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Possibilities abound for Cohen in Chicago Bears new offense

As dangerous as multidimensional Bears running back Tarik Cohen is on an NFL field, imagine the kind of damage he could do in backyard football.

That's how the 5-foot-6, 179-pound flash describes his role in new head coach Matt Nagy's offense, and he's pumped about it.

"I'm everywhere on the field right now, so there's no telling the things I'm going to be doing," Cohen said. "It's really just back to the natural game of football; backyard football. You're every position; that's why I'm having so much fun."

As a rookie last year, the fourth-round pick out of North Carolina A&T was second on the Bears with 53 receptions, second in rushing with 370 yards on 87 carries (4.3-yard average), and he was also the team's No. 1 returner on punts and kickoffs. He also threw a 21-yard touchdown pass and became the first NFL rookie to score at least one touchdown rushing, receiving, passing and returning since Bears Hall of Fame RB Gale Sayers did it in 1965.

Despite his versatility and production, Cohen was limited as a rookie because the Bears' offense struggled to move the ball, sustain drives and get deep into a playbook that could have utilized him even more. Under Nagy and creative offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, the possibilities for Cohen are immense. You get the impression that Nagy is intrigued by Cohen's potential to contribute on multiple levels.

"He's actually the one kid on this team that I knew had a lot of talent," Nagy said. "(And) he comes out here and runs every route the right way, catches most balls, and he doesn't make a lot of mistakes. You see how he is in the meetings rooms - he listens to the play, and when he comes out here, (you see) how serious he is (but) he knows how to have fun. He's a player that (it's easy) for me you get giddy about."

It's difficult to predict this early how Cohen will be used, but it's expected he'll be an integral piece of the attack.

"It might not necessarily be rushes," Cohen said. "But it's going to be all over the field, and that's what I like to do. Any way I can get the ball or make a play for my team, that's what I'm looking forward to doing."

And the more the Nagy-Helfrich offense resembles backyard football, the more Cohen will enjoy it. When he was asked how dangerous he could be in that style of play, Cohen answered in his typically upbeat, playful and confident manner.

"On a scale of 1-10, the dangerous level is probably 12," he said with a wide smile. "Because in backyard football, it's really anything goes, and it's really whoever gets tired first, that's who's going to lose. If you're in good shape … and I'm running around pretty good out here, so I feel like I'm doing a good job."

With a varying but recurring role in this year's Bears offense, Cohen hopes to make Soldier Field and the other NFL venues his own private backyard.

• Bob LeGere is a senior writer at Pro Football Weekly. Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere or @PFWeekly.

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