D'Andre Swift looking to prove more doubters wrong as the Chicago Bears featured weapon out of the backfield
When the Chicago Bears went out as soon as free agency opened and paid running back D'Andre Swift top market money, they sent a message to the rest of the NFL.The Bears view Swift as one of the top backs in the league and believe his skillset is the missing piece to what the new […]
When the Chicago Bears went out as soon as free agency opened and paid running back D'Andre Swift top market money, they sent a message to the rest of the NFL.
The Bears view Swift as one of the top backs in the league and believe his skillset is the missing piece to what the new offense can turn into, even if other teams and coaches around the league feel differently.
Earlier this week, ESPN released a Top-10 running back rankings decided by executives, coaches, and scouts from around the league. Not only was Swift left off the list and instead named as an honorable mention, an anonymous prominent voice in the league offered his insight into Swift's game.
"[He] had the soft label [in Detroit] but overcame that," an NFL running backs coach said. "[He's] really elusive in space, burst, really good speed. [He] does a nice job catching out of the backfield."
This isn't the first running back coach in the NFL to have the impression that Swift had a "soft" label during his time in Detroit. During the 2022 season, his final one with the Lions, Swift butted heads with his former running backs coach Duce Staley on multiple occasions throughout the year, some of which were clearly shown on HBO's "Hard Knocks" that offseason.
The main disagreements between the two came from how Swift was handling his minor injuries and whether or not he should play through them. Considering it's an NFL running backs coach who brought back up the soft label and Staley is the current running backs coach of the Cleveland Browns, it's an eye opening statement but at least the coach made it clear that Swift overcame those labels being placed on him. Here's what he had to say about how the issues were portrayed following the season.
"I know who I am," he explained back in 2023. "I know what I'm about. I know I'm as tough as they come. But, with 'Hard Knocks' and how they portrayed (me), I didn't like it. But, I can't do nothing about it, but go out there and showcase what I am and who I am. What I'm about. And, I know what I can do and who I am."
With "Hard Knocks" coming to down in Chicago later this month during training camp, Swift will be thrusted back into the spotlight and have the opportunity to continue dispelling that false narrative and any others still lingering on a national stage.
"[Hard Knocks] just tried to portray a different narrative than what it was as far as me and my relationship with Coach Staley," Swift explained earlier this offseason. "As far as that aspect of it, me personally, I don't really worry about the cameras too much. I got a job to do every day."
Swift is coming off a massive season with the Philadelphia Eagles where he played a career-high 16 games and rushed for 1,049 yards, shattering former single season personal record. The only downside to Swift's 2023 campaign was how he was utilized in the passing game, setting a career-low in receptions and receiving yards.
That part of his game is expected to make a return in 2024 with the Bears. All signs point toward Swift being the featured back in Shane Waldron's offense and will be a weapon for the unit on all three downs. He more than likely won't come close to touching Matt Forte's single season franchise running back record of 102 receptions, but he'll still be a consistent weapon out of the backfield for the passing game.
"We really needed that guy that can really operate on third down and even on first and second down," head coach Matt Eberflus said. "[He'll] be a weapon in the deep part of the field and the short part of the field, and being able to take it the distance. He's got a lot of gas."
Working as a do-it-all back in the Bears young offense will put a lot more eyes on Swift's skillset at the position. By the time the season comes to a close, he should start getting the recognition and respect he deserves as one of the top backs in the league.
Giants ‘Hard Knocks’ debut shows how close the team was to going after the Chicago Bears top free agent signing
Looks like they had some competition.
