Chicago Bears fans questioning running back addition after week one

The Chicago Bears made a big splash in free agency with the addition of DeAndre Swift. It surprised some because Ryan Poles' demeanor over the last two years was not to invest in running back. He seemed to like the committee approach, which defined roles and was much cheaper to find. 

However, the Bears swung big and signed Swift to a three-year, $24M contract. While it is only one week, the move is looking a bit questionable. It started in the preseason when Swift hardly played. He caught one big pass with the starters, but when Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, and D.J. Moore took the field with Caleb Williams, Swift was hardly out there. 

The Chicago Bears may have whiffed on signing D'Andre Swift

Was he such a secret weapon that they were hiding him for the regular season? So far, no. Swift had 10 carries for 30 yards in his debut with the Bears. That is a poor 3.0 yards per rush. He also did not record a single pass. That was his best trait when the team signed him and it was his only real positive play from the preseason. Swift was supposed to make life easier for Caleb Williams, providing a check-down option when he needed it. 

Instead, we saw Williams scramble, and bail pockets without the trust of Swift. 

If the Bears wanted to make a big splash at running back in free agency, they should have gone all-in on Saquon Barkley. Yes, Barkley is making a little more than $4 million per year more than Swift. Still, running back should be a position where you are either paying for the best or finding cheap options to rotate in.

Barkley showed the difference between him and Swift in one week. The Eagles' offense looked more dynamic as he caught passes downfield and finished runs that Swift would leave short. Philadelphia knew how valuable the upgrade was. They also knew that Swift was a nice addition when he was cheap, but if they were to pay up at running back, they needed to add a real difference-maker. 

Swift may not continue to be this much of a non-factor, but after week one Eagles fans are happy that Swift is gone, and Bears fans are wishing that they just spent a little more on Saquon Barkley.