Chicago Bears Quickly Filled Montgomery's Vacated RB Spot

The Chicago Bears lost David Montgomery to the Detroit Lions on Tuesday, March 14th. Barely minutes after the news was announced, GM Ryan Poles wasted no time filling his spot. The Bears secured veteran Travis Homer on a two-year deal for $4.5 million. He was a 6th round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2019 and has served primarily as a backup for them since. His strengths revolve around being a decent receiving threat out of the backfield. However, his true value is on special teams where he had eight tackles in 2022.

There is also the added benefit of his pass-blocking. Chicago's backs struggled a lot last season with picking up blitzers and keeping Justin Fields protected. Homer takes that role seriously. In 145 pass-blocking snaps across four years, he allowed only 15 pressures. He is the type of role player that does a little bit of everything. Having that kind of depth on a roster is rarely a bad thing. It also doesn't preclude the Bears from targeting more help at the position in the coming days and weeks.

The Chicago Bears continue reshaping their roster.

Everybody with ties to the previous regime is under the microscope. Montgomery was only the latest to get shown the door. Others might not be far behind, such as Cody Whitehair. The intriguing part is what Poles does next. Khalil Herbert should be the primary back next season, but after him, it's Homer and Trestan Ebner. Not exactly an inspiring duo when it comes to running the ball. Don't be surprised if the Bears take a considerable swing at the position in the draft. There will be no shortage of options.

Nobody should be upset by Homer's addition. He brings value to the team in a variety of ways. Sure, none of them are flashy. He won't go for long runs or produce highlight reel plays. What he will do is play good coverage on punts and kicks while working to keep his quarterback clean in the pocket. Such players should never go unappreciated. Credit Poles for recognizing such a valuable commodity.