David Montgomery 2019 Outlook
The Bears shipped Jordan Howard out of town, then found his replacement in the third round of April's draft, scooping up Montgomery, the Iowa State workhorse. As NFL.com noted, where the Bears saw Howard as a one-note runner who didn't put much stress on opposing defenses in the passing game and couldn’t create many yards on his own, HC Matt Nagy describes Montgomery as a "three-down" player who can do it all. The rookie brings flexibility to the Bears' offense as a back who can pound between the tackles, create yards on his own and be a threat in the passing game -- an area where Howard obviously struggled. Nagy gushed about Montgomery's abilities in making defenders miss in close quarters, using power to bowl over defenders, and anticipating hits to avoid crushing blows. In fact, Nagy didn't shy away from comparing Montgomery to Kareem Hunt, who Nagy coached for a season in Kansas City. Montgomery pairs well with Bears jitterbug Tarik Cohen, and if the rookie beats out free-agent addition Mike Davis, he could secure the early-down role in Chicago. While his pass-catching ability isn't what he does best, Nagy's repeated insistence that the rookie can be a three-down player suggests there might be untapped potential.
