The Chicago Bears have high expectations for running back Tarik Cohen going into the 2019 NFL season. Regardless, it seems head coach Matt Nagy is hoping to temper things down a bit.
Cohen saw his workload increase as the season went on last year. According to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Nagy is hoping is much more familiar with the offense this time around:
‘‘We moved [Cohen] around a lot last year, and I do feel like there was a time — probably later in the season — where we probably gave him a little bit too much,’’ Nagy said before practice Tuesday. ‘‘And when you mentally drain them, it pulls them back physically.’’
The emergence of Cohen had been one of the more pleasant surprises of the 2018 campaign. He developed into quite an all-purpose player for the Bears thanks to his versatility out of the backfield. Nagy will be looking to further utilize his skill set as he attempts to pick things up on offense.
The departure of running back Jordan Howard left a notable void in Chicago's rushing attack this offseason. Fortunately, there is plenty of optimism that running back David Montgomery will be able to serve as a viable replacement and solid complementary option to Cohen.
Despite his prowess, Nagy would be wise to keep the int-sized playmaker out of the trenches and into more open space. Meanwhile, much of the early-down work could go to Montgomery after all the promise he has shown through training camp and the preseason.