Breaking down the Chicago Bears running backs
There's only one position at which the Chicago Bears can afford to stand pat for next season, and that's running back.
With the exception of the Dallas Cowboys stealing quarterback Dak Prescott in the fourth round, Bears general manager Ryan Pace might have gotten the best bargain of the 2016 draft. Pace tabbed running back Jordan Howard in the fifth round, 150th overall, 15 picks after the Cowboys grabbed Prescott.
The 6-foot, 222-pound Howard went from inactive in Week 1 to the second-leading rusher in the NFL with 1,313 yards. Only the Cowboys' first-round draft pick Ezekiel Elliott had more rushing yards than Howard.
Howard, originally a first alternate, was rewarded Wednesday with a berth in the Pro Bowl, replacing the Arizona Cardinals' David Johnson, who is out with a knee injury.
"I never expected anything like this," said the ultra-humble Howard, "so it's definitely a blessing."
Howard is the only Bear in this year's Pro Bowl, and he's the first Bears rookie running back to make the game since Gale Sayers in 1965.
Among players with at least 100 attempts, only three averaged more yards per carry than Howard's 5.2.
At first glance, Howard doesn't possess any special qualities that translate to success as a ball carrier.
Maybe that's why it wasn't until the second month of the season that Bears coaches gave him a shot to be the main man. And even then it was after injuries sidelined the top two players on the depth chart: Jeremy Langford and Ka'Deem Carey.
"After the first game, after being on the bench and not getting in the game, I was thinking that I was going to go and do anything I could to get on the field, whether that was special teams or whatever," Howard said. "I was just going to do my hardest to get on the field. It was kind of tough, but it definitely motivated me to work hard."
Even after witnessing five of Howard's six 100-yard games, Bears quarterback Matt Barkley had a difficult time zeroing in on just what makes Howard special.
"I don't know, maybe it's just who he is," Barkley said. "His big legs, the way he's able to shed tackles; he rarely gets tackled the first time around. And just his high motor, the way he's able to plow through the line and get those extra yards that you need to keep the chains moving."
Vision, patience, toughness and determination all play into Howard's success, and many of those traits aren't quantifiable. But it's safe to assume that next season Howard will have more than 12 carries in the first three games, as was the case in 2016.
Running back depth also is not a concern for the Bears. Langford showed enough burst and pass-catching ability as a rookie in 2015 to make him the starter in 2016 until his ankle injury opened up the job for Howard.
His career average of 3.5 yards per carry is unimpressive, but Langford did a slightly better job of breaking tackles in 2016, and his 4.42 speed provides some big-play potential.
"High expectations for him," Pace said of Langford. "I think he's going to be a good player. But this ankle injury hobbled him early, and I honestly think it affected him this season."
Carey, the Bears' fourth-round pick in 2014, the year before Langford was their fourth-rounder, has never had the opportunity to be the guy. But his tough running style is valued.
In Games 6 and 7, when Langford was injured and Howard had yet to emerge, Carey picked up 98 yards on 19 carries (5.2-yard average).
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