D’Andre Swift is a key piece of what the Chicago Bears are building around quarterback Caleb Williams, but, the organization might be about to level up the backfield.
Swift arrived in the Windy City a versatile playmaker, equally adept at making people miss while rattling off big runs as he was a reliable pass-catcher who could move the chains out of the backfield. Last season, Swift rushed for 959 yards and six scores, while adding 42 receptions for 386 yards.
With free agency looming, former NFL running back Maurice Jones-Drew suggests that Swift’s ideal backfield-mate could be on the way, in the form of Broncos running back Javonte Williams.
“Williams never lived up to his full potential in Denver,” Jones-Drew writes for NFL Media. “He had his best campaign as a rookie in 2021 (903 rush yards on 203 carries) but was unable to build on that over the next three seasons due, in part, to a knee injury suffered in 2022. He could use a fresh start after averaging fewer than 4 yards per carry under Sean Payton over the past two years — and Ben Johnson’s offense in Chicago feels like a great fit.
“The newly hired head coach will presumably be looking for a new version of Sonic and Knuckles (a.k.a. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, the backfield duo who helped Johnson field a top-six rushing attack in Detroit in each of the past two seasons). Williams could recreate that chemistry with D’Andre Swift, whom Johnson also worked with in Detroit. Swift is a versatile playmaker in the open field, while Williams can be the bruising back who wears down defenses. A strong running back tandem is where Johnson’s offense begins, and together, Williams and Swift can help take pressure off Caleb Williams, whose continued development in the competitive NFC North will be under a microscope.”
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