Bears Possibly Aiming To Pair Jordan Howard With Next Darren Sproles

After pulling off the steal of the 2016 NFL draft with Jordan Howard in the fifth round, one would Chicago is content at the running back position. Then again there is no reason to be. Great as Howard is and could become, he's still one man. Neither Jeremy Langford nor Ka'Deem Carey have proven they can be productive backups. Which is why the Bears drafting Tarik Cohen would be so intriguing. Of course common fans will ask the obvious question. Who in the world is Tarik Cohen? Understandable. So here's a quick rundown. Cohen is a running back out of North Carolina A&T. He dominated while there with 5,619 yards rushing in three seasons and scoring a total of 51 touchdowns. He followed this up with an impressive scouting combine during which he deliver a 4.42 time in the 40-yard dash. So naturally the Bears are interested.

What makes him so intriguing though is how different he is from Howard, yes but also how similar he is to somebody else in the NFL. Somebody who has made a career out of producing one ridiculous highlight after another.

Bears drafting Tarik Cohen? Has to be the Sproles connection

The thing about Cohen is that he's only 5'6". That is beyond small for the pro football level. Yet no team seems to mind that much. Why? It's because his body and his style of game is quite literally a mirror image of somebody who has torn up the NFL landscape for year. That being Darren Sproles.Though hammered for his 5'6" frame for years, it didn't take long for people to see his value. While not a traditional running back his speed, quickness and versatility made him a matchup nightmare on offense. He was strong enough to take hand-offs, could catch passes as a receiver out of the backfield and then added icing on the cake as a Pro Bowl returner.Nearly everybody is comparing Cohen to him. Just read this snippet from his scouting report on NFL.com.

NFL COMPARISON Darren Sproles

BOTTOM LINE Cohen uses a bounding, bouncing approach to the line of scrimmage reminiscent of Le'Veon Bell, but he's far less likely to finish downhill and instead looks to break it wide and out-race defenders. He's an electric playmaker who needs touches, but he's too small and unpredictable to handle much of an NFL carry count. Cohen gets easy separation as a receiver out of the backfield or from the slot and he will likely be used as an updated version of Darren Sproles 2.0.

The Human Joystick

Cohen would make a perfect compliment to Howard in so many ways. He's an ideal third down back who offers all sorts of options from the backfield. Having his speed and swiftness in combination with the size and power of Howard makes for an ideal blending of skill sets. All it would take is a creative offensive coordinator finding ways to get him in space. The tape shows that whenever that happens, defenses pay the price. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsimHbxxFd8&t=5s

He would be an instant help in the punt return game, an area that will need settling if and when Eddie Royal is gone. Then it becomes a matter of building a package in the playbook to get maximum use out of his special abilities. Sure his size isn't the norm for the NFL, but the thing about crushing the little guys is one must actually catch them first. As with Sproles for so many years, that will prove way easier said than done. If nothing else, the Bears add yet more speed to their offense. Never a bad thing.