In a sneaky way, Reynolds epitomizes the culture Dan Campbell has installed in Detroit as an "I'll do whatever is asked of me" type. Over the years, that has meant being a core special teamer and seizing opportunities to help the offense when they come.
Reynolds has had double-digit carries in a game five times during his career with the Lions, with more than 70 rushing yards in three of those contests and more than 50 yards from scrimmage four times. When opportunities to carry a load offensively have come his way, rare as it has been, he has answered the bell.
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Reynolds is exactly the type of player Johnson wants to have in Chicago, and the cost to acquire him would not be much--a late Day 3 draft pick will surely suffice. Add in familiarity with Johnson from four seasons together in Detroit, and you have an ideal supplemental running back for the Bears.