D’Andre Swift Reportedly Arrived At Camp Different Than Expected
The Chicago Bears knew they needed a dose of explosiveness at running back. Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman were a solid throwback pairing last year, but the lack of big plays made it difficult for the offense to score. Swift has a reputation for good speed and pass-catching ability. He showed it during his time in Detroit and again last year in Philadelphia. There have already been flashes of this ability during drills. However, there was also an unexpected surprise when the running back showed up for training camp.
Albert Breer of the MMQB revealed the information in his latest column. It turns out Swift showed up much slimmer than he’s ever been during his NFL career.
“A big part of that is what’s around him, which is a loaded group of skill guys. D’Andre Swift’s lost weight, down from 220 (where he was with Detroit) to about 205, and has looked lightning quick at the start of camp.”
Dropping 15 lbs in an off-season is no easy feat. Swift must’ve put himself through a ferocious diet and workout routine to get there. Keep in mind he played at 212 during his college career at Georgia. He was that weight when he ran a 4.48 at the scouting combine.
A faster D’Andre Swift is not what opponents want to see.
They already have to deal with two thumpers like Herbert and Roschon Johnson. Adding a dose of speed to the mix should make the Bears offense even tougher to defend. Their defense is already finding that out in training camp. Swift has gashed them a few times in the first week, often hurting them in hurry-up situations like the two-minute drill. Caleb Williams already loves looking his way when his first reads aren’t available. That is exactly why the Bears signed him. Nobody is saying D’Andre Swift will be the next Matt Forte. He’s not built like that. However, he appears poised to become a major sparkplug. Don’t forget Shane Waldron targeted the running backs 80 times last season in Seattle. They will be a big part of the passing game.
Swift was hard enough to catch last year at his original weight. With 15 lbs less to carry, that just became even harder.