The Athletic is a HUGE Fan of Bears Signing D’Andre Swift

Free agency grades are in the eye of the beholder, and that’s why it’s important to survey a wide range of post-signing opinions to get a good feel for how the Chicago Bears additions are viewed.

ESPN wasn’t a big fan of GM Ryan Poles’ decision to sign running back D’Andre Swift, but that’s just one perspective. As for The Athletic? Yeah, they love the move.

“Agreeing to a three-year deal worth a reported $24 million, the fifth-year veteran cashes in on a career season with the Eagles in which he served as a feature back for the first time,” Mike Jones wrote. “Swift rushed for 1,049 yards and five touchdowns on 229 carries, he also recorded 39 catches for 214 yards and a touchdown for Philadelphia.

“Regardless of what they do at quarterback, the Bears badly needed a reliable back after trying to piece together a rushing attack last season. Justin Fields led the team with 657 rushing yards while Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman combined for 1,036 yards and six touchdowns. Swift receives a significant raise after playing on a one-year, $1.7 million deal last season.”

Jones gave the D’Andre Swift signing an “A”.

I agree with Jones” grade. You can see mine here. Swift is an indisputable upgrade over Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson. In fact, I believe he’s an upgrade over what the Chicago Bears had in David Montgomery, too.

Running backs who bring receiving ability to an offense are simply more valuable than one-dimensional between-the-tackles runners. Herbert isn’t a banger between the tackles, but he also hasn’t proven to be more than just a chunk-gain runner who inflates his yards per carry with the occasional 20-yard pop. That’s not a bad thing, I like Herbert. He’s a good player, but he’s not the well-rounded running back that Swift is.

Johnson, meanwhile, had an underwhelming rookie season. He obviously didn’t impress the coaching staff enough to convince them that running back wasn’t a need this offseason. In fact, the Chicago Bears prioritized running back as one of their top needs. That tells you all you need to know about Johnson’s outlook in 2024.

Some outlets will criticize the Bears for adding Swift, while others will praise them. At the end of the day, D’Andre Swift is now the centerpiece of the Bears’ running game. He’ll either prove Ryan Poles right or make his three-year deal look like a massive mistake.