A Bears Scout Made a Bold Comparison to Pace on David Montgomery

In a fantastic piece by Dan Pompei of The Athletic on the longest-tenured scouts of the Chicago Bears, Jeff Shiver, so many amazing topics were covered. When he was hired, how he managed to survive so long, and how his process of evaluation has evolved over the past 32 years. The man has literally seen and done it all. Something Ryan Pace appreciates.

This was the man who was the primary driving force behind such picks as Anthony Thomas, Rosevelt Colvin, Kyle Orton, and Mike Brown. His reputation in the building is untouchable and he's universally respected around the league. So when a man like that, with his encyclopedic knowledge, makes a comparison for a player? It's worth listening to.

No doubt Pace had his ears wide open when he dropped a notable name leading up to the draft on their top pick, running back David Montgomery.

“His experience on our staff is invaluable,” Pace said of the 62-year-old. “Think about the relationships he has established and the resources he has available to him. He can pick up the phone and get information a younger scout can’t. And he has a library of players in his head. In a draft meeting, at the drop of a hat, he’ll say this player reminds me of that player for this reason. It’s awesome. Sometimes he’ll go way back, nobody remembers the player.”

Shiver says Montgomery, for instance, reminds him a little of Matt Forte.

David Montgomery comparison to Matt Forte does make sense

Now people will jump all over that and say there's no comparison. Forte was considerably bigger to start (6'2 to 5'10) and faster as well. He timed in the 4.4 range while Montgomery managed the high 4.5s. From a physical standpoint, Forte stood out more. However, that doesn't mean what Shiver said is completely off base. There is more to a comparison than that.

From a character point of view? He's right on the money. Both players came from lesser programs, having carried their teams on their backs. They had exceptional work ethics with clean backgrounds and a competitive desire to be great. Then there's the overall skill sets themselves. Forte was heralded for his versatility as a ball carrier and pass catcher out of the backfield.

Montgomery is much the same way. He runs with similar vision both at the line of scrimmage and the second level. Also, he shows plenty of prowess catching the ball, having made 58 catches over his final two seasons. Just two fewer than Forte made along the same timespan at Tulane. Shiver knows what he's talking about and is not crazy to see the two side by side.

Will Montgomery be as great as Forte was? There is no way to know that. Still, Bears fans wondered for an entire year what it could've been like had Matt Nagy had Forte in this offense. It seems we will finally be able to get a glimpse of it through Montgomery.