Yes, it's acknowledged that plenty of jokes can come from mentioning Ray Rice given how his NFL career ended. However, one can't dismiss the inescapable fact that Rice was a great football player. One of the best running backs of his era. An odd mix of limited size (5'8), incredible balance, underrated power, and sneaky speed. The type who could wear you down over time or strike you for the big play.
Could the
Chicago Bears be looking at his second coming? That is the impression one gets when watching Jaret Patterson play. The Buffalo Bulls running back is a ton of fun to watch. Like Rice he has that mix of lower body strength and
balance to go along with solid vision and athleticism. He's a chore to get on the ground and was a stat machine in 2020. How's this for numbers? In six games, he 1,072 yards (7.6 per carry) and scored 19 touchdowns.
Yes, really. He was ridiculous.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwRiI0jVyLs&ab_channel=JustBombsProductions
The common knocks on Patterson are fairly straightforward. Some fear his outstanding production was mostly the result of facing inferior competition. They also wonder about his value as a pass catcher in the receiving game. He wasn't used much by Buffalo in that regard. Just 20 catches in three years. Does he have value on third down? That may explain why the Bears had a scout down at the Buffalo pro day to work him out.
This shouldn't be a huge surprise. GM Ryan Pace loves investing later round picks in running backs. The team does have
David Montgomery, but there are questions about their depth.
Tarik Cohen is
coming off a torn ACL.
Ryan Nall and
Artavis Pierce are relative unknowns to this point. So adding a talent like Patterson to the mix would make sense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tel3jZtrR0&ab_channel=UBBulls
Adding the Ray Rice clone would fit Bears' shifting identity
Andy Dalton is going to be their quarterback in 2021 barring a drastic shift in plans. History shows that his best seasons were often accompanied by productive ground attacks. In 2015 when he had a 106.2 passer rating, the Bengals were 13th in rushing. A year later he made his third Pro Bowler and they were again 13th in rushing. Allowing Dalton to utilize play action and not be the guy who has to do everything usually leads to good things.
Jaret Patterson is a good football player. He may not be a true bellcow back, but those don't exist much these days. It's about the committee backfield in this NFL. He would make a perfect addition to that sort of formula. The trio of he, Montgomery, and Cohen makes for a versatile and fun combination that can do a lot of different things. Ray Rice comparisons aside, the kid makes things happen with the ball in his hands.
Expect him to be on their board come Day 3 of the draft.
Chicago has five picks between the 5th and 7th rounds next month. Patterson could end up being one of them. Or he could just as easily slip through the cracks into undrafted free agency. Going down to meet him in Buffalo was a perfect opportunity to express their interest. Keep his name filed away.
