Bears enter 2015 with one of the top backfields

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Jessica Koscielniak / Chicago Sun-Times

After a 5-11 season, the Bears don’t have many strengths across the board. But they enter the 2015 season with one of the top backfields in the NFL.

Bleacher Report NFL analyst Zach Kruse wrote the Bears running back Matt Forte will have some help this season with the new draft picks and offseason free agent signings.

Forte does it all, but at some point, all those carries and catches are going to slow him down. That reality is probably why the Bears signed Jacquizz Rodgers and drafted Ka’Deem Carey and Jeremy Langford in back-to-back years.

The Bears drafted Carey in 2014 but only had 36 rushes for 158 yards and zero touchdowns. Quarterback Jay Cutler had more rushing yards than Carey last season.

In this recent draft, the Bears selected Langford, who is thought to be more of the power back for the Bears. The former Michigan State running back will help Chicago with short yardage and goal-line situations.

[nicelink url=http://chicago.suntimes.com/bears-football/7/71/571356/bears-draft-michigan-state-rb-jeremy-langford]

Then in the offseason, the Bears signed Rodgers, the former Atlanta Falcons running back. Rodger had 58 rushes for 217 yards and one touchdown last season. But the Bears won’t use him in the running game. The former Oregon State running back will be used more in third down passing situations, where he caught 29 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown out of the backfield last season.

A young core group of running backs will sure help Forte, the eight-year veteran.

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