The Chicago Bears have a boatload of work to do. That's if they plan to make a quick turnaround from one of the worst seasons the team has ever had. Going 3-13 was a record franchise-low. Something GM Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox both deemed "unacceptable." They also vowed it would never happen again.
Since then they've taken steps to prepare for what they know is a critical 2017 off-season. It started by accepting the invitation to coach the North squad for the Senior Bowl. It was felt the opportunity was ideal for them to get an inside look at some of the top prospects in the upcoming draft. Not only could they interview them, but also see how they practiced and prepared under NFL-style conditions.
It seems they've already zeroed in on a few players. Three of them are safeties. That shouldn't be any big surprise given the state of their secondary. No the intriguing surprise came when they chose to meet with a young offensive player. One that might conjure up feelings of deja vu for some in the organization.
It seems the Bears might not be satisfied with the state of their backfield just yet. That's not to say they're unhappy with Jordan Howard. Far from it. Dowell Loggains sounds positively giddy about his future after rushing for 1, 313 yards and making the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Even so, running back is a demanding position on the body. One injury to Howard and who's left to handle the ground game? Jeremy Langford and Ka'Deem Carey haven't shown they can produce anywhere close to Howard's level.
Besides that the 2017 draft class is loaded at the position. There is no harm in keeping an eye out for potential studs who they might be able to grab later. It seems they have their eyes on one in particular. Lorin Cox of USA Today reported on it from the Senior Bowl.
"Down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, the team showed a lot of interest in BYU running back Jamaal Williams, as their college scouting coordinator Bobby Macedo spent more than 20 minutes interviewing him after Wednesday’s practice."Jamaal Williams is an interesting name that has floated around the past few weeks. He's often lost in the shuffle of other top backs but some feel his NFL ceiling is very high. At 6'0" he's somewhat tall for a running back but it doesn't seem to hamper him too much. He gashed defenses in college. He finished with 3, 901 rushing yards, 35 touchdowns and also caught 60 passes for 567 yards with one touchdown. He's certainly got the attention of many top NFL draft analysts. Back in December, Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network did some evaluating of Williams. He came away impressed. So much in fact that he had no problems comparing the college standout to a former two-time Pro Bowler. Somebody Bears fans should know fairly well.
"I gave him a third-round grade when I studied him on tape, but he will probably go lower than that because of the depth of the running back class. I struggled to come up with a clear comparison for his game, but I think he has a similar build and style to Matt Forte. Both guys are smooth and physical. The main difference is that Forte has a little more juice and he's more polished in the passing game."[video width="640" height="360" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/RB-Jamaal-Williams-vs-Michigan-State-2016000303.000-000326.001.mp4"][/video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYJMynP75A4&t=14s High praise indeed. Williams isn't quite as polished as Forte was coming out of college, but his style, toughness and natural ability match up pretty well. It shouldn't be a surprise the Bears are interested in him. Not only is he talented, but he represents a potential outline of their approach for the 2017 season. Keep in mind that the Bears offense is in a serious state of flux. They have no definitive answer at the quarterback position. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery could depart in free agency. Zach Miller is their only viable tight end and he's coming off a season-ending foot injury. Jordan Howard was their only reliable offensive weapon in 2016. Wouldn't it make sense to boost the running game as a whole, making it the strength of the team? That's certainly something Chicago would embrace. Adding a talent like Williams could potentially give them one of the best 1-2 punches in the NFL. It would also be great if their plan is to go with a young option at the quarterback position. There is no greater friend of an inexperienced passer than a dynamic ground attack. A Chicago Bears Jamaal Williams draft plan doesn't sound too bad at all.
