Nearly a quarter of the way through the 2024 season, the Chicago Bears are still struggling to find their offensive identity.
The Bears came into the season with lots of excitement, and for good reason. They had a number-one overall pick in Caleb Williams at quarterback, a three-headed monster at receiver, and a plethora of talented options in the ground game.
However, the Bears sputtered through the first three weeks, and even in Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Rams, the passing game wasn't particularly impressive. If the Bears have accomplished anything, though, it's been sorting out their running back room.
The Bears used just three ball-carriers in the win over the Rams, and one back notably didn't play a single snap. Unsurprisingly, Logan Ulrich of NFL Trade Rumors named fourth-year running back Khalil Herbert as a trade candidate given Chicago's apparent depth at the position.
"Even though the Bears running game is struggling, it does not seem like Chicago views Herbert as a potential solution. The former sixth-round pick is in the final year of his contract and has a career 4.8 yards per carry average," Ulrich said.
"There are enough teams struggling with depth at running back that the Bears could feasibly net a pick by trading Herbert, who is a quality runner even if he’s not the most well-rounded player."
Herbert, 26, does appear to be the odd back out in the Bears' offense. Free-agent signee D'Andre Swift finally broke out with a 165-total-yard performance on Sunday, and Roschon Johnson has been the main change-of-pace back for the last two weeks.
However, Herbert's track record suggests he could thrive if given more opportunities. From 2022-23, he totaled 1,342 yards on 5.1 yards per carry in 25 total games. He also has 291 career receiving yards, to go with 11 total touchdowns.
From the Bears' standpoint, Herbert could provide more value as a trade chip than a third-stringer, provided they get a reasonable draft pick in return. Playoff rosters are built in the middle rounds of the draft, and Chicago has plenty of other needs to address.
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