Bears Blitz

Published by Matt Eurich on June 3, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

No position in the NFL gets cycled through more quickly than the running back position, and the Chicago Bears‘ Ka‘Deem Carey may see his career in Chicago end this offseason before ever getting a real chance to prove himself in the regular season.

Carey was selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft, and the team was excited about his potential at the time.

“We feel very good about what Ka’Deem Carey has accomplished as a player,” said then-general manager Phil Emery, according to Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com. “We felt like we got a quality running back at the right time in the draft.”

During his time at Arizona, Carey was a two-time All-American and was one of the country’s most productive running backs.

Carey competed with Shaun Draughn and Michael Ford during the offseason and training camp to be Matt Forte‘s backup last year, and prior to the start of the regular season, the Bears named Carey the No. 2 running back.

“We don’t really know how it’s going to transition to the real deal on Sunday and the weeks to come, but he’s earned the right at this point to have the first shot,” then-head coach Marc Trestman said, according to Mayer.

He played in just six snaps in the team’s first three games before playing 21 snaps against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. He carried the ball 14 times for 72 yards, but the majority of his carries came in mop-up duty once the Packers were able to jump out to a big lead. 

He carried the football just 20 more times the rest of the season, and his six carries against the New England Patriots in Week 8 were the second-most carries he received in a game all season. In the final seven games of the year, he carried the football just six times.

On the season, the young running back played just 100 snaps, while Forte played 1,006 snaps—the second most on offense. Carey never got a chance to prove himself last season, and with a new general manager and coaching staff in place, he is going to have a difficult time earning a spot on the roster.

After Emery and Trestman were fired following the conclusion of the 2014 season, new general manager Ryan Pace signed veteran running back Jacquizz Rodgers in free agency and drafted Michigan State’s Jeremy Langford in the fourth round to compete with Carey.

Carey has no ties to the team’s current front office and coaching staff, meaning he is facing a make-or-break offseason. He is still a talented player with upside, but he has a lot to prove in the coming months.  

To get a better understanding of where Carey stands, we need to take a look at what he does well and what he needs to work on.

 

The Good

Since Carey only had limited opportunities last year, it is hard to get a good read on where he currently stands, but he did show some flashes of his potential last season.

He was a terrific north-south runner while at Arizona, and the Bears raved about his downhill running style last offseason.

“He’s a north-and-south runner, meaning when he decides to put his foot in the ground he doesn’t dance, he just goes,” said then-offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer, according to Mayer. “He’s gaining yards, and that’s what we like about Ka‘Deem—he makes a cut, he gains yards. That’s what we’re looking for.”

In Week 4 against the Packers, Carey showed off his ability to run downhill. Late in the fourth quarter, he lined up to the left of backup quarterback Jimmy Clausen before the snap of the football:

He received the handoff from Clausen, took one step to his right and then cut back to his left to run between left tackle Jermon Bushrod and left guard Michael Ola:

He hit the hole hard and picked up eight yards on the carry:

His success last season was not limited to just running between the tackles. During Chicago’s Week 6 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, he carried the football just four times for 19 yards, but he did have a 15-yard run in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Lined up as the single back behind quarterback Jay Cutler, Carey received the pitch and turned up the field:

Good blocking on the outside helped him find the crease, and he was able to use his speed to get to the second level:

When he was given the opportunity to carry the football last season, he was aggressive and showed good vision. When he was drafted, he spoke about his willingness to be aggressive with the football in his hands.

“I would definitely say my running style is hungry, it’s aggressive, it’s fighting for every yard for my team, and every down is meaningful for me,” he said, according to Mayer.

He was a workhorse at Arizona and capped off his career with 16 straight 100-yard games, but he was not given a fair chance last season to prove his worth. While he did show flashes of his potential in 2014, there are some areas he needs to work on this offseason. 

 

The Bad

The biggest adjustment for any running back from college to the NFL is pass protection. Many running backs at the collegiate level are not asked to protect the quarterback, and while Carey had experience in pass protection from his days with the Wildcats, he struggled with it in his limited opportunities last season.

In Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers, Carey lined up to Cutler’s left on second down:

Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly came on a blitz through the B-gap between the left tackle and left guard, and even though Carey had good positioning, he opted to take on Kuechly high instead of down low:

The All-Pro linebacker exploded through Carey and forced Cutler to roll out of the pocket, and the former Vanderbilt quarterback was taken down for a sack.

Trying to slow down a linebacker as talented as Kuechly is no easy task, but Carey struggled to gain leverage and attacked high instead of trying to attack him in his midsection. 

He was able to get away with attacking high at Arizona because of his athleticism, but he will need to do a better job of standing his ground and gaining leverage in pass protection in order to be considered a viable option on offense.

 

Outlook

Since Carey only played 100 snaps last season, it is difficult to speculate about his future with the team. He showed an ability to hit the hole and pick up yards on the ground, but he struggled in pass protection.

Before free agency and the draft, he looked like the clear-cut favorite to be the No. 2 running back this season, but the addition of both Rodgers and Langford will make it difficult for Carey to remain on the roster.

Rodgers is a proven third-down running back who excels in pass protection and is a threat in the passing game, while Langford has the speed (ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash) to get to the outside and make big plays.

Forte is a lock to be the team’s starter at running back, but every spot behind him appears to be wide-open. Langford is likely a shoo-in for a roster spot since the team used a fourth-round pick on him this year, meaning Rodgers and Carey will fight it out to be the team’s No. 3 running back.

In a make-or-break offseason, Carey will have to prove he can be just as reliable on third downs and in pass protection as Rodgers. Carey is a talented player who could flourish if given the opportunity, but if he is unable to cement a role in the coming months, he will be looking for a new team before the season begins. 

 

Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com and Sports-Reference.com. Snap counts courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Follow @MattEurich

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