Matt Nagy Talks RBs With Adam Jahns

[soulman]

Bears coach Matt Nagy discusses upcoming NFL draft

Originally posted on Pro Football Rumors  |  By Ben Levine  |  Last updated 3/30/19

 

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/bears_coach_matt_nagy_discusses_upcoming_nfl_draft/s1_14819_28758572?mb_edition=20190331

 

The Bears moved on from running back Jordan Howard earlier this week, and the position is now a “major need,” according to Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun Times.

Tarik Cohen did break out in 2018, tallying 1,169 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. Still, the 23-year-old has proved to be more of a threat in the passing game than the running game. Meanwhile, free- agent addition Mike Davis impressed in limited work with Seattle in 2018, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and tallying 34 receptions. However, there’s no guarantee the veteran can carry the running-side of the platoon.

As a result, the Bears are focusing on the draft to add a running back. The Bears don’t have their first selection until the third round, but they should have plenty of opportunities to add a weapon to their offense; as Jahns writes, there are plenty of intriguing mid-round running backs in this year’s draft.

Head coach Matt Nagy recently talked with Jahns about the team’s plans for the position, including draft prospects and their free-agent additions. We’ve compiled some of the notable sound bites below:

On the running back prospects in the upcoming draft:

"Any coach will tell you there’s a nice group of backs. They all kind of have their unique style. So some of them, they might not have the home-run speed, but he can run you over. This guy might have average hands, but he’s really great between the tackles. They’re all a little different.

“It comes down to, teams that are looking at running backs, what flavor do you like? What kind of ice cream do you like? And then, when you get in the draft, where are they going to be at?”

On how the team evaluates these running back prospects:

“It’s hard to evaluate a lot of guys on tape and get a good feel for them. You try to as much as you can, but to be able to go there and see guys is great. We’ve done it with the quarterback position in years past, and it helps you out a lot.”

On the addition of Davis, who signed a two-year, $6M contract earlier this month:

“We thought that would be a good addition to our side of the ball on offense. We’re intrigued to get him in and start learning who he is as a person. ... From all the research we did on him, we thought (Davis) was a great fit.”

On wideout/return man/occasional running back Cordarrelle Patterson, who signed a two-year, $10M contract:

“We saw a role for him. You see what he did in New England with the jet sweeps, the (end) arounds (and) the screens, and I think that’s a good fit for him. But for me, it’s kind of like a kid in a candy store.”

This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

[Heinz D.]

Let's hope the RB talk shifts here...

[G08]

Anyone got a twitter link to that workout?

[soulman]

4 hours ago, Heinz D. said:

Let's hope the RB talk shifts here...

We can only hope.

Don't know what more needs to be said about Howard.  The possibility of trading him has been debated for 6 months.

Some like it, some don't, some feel we sold too cheap.  None of that is gonna change either.

One site even ran a poll and it's been consistent from the start.  Roughly 80% feel either we should not have traded him at all or got too little and 20% are in favor due to lack of fit or just 'cause he's a bum. LOL

But what's done is done.  I hope he does very well in Philly and we get back the 5th we spent on him.  End of story.

[soulman]

16 minutes ago, G08 said:

Anyone got a twitter link to that workout?

Which workout are you asking about?

[AZBearsFan]

I really don’t think the complementary only types of players are going to be on our radar here. We have a Swiss Army knife complementary player already in Cohen and to a lesser extent another in Patterson to fill that role. I think any other addition(s) will be guys seen as capable of being a 12-15 carry per week guy (200-250 over the season) if/when called upon to do so. Our need is for a co-primary guy, not a secondary guy. To me that takes guys like James Williams, Myles Gaskin, Tony Pollard, and maybe Justice Hill, Devin Singletary and Bryce Love somewhat out of play. 

[soulman]

9 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

I really don’t think the complementary only types of players are going to be on our radar here. We have a Swiss Army knife complementary player already in Cohen and to a lesser extent another in Patterson to fill that role. I think any other addition(s) will be guys seen as capable of being a 12-15 carry per week guy (200-250 over the season) if/when called upon to do so. Our need is for a co-primary guy, not a secondary guy. To me that takes guys like James Williams, Myles Gaskin, Tony Pollard, and maybe Justice Hill, Devin Singletary and Bryce Love somewhat out of play. 

Take a peek at the analysis by Jonathan Woods I posted on which back best fit the Nagy/Reid physical profile.  It's a good screening tool. Several jump out at me along with a few surprises.

I'm 100% in agreement with you as to the type of back we should be looking to pair with Davis.  IMHO we need Lead Backs 1 and 1a with Cohen and Patterson as our gadget specialists.

Once you sort the ones who fit the physical profile out and apply that 1 and 1a filter only a few tend to become best fits.