The Chicago Bears may need a running back but not this one.
The Chicago Bears may have an opening at the running back position, but it should not be filled by recently released Leonard Fournette.
Recently, the Bears’ running game took a big hit when projected starter David Montgomery injured his groin last week during practice. Montgomery went down in with a “non-contact” injury and fans were left to fear the worst while they waited for reporters to address the rumors circulating on Twitter. However, the news wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been and reports are that the former second-round pick, on whom the Bears were expected to rely this year, may only miss between 2-4 weeks.
This means that he could be on the field for the Week 1 opener against the Detroit Lions, though it is likely the Bears will take their time and not rush him back, despite some recent optimism.
If Montgomery is not able to go, the Bears would turn to a platoon of Tarik Cohen, Cordarrelle Patterson, and perhaps even Ryan Nall or Artavis Pierce. That prospect has led some to clamor for the signing of Fournette, though the Bears should not bite.
Look, Fournette is a pretty darn good running back. Last season, the fourth overall pick in 2017 rushed for 1,152 yards and caught another 76 passes for a pretty impressive 6.9 yards per reception. He also has some familiarity with the Bears — or at least their quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and quarterback Nick Foles, who Fournette was with during his time in Jacksonville.
However, Fournette would currently cost the Bears a little over $4 million to pick up, unless they let him clear waivers. There is a decent chance he does not make it that far so if the Bears really wanted him, they’d have to pony up the money.
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If the loss of Montgomery was expected to last months or even the whole season, then it would make much more sense to bring in a full-time replacement for the season. However, Fournette is in the midst of a grievance with the Jaguars over offset language in his contract, meaning he likely won’t be willing to take less money in a deal with another team with that grievance unresolved.
If I’m the Bears, I’m also worried about how Fournette would react to splitting time with Montgomery once he comes back. Obviously Montogmery is the long term option for the Bears. While Fournette was in a terrible situation in Jacksonville, it also led to some discontent within the team. That, and the cost, may be enough to keep the Bears at bay — and it would be wise.
Finally, and most importantly, Fournette is not an ideal fit for Nagy’s system. With cut down day looming, the Bears will likely have cheaper options who are better fits for their scheme to choose from shortly.