Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery is a lot of things. He’s a leader, a tough runner, and a quality receiver out of the backfield. According to NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund, he’s also underappreciated.
The Bears can show their appreciation for Montgomery with a new contract. His rookie deal expires at season’s end, and we recently examined the factors for and against a second deal for Montgomery in Chicago. He’s entering a critical season for his career trajectory, and Frelund has concerns about what the Bears have done to help him succeed in 2022.
“I wish the Bears had addressed their O-line in a way I better understood as an outsider this offseason,” Frelund wrote. ” After finishing the 2021 season with PFF’s 22nd-ranked unit, Chicago let starters James Daniels and Jason Peters walk, replacing them with journeymen Julie’n Davenport and Dakota Dozier. I will be watching this situation closely to help forecast Montgomery’s fantasy value. However, his real-world value is in part shown by computer vision metrics that indicate how much contact a back deals with.
“Not only was Montgomery contacted before getting to top speed at the third-highest rate last season, but he also faced multiple hits on the fifth-highest percentage of rushes and runs after the catch. And yet, he managed to haul in 82.4 percent of the passes thrown to him in 2021 (with a catch rate of 78.6 percent for his career). In other words, if the O-line can step up, Montgomery could soar.”
