Meet Soon to be Chicago Bear: Tevin Coleman
Players that are more valuable to the team, like Eddie Jackson, Tarik Cohen, Mitchell Trubisky, and Bryce Callahan, among others, need to be paid in the near future. Jordan Howard does not fit into that mix.
With the way the cap may work out, Howard should be the odd man out in my opinion. Nagy doesn’t seem to use him properly, so he serves no use in the offense after this season, thus becoming expendable. The Bears should trade him and look to get back some of the draft capital they lost from the Khalil Mack trade. I know it hurts a lot of fans to perhaps see Howard go, but in the end, I think it will benefit the team. If you’ve read my articles, I would seem to be a Jordan Howard hater. I really like him as a player and he is an even better person, but I just think he’ll be the one to be shipped out. I know I am in the minority with this take but I stand by it.
The Bears could go multiple directions if Howard is gone. I see three options, two being a steal and one being cost effective. The first option is to sign Kareem Hunt. This option would be the best for on the field production, as you get a player that doesn’t make lots of money that you know will fit the system. Hunt and Trubisky, both Ohio natives, actually played football together when they were kids. Hunt is a substantial upgrade over Howard and would make for quite the tandem with Tarik Cohen. I think Nagy will pitch the idea to Pace and ownership, and backup Kareem and say he is just a kid that made a mistake, a big one at that. In the end, I think the Bears avoid Hunt and the PR nightmare that would come with it, as I think his NFL days are numbered. Unless the Redskins come into play.
Another great cost-effective option the Bears could go if they move on from Howard is to draft a replacement. Pace has been sensational with his day 3 picks, and I would have the utmost faith in him to draft a suitable replacement, or even find an undrafted rookie. The Bears have their third, fourth, fifth, and seventh-round selections in the 2019 draft. Some names to keep in mind that the Bears could target in the late rounds are Quadree Ollison (6’2 230, Pitt) or Alex Barnes (6’1 227, Kansas State). Both running backs would replace that power that Howard brought to the table while fitting Nagy’s scheme better and would both be on cheap deals as late round picks.
The one player I want to focus on is Falcons’ running back Tevin Coleman. Coleman, 25, is a third-round pick out of Indiana in 2015. He has been behind Devonta Freeman his whole career and has been a great second back for Atlanta. I feel from what I’ve seen he can really flourish if he gets 250 carries or so, replacing Howard’s workload. He is also an above average receiver, catching nearly 70 percent of his passes. Howard has improved in catching the football, I get that, but Howard is 224 pounds while Coleman is only 210 pounds. I feel like Nagy would make better use of a shiftier back, but Coleman still brings some power to his running style while not being undersized. He is a very good route runner, which is somewhere Howard lacks. He has even split out all the way to the numbers, which is something I’ve seen Howard rarely do, if ever. Coleman would fit Nagy’s pass-first scheme really well and just seems like a good fit for Chicago. Coleman is having his worst season to date, which some would see as a bad thing, but I think this just gives the Falcons more reason to let him walk, and this would let the Bears sign him to a team friendly deal. If he hits free agency, maybe his former teammate Taylor Gabriel could convince him to come to the contender in the NFC North.
There are many directions the Bears could go to add at running back, some cheaper than others, but I would like to see Coleman the most. As much as I love rookies, I feel that Coleman’s experience gives him an edge over the other guys, and he would benefit the team the most in my opinion. Pace could even double dip and pursue Coleman while drafting a late round rookie to develop. The point is the Bears have options if they move on from Howard. I think there are so many places NFL teams can find effective running backs, as they seem to come a dime a dozen now. However, Coleman gives Nagy’s running scheme the best chance to succeed, and I would love to see Coleman as a member of the Chicago Bears in 2019.
Featured Image: Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
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