This offseason, the Bears built quite the dynamic running back room.
No, it's not stocked with elite talent. But there are interesting characters in the cast.
Luke Getsy, however, assures right now is not the time to hold a running back competition and evaluate the depth chart. Right now, it's a "rep chart," not a depth chart.
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"This isn’t the time of the year for that position. It’s hard," Getsy said. "They’re just all getting to learn what they’re supposed to do, and that way when we put pads on sometime in August it’ll all iron itself out. That’s just kinda typically how it goes."
Last season, the Bears were the most prolific rushing team in the NFL. They led the league in rushing play percentage, rushing attempts and rushing yards, the latter of which they set a franchise record with 3,014 team yards.
This season, the offense will undoubtedly turn the run game down a notch. While they thrived in that area, they held the 23rd-best offense in the league, evidence of their overall insufficiencies. Getsy and company will aim to take a more aggressive approach in the passing game with the help of Justin Fields and his new army of pass catchers and blockers.
The run game will likely act via committee. They have veteran Khalil Herbert, rookie Roschon Johnson and veteran free agent signees Travis Homer and D'Onta Foreman. Trestan Ebner still has a spot on the team, too.
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Herbert will likely pose as the favorite and dominate touches early on. He rushed for 731 yards last season while handcuffed to David Montgomery, who signed with the Detroit Lions this offseason.
Some expect Johnson to take a leap and prove his worth as a starter. During his college career, he backed up Bijan Robinson, the No. 8 overall pick in Johnson's draft. Johnson acted as a good soldier, taking his carries and making them into quality reps, as evidenced by his 5.6 career rushing yards per attempt.
Don't rule out Foreman, either. He rushed for nearly 1,000 yards while behind Christian McCaffrey for the majority of the season before he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. According to Pro Football Reference, he played 35 percent of offensive snaps, underlining his effectiveness as a rusher.
Back to the thesis of Getsy's declaration, now isn't the time to compare evaluations. Now is the time for the running backs to get comfortable in the offense and understand their responsibilities under Getsy's leadership. Considering three of the running backs are new to the Bears, Getsy's plan is obviously the best course of action.
"As long as the guys feel really good about their responsibilities in all three phases —run game, pass game and protection game — that’s the most important thing we can get done right now, is to make sure their brains are ready to roll," Getsy said.