Future in Chicago?

IndianFan

IndianFan

pngindians.com
It seems doubtful that RJ will get much of a future shot at playing in Chicago. With both Swift and RJ out today with injuries, the rookie RB Monaghai is having a field day and approaching 200 yards. Have to call it like it is, when he had an opportunity Monangai grabbed it and literally ran.
Hopefully RJ’s health improves and hopefully there are other opportunities upcoming to see the field as a RB.

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IndianFan said:
It seems doubtful that RJ will get much of a future shot at playing in Chicago. With both Swift and RJ out today with injuries, the rookie RB Monaghai is having a field day and approaching 200 yards. Have to call it like it is, when he had an opportunity Monangai grabbed it and literally ran.
Hopefully RJ’s health improves and hopefully there are other opportunities upcoming to see the field as a RB.

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He needs to be on another team. Regardless of the injuries, he was never really given much of a chance in Chicago.
 
Hoping that they will trade him to a team that he’s better fitted for. The injuries were/are a factor but it doesn’t seem that the head coach wanted to give RJ a clear shot to keep or reclaim the backup position. Their loss. I can also imagine that Chicago is a dismal place to live. Looking forward to RJ wearing another uniform.
 
He recently posted that he has been informed by the team that he will not be activated for any of the playoff games. Based on a review of the Bears subreddit, fans on that forum are split in their opinions about him, with some thinking he does not have much talent, others thinking he was not given an adequate chance to prove himself, and still others thinking he has talent but is too injury prone. I think he has mostly been unlucky regarding the injuries, although his running style probably does make him a bit more vulnerable. And I strongly believe he was not given an adequate chance with the Bears. He was also unlucky that they drafted a pretty good running back in the late rounds, although I think RJ would have done even better than him if given an adequate opportunity.

The think that puzzles me the most about his career post high school is that when I watched him at PNG he seemed like one of the most elusive runners I have ever seen at any level of football. However, this trait has seemed less apparent post high school. I suspect that something about the switch from QB to RB was responsible for this, although I cannot quite put my finger on how or why it would have affected him in that way. Perhaps he was coached to change his running style after the switch, or maybe he made a decision at some point to focus on power vs a more shifty style. Or maybe it was simply a matter of him not getting enough reps to show his full capabilities. In any case, I find it hard to believe he is not capable of much more than he was able to show even at the college level. Hopefully he will be given the opportunity to do so in the near future by an NFL team that has a better appreciation for his true potential.
 
I really wish Chicago would trade him/ release him so he can get picked up by another team. And also hope Chicago bites the dust in the playoffs.
 
IndianFan said:
He’s also 35-40 pounds heavier now.
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I also thought about that as well. He has added a lot of muscle, which would make him a better power runner but could also hinder his elusiveness to some degree. However, I still have a gut feeling (based only on my instinct) that it is more of a change in running style than a loss of that ability. Who knows? In any case, based on his performance at UT alone, even with a somewhat different running style, there is no question in my mind that he should have been given a better chance than he got at Chicago. I share your negative views about that team and hope RJ gets a better shot elsewhere.
 
Something is not right beyond the injuries. Sounds like the new head coach probably plays favorites.

Had a gut feeling that being selected by Chicago was going to be a negative. Turns out that was accurate.
 
NDNzeke said:
He recently posted that he has been informed by the team that he will not be activated for any of the playoff games. Based on a review of the Bears subreddit, fans on that forum are split in their opinions about him, with some thinking he does not have much talent, others thinking he was not given an adequate chance to prove himself, and still others thinking he has talent but is too injury prone. I think he has mostly been unlucky regarding the injuries, although his running style probably does make him a bit more vulnerable. And I strongly believe he was not given an adequate chance with the Bears. He was also unlucky that they drafted a pretty good running back in the late rounds, although I think RJ would have done even better than him if given an adequate opportunity.

The think that puzzles me the most about his career post high school is that when I watched him at PNG he seemed like one of the most elusive runners I have ever seen at any level of football. However, this trait has seemed less apparent post high school. I suspect that something about the switch from QB to RB was responsible for this, although I cannot quite put my finger on how or why it would have affected him in that way. Perhaps he was coached to change his running style after the switch, or maybe he made a decision at some point to focus on power vs a more shifty style. Or maybe it was simply a matter of him not getting enough reps to show his full capabilities. In any case, I find it hard to believe he is not capable of much more than he was able to show even at the college level. Hopefully he will be given the opportunity to do so in the near future by an NFL team that has a better appreciation for his true potential.
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He’s not as elusive in the pros because pros are much faster. He’s fast, but pretty average speed against pro defenders. Bowling through people is his best bet.
 
I think it’s more an issue of quickness and acceleration than top end speed. Problem is running Earl Campbell style got him 2 concussions in one season and at least one other scare. May have also contributed to other injuries he’s had. Giving and taking those hits is rough.
 
IndianFan said:
I think it’s more an issue of quickness and acceleration than top end speed. Problem is running Earl Campbell style got him 2 concussions in one season and at least one other scare. May have also contributed to other injuries he’s had. Giving and taking those hits is rough.
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And if he wants a veteran contract there’s no shortage of rookies coming up every year who are way cheaper and just as productive. His NFL career might be over. I’m sure he’ll find something though. He seems to be a solid businessman, and he could always get into coaching or broadcasting and potentially make a lot more money.
 
That rookie contract was for $4+ million. Most people work their entire lives and never make that much. It’s a great start for him and if invested well, he’s likely set for life with a full lifetime and many career opportunities ahead. Sky is the limit. But I’m not going to count him out of football yet. I don’t think he has shown what he can do yet. He was running behind terrible offensive lines for the past 2 seasons.
 
IndianFan said:
That rookie contract was for $4+ million. Most people work their entire lives and never make that much. It’s a great start for him and if invested well, he’s likely set for life with a full lifetime and many career opportunities ahead. Sky is the limit. But I’m not going to count him out of football yet. I don’t think he has shown what he can do yet. He was running behind terrible offensive lines for the past 2 seasons.
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I agree - And I think he’s still got at least one more team in his future. The Bears have wasted whatever potential he had on this contract, combined with injuries and other things.
 
IndianFan said:
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Chicago Bears: New OC Likely Spells Doom For Once Promising Running Back

The NFL is a league of constant change. One minute, you are a promising rookie with a bright future, and the next, you are fighting just to stay on the roster.
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I don’t think he was really given much of a chance in Chicago, and the injuries constituted an additional obstacle. Hopefully he can find his way to a team that will utilize him properly and give him the shot he deserves.
 
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