There wasn’t much that went right on offense for the Chicago Bears last season, particularly the run game. So it was difficult to judge running back David Montgomery behind a line that couldn’t create running lanes.
Still, Montgomery had a solid rookie season, where he tallied 889 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. And if the Bears offense rebounds in 2020, that could only mean good news for Montgomery.
When examining second-year players that could be looking at breakout seasons in 2020, NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha believes Montgomery is poised to make a big leap in his sophomore season.
He had a solid rookie season (889 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns), but he’s capable of so much more with a better offense. The Bears ranked 29th in the NFL in total offense last year, largely because embattled quarterback Mitch Trubisky struggled so mightily. That all could change if Nick Foles wins the job or simply pushes Trubisky to play at a higher level.
Remember this: Bears GM Ryan Pace made a sizable investment to trade up in the third round to select Montgomery (giving up three picks). The belief was that Montgomery would be a workhorse back, and he showed that potential late in the season. In Chicago’s final three wins of 2019, he gained 274 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Montgomery now enters this season as the only back on this roster who attempted more than 64 rushes last year, and the Bears didn’t add another ball carrier in this draft. In other words, it’s time for him to shine.
When the Bears got Montgomery going, they were winning games. Montgomery rushed for 60 or more yards in seven games last season, and the Bears won six of those games. Montgomery also had a late surge in 2019, where he rushed for 274 yards and 113 yards on 23 carries against the Minnesota Vikings.
Montgomery certainly showed that he could be a workhorse back that the Bears are looking for in his rookie season. But Montgomery averaged just 3.7 yards per carry behind a struggling offensive line, something that has been a focus this offseason.
The Bears have made some offseason moves that they believe will help right the ship with the running game and allow Montgomery more opportunities to shine. While Chicago’s offensive line will remain the same aside from a new right guard, which appears to be Germain Ifedi, the Bears brought in new offensive line coach Juan Castillo to help get the run game on track.
