Can Matt Forte and Kevin Jones Be a Great NFL Running-Back Tandem?

First, Kevin Jones has to prove he's healthy. He's coming off a serious foot fracture and a torn ACL, not the injuries that are wanted, especially if you’re a running back. He hasn't topped 186 carries in three years and isn't likely to this year.

If Jones can get ready for Week One, he's likely to be a role player. The Bears will bring him along slowly, possibly as a complimentary back to support Matt Forte. Lovie Smith was quoted this week saying that he didn’t want to rush Kevin into the Seattle game but was optimistic for his chances to play against the 49ers.

Jones has impressed in his first few days of training camp with full pads and contact drills, making nice cuts and showing a good display of speed and elusiveness. Jones, don’t forget, rushed for 1,133 yards in 2004, with a very respectable 4.7 per carry average but has since struggled to carry the load for Detroit averaging 3.8 per carry in the last three seasons.

This may be due to probably the worst offensive line in the NFL, one that had Jon Kitna running for his life all of last year. But at the age of 25, Kevin Jones should still be able to produce good numbers.

Matt Forte can bring to the Bears what Cedric Benson was supposed to: power, speed, and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Last year he was rushing for 2,127 yards for Tulane, with a 5.9 average. A lot of hype has surrounded Forte but he has responded like a true professional, which leads me to believe the Bears will not have to worry about any off-field issues with him.

Other players that could enter the mix are, of course, the “other Adrian Peterson,” who has been a great special-teams player and carried the ball solidly whenever the bears required his services.

Garret Wolfe has also impressed me towards the back-end of last season and this preseason. He has shown great burst and agility, and despite his size, he has shown that he can run the ball well. I'd expect to see him play a bigger role in year two.

P.J. Pope and Matt Lawrence are the outsiders to see any action, but where ever there will likely be a running-back-by-committee offense, they may see reps in the preseason.

Personally, I like the look of Matt Lawrence, an un-drafted free agent from a relatively small program at UMass. He had 318 carries for 1,585 yards with 16 touchdowns, ranked 15th in the NCAA, and fourth in CAA, with 121.92 yards per game.

He looks like a bruising, power back and reminds me of Brandon Jacobs of the Giants. Unfortunately, I don't see him playing much at all in '08. Looks like he will be on the practice squad.

With that sorted, it looks like Matt Forte will take most of the carries Week One in Indianapolis, but expect to see the likes of Kevin Jones and Garret Wolfe making contributions in the running and passing game.

It doesn’t seem as if the Bears will struggle in the running game this season, with three-plus capable running backs and better protection from the offensive line.