The Chicago Bears have done a complete overhaul of their offense, including a change in coaching staff and the drafting of highly-touted USC blue-chip quarterback prospect Caleb Williams, as well as Washington wide receiver standout Rome Odunze.
They also made their fair share of offensive acquisitions via trade and free agency. For instance, they got Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in 2024 and signed free agent tight end Gerald Everett to a two-year deal. Also, via free agency, the team signed running back D’Andre Swift to a three-year, $24 million contract.
Chicago Bears’ Free Agent Acquisition, Most Overrated?
Some experts, however, have questioned these moves. Most recently, the signing of the 25-year-old Swift has come under fire. Some have gone so far as to say that the former Philadelphia Eagle and Detroit Lion is one of the most overrated players in the NFL.
Per Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut.com:
“D’Andre Swift received his first Pro Bowl selection in 2023, racking up the fifth-most rushing yards (1,049) and averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He turned it into a three-year, $24.5 million contract with the Bears. However, we view Swift as one of the most overrated NFL players in 2024 because a lot of his success seems to be a product of the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line.
Swift ranked 17th in breakaway run rate (4.8 percent), 25th in juke rate (19 percent), 21st in true yards per carry (4.4) last season, per Player Profiler and he ranked 36th in PFF’s Elusive Rating (47.5). Considering what happened to Miles Sanders’ efficiency after leaving Philadelphia (4.9 ypc to 3.3 ypc), no one should be surprised if Swift experiences significant statistical regression in Chicago this fall.”
Well, that’s certainly a downer.
D’Andre Swift’s “Overrated” History
For whatever reason, Swift seems to always find himself on these “most overrated” lists. Back when he was with the Lions, Randy Gurzi of NFL Spin Zone had this to say about him:
“There are aspects of D’Andre Swift’s game that are very good. For instance, he’s an excellent receiver out of the backfield for the Detroit Lions. In his first two seasons in the league, he has 108 receptions for 809 yards with four touchdowns.
In 2021 alone, he hauled in 62 receptions for 452 yards and when he was out for four games during the season, the offense sorely missed his ability to help in this area.
Having said that, he’s often given more credit as an overall back due to his play as a pass-catcher. Swift is an explosive runner who can do serious damage when he’s in space but he hasn’t been elite when it comes to running between the tackles. He’s also not one that creates many missed tackles, often going down on the first hit.”
More Criticism
Although some of the criticism centers around his fantasy league stats production, the snips and snipes against him are still tied to gameplay. For instance, there’s this critique last June from FantasyPros.com:
“D’Andre Swift finds himself in a new situation after being traded from the Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles. While his efficiency in 2022 was impressive, his injury history and lack of projected usage in the passing game may temper expectations for his fantasy output in 2023.
Despite missing time due to injury in his final year with Detroit, Swift still showed promise, ranking fourth in fantasy points per touch and third in yards per carry among all RBs. He was able to create yards after contact and remained efficient on a per-touch basis despite his reduced workload in the Lions’ offense. However, he struggled to find the end zone and didn’t receive the featured role in Detroit’s backfield….
Despite the uncertainties, Swift’s talent is undeniable and he should be productive on a per-touch basis in 2023. However, fantasy managers should be aware of his injury history and the potential for limited receiving work in the Eagles’ offense.”
Swift will get his chance to change these narratives this season, working alongside a revamped Bears offense.