Many star players in the NFL received their team's franchise tags before the deadline to do so on Tuesday. Players like Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr., and Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson were among the litany of players to get hit with that designation. But, curiously, there weren't any running backs who were tagged. Players like Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Austin Ekeler, Tony Pollard, and D'Andre Swift are all poised to hit NFL free agency. Swift, the former Philadelphia Eagle in particular, could be a target for teams like the Chicago Bears or the Cincinnati Bengals.
Swift had a solid season for the Eagles in 2023. He got his debut campaign in Philadelphia off to a strong start. In his first two games as a starter as an Eagle, Swift ran for 305 yards and a touchdown on 44 carries. But he couldn't sustain it. He ran for 744 yards the rest of the season.
D'Andre Swift was otherwise pretty solid in 2023 though. His 4.4 true yards per carry ranked 21st among running backs according to playerprofiler.com. His 4.7 yards per touch was 28th at the position. Certainly, those numbers could be better, but Swift's efficiency was better in Detroit. Perhaps, a new change of scenery could bump his efficiency up again.
Chicago Bears
The Bears aren't a team that necessarily needs a running back. Their ground game was one of the best in the NFL in 2023. They ranked ninth in the NFL in EPA per rush and second in the league in rushing yards per game. However, that was with different personnel than what they are likely going to have in 2024.
Justin Fields was their leading rusher last season with 657 yards. With the team poised to draft Caleb Williams, however, that would mean moving on from Fields. And if they do in fact move on from Fields, they should in return find personnel that would fit Williams' skillset. Because of D'Andre Swift's ability to catch the ball as well as his ability to churn out yards on the ground, he'd be a great fit in the Windy City.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals could really use a running back. Joe Mixon has been a staple for their ground game over the years, but his play has dipped over the last few years. Mixon hasn't averaged more than 4.1 yards per carry in a season since 2019. Mixon's 3.9 true yards per carry ranked 40th among running backs last season. The year prior, that number was 3.7.
Joe Mixon has been a popular cut candidate for the Bengals as well. Though the Bengals do have around $50 million in cap space at their disposal in free agency, they have a lot of needs to address. Most notably, they have the dilemma of whether or not they can pay Tee Higgins the extension he wants. The Bengals can cut Mixon and save roughly $6 million in cap space.
Mixon's production has not met his price the last few years, so the Bengals should cut him and move on. Swift has been the more efficient runner and receiver compared to Mixon and could be a better fit in Cincinnati. Burrow has a penchant for checking down to running backs as well, which could fit Swift better than the offense he was a part of in Philadelphia. He'd be a great addition for the Bengals.
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