The Chicago Bears have improved their roster almost across the board. GM Ryan Poles said he wanted more depth and competition. He got it. Outside of quarterback, every position on offense saw its talent level improve. That is great for the team, but it also creates a tricky situation for certain players who may not know what their role is going into the 2024 season. Velus Jones might be in big trouble after multiple additions at wide receiver. Larry Borom can’t get comfortable after the arrival of 3rd round pick Kiran Amegadjie.
However, they aren’t the only ones. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune admitted that running back Khalil Herbert is also somebody on unstable ground going into the summer. It is a foregone conclusion that new arrival D’Andre Swift will be the starter. Since the third running back spot will go to a top special teams player, it means Herbert must fight for the #2 job with second-year man Roschon Johnson. This could present a problem since the latter has more proven versatility.
My first reaction is it will be tough for the third running back on the depth chart to get a uniform on game days because Travis Homer is one of the team’s top special teams players and likely to dress every week if he’s healthy. Homer was fifth on the roster in special teams snaps last season and got only six snaps on offense.
That puts Herbert in a competition with 2023 fourth-round draft pick Roschon Johnson to be the No. 2 running back behind D’Andre Swift. If Herbert can assert himself as the guy, he would have a spot in the offense for a few carries and some plays each game. The Bears could get a little more utility out of Johnson, who also was active on special teams last season, logging 152 snaps compared with one for Herbert.
So if you’re zeroed in on what the future could hold for Herbert, keep a close eye on how he and Johnson perform over the summer.
Herbert doesn’t fall into that category. No one can dispute his rushing prowess—he has averaged 4.9 yards per carry in his career—but the problems lie elsewhere. He is not much of a receiving threat, only catching 43 passes across three seasons with three drops. On top of that, he is a liability in pass protection. Herbert has allowed nine pressures on the quarterback in 101 snaps for his career. There were numerous times when he outright missed his assignments, leading to free rushers at the quarterback.
Johnson wasn’t overly successful running the ball as a rookie, but he was stout in pass protection, showcased capable hands as a receiver, and made two tackles on special teams. If things play out as Biggs says, the Chicago Bears will have a decision to make on Herbert. Do they keep him around as insurance in case somebody gets hurt, or do they trade him to another team needing running back help? Poles isn’t usually one to sacrifice good depth players, but finding capable running backs isn’t difficult. If another team is interested in Herbert, he may pull the trigger.
