The Chicago Bears made one of the first big moves of free agency when they signed Philadelphia running back D’Andre Swift. The two sides came together on a 3-year, 24-million-dollar contract. The former Lions and Eagles runner will slot in as the starting running back for Matt Eberflus. Coming off a career year in 2023, Swift finally made it through a healthy season and blossomed into one of the better backs in the league. For this article, we will examine how he impacts the offense of the Bears and his fantasy implication for the roster in Chicago.
Background
D’Andre Smith has been a coveted NFL and fantasy football asset since entering the league out of Georgia. The former second-round pick has always been seen as a dynamic weapon. When he ran at the combine a few years back, he swiftly ran a sub 4.5 40-yard dash.
The first three seasons of Swift’s career in Detroit were seen as a disappointment. His tenure in the Motor City was fraught with injury and less-than-ideal results. He flashed all over the field on multiple occasions but never managed to establish himself as the top back. In particular, he never seemed to fit with Lions HC Dan Campbell.
Swift finally put it all together after being traded to the Eagles last season. He was a bonafide weapon as a runner and receiver out of the backfield. He hit numerous big plays along the way to his first 1,000-yard season. You can find his career stats below.
| Games | Rushing | Receiving | Total Yds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | 1D | Succ% | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | 1D | Succ% | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Ctch% | Y/Tgt | Touch | Y/Tch | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV | Awards |
| 2020 | 21 | DET | RB | 32 | 13 | 4 | 114 | 521 | 8 | 31 | 54.4 | 54 | 4.6 | 40.1 | 8.8 | 57 | 46 | 357 | 7.8 | 2 | 15 | 47.4 | 26 | 3.5 | 27.5 | 80.7% | 6.3 | 160 | 5.5 | 878 | 10 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2021 | 22 | DET | RB | 32 | 13 | 4 | 151 | 617 | 5 | 28 | 36.4 | 57 | 4.1 | 47.5 | 11.6 | 78 | 62 | 452 | 7.3 | 2 | 18 | 48.7 | 63 | 4.8 | 34.8 | 79.5% | 5.8 | 213 | 5.0 | 1069 | 7 | 2 | 7 | |
| 2022 | 23 | DET | RB | 32 | 14 | 8 | 99 | 542 | 5 | 21 | 47.5 | 50 | 5.5 | 38.7 | 7.1 | 70 | 48 | 389 | 8.1 | 3 | 17 | 38.6 | 25 | 3.4 | 27.8 | 68.6% | 5.6 | 147 | 6.3 | 931 | 8 | 1 | 8 | |
| 2023* | 24 | PHI | RB | 0 | 16 | 15 | 229 | 1049 | 5 | 50 | 54.1 | 43 | 4.6 | 65.6 | 14.3 | 49 | 39 | 214 | 5.5 | 1 | 8 | 42.9 | 20 | 2.4 | 13.4 | 79.6% | 4.4 | 268 | 4.7 | 1263 | 6 | 3 | 10 | PB |
| Career | 56 | 31 | 593 | 2729 | 23 | 130 | 48.6 | 57 | 4.6 | 48.7 | 10.6 | 254 | 195 | 1412 | 7.2 | 8 | 58 | 44.5 | 63 | 3.5 | 25.2 | 76.8% | 5.6 | 788 | 5.3 | 4141 | 31 | 9 | 31 | |||||
| 3 yrs | DET | 40 | 16 | 364 | 1680 | 18 | 80 | 45.1 | 57 | 4.6 | 42.0 | 9.1 | 205 | 156 | 1198 | 7.7 | 7 | 50 | 44.9 | 63 | 3.9 | 30.0 | 76.1% | 5.8 | 520 | 5.5 | 2878 | 25 | 6 | 21 | ||||
| 1 yr | PHI | 16 | 15 | 229 | 1049 | 5 | 50 | 54.1 | 43 | 4.6 | 65.6 | 14.3 | 49 | 39 | 214 | 5.5 | 1 | 8 | 42.9 | 20 | 2.4 | 13.4 | 79.6% | 4.4 | 268 | 4.7 | 1263 | 6 | 3 | 10 | ||||
Swift will provide the Bears with an excellent weapon on every level. Let’s examine how Swift impacts the current skill players on the Bears roster.
Effect On Bears Roster
- Quarterback – As things currently stand, there are many questions regarding the quarterback position for the Chicago Bears. It seems a fait accompli that the team will select USC quarterback Caleb Williams as the #1 overall pick. If that comes to pass, D’Andre Swift would be a huge asset to his signal caller. I expect Swift to see an uptick in his receiving numbers of Williams under center. He is far less likely to run than current starter Justin Fields, leading to more work in the short passing game for Swift. Looking at his numbers above, you can see that Swift was an excellent pass-catcher during his time in Detroit. If the Bears decide to bring back Justin Fields, then D’Andre Swift will find himself in a situation similar to his time in Philadelphia. He should be extremely comfortable in the run/pass option game and would provide an excellent asset for a mobile quarterback like Justin Fields.
- Running Back – The addition of D’Andre Swift pops the bubble of the Rochon Johnson sleeper community. Many in the dynasty community had the University of Texas running back as the potential successor to the Bears backfield. Instead, Swift will now assume the mantle of RB1 on the team. One of Khalil Herbert and Rochon Johnson will likely form a committee with the former Georgia star, as Swift has rarely shown the capability to handle a full workload. Now is an interesting time to buy some depressed value shares of Johnson as he is the different back of the three and could be tabbed with goal line and short-yardage duties. No matter how you slice it, shares of Herbert and Johnson took a massive hit when Swift came to town.
- Wide Receiver – Swift should have a minimal impact on the team’s wide receiver position. His speed and versatility could mean that the Bears split Swift out wide and eat into the slot role a bit, but on the whole, DJ Moore and company should only benefit from adding a true 1,000-yard back on the roster.
- Tight End – Cole Kmet could see a nice little lift in coverage with the addition of Swift to the Bears backfield. As mentioned in this piece a couple of times, Swift is a natural pass catcher out of the backfield. His presence will occupy the attention of opposing linebackers and safeties, potentially creating a little more room to work for the emerging tight end.
Swift’s Dynasty Outlook
It is tough to sell moving on from one of the best offensive lines in the league as a positive for a running back. However, given that Swift was being replaced by Saquon Barkley, landing with the Chicago Bears was a nice spot for D’Andre Swift. The Bears managed to succeed with far fewer heralded runners last season following the departure of David Montgomery. Swift will bring an explosive element to the game, being a treat to rip off chunk plays on any down.
Big Play: D'Andre Swift 22-yd rush#Eagles 0 #Ravens 0 1sᴛ pic.twitter.com/uDy7ELs00s
— Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) August 12, 2023
Swift will be a dynamic receiver out of the backfield, making him an excellent running back in your PPR leagues. Particularly if the Bears move on from Justin Fields, I expect a nice uptick in plays like the ones you see below. Caleb Williams was more efficient at getting the ball to his RBs out of the backfield.
D’ANDRE SWIFT BOUNCING OFF TACKLERS FOR THE TOUCHDOWN 🔥
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) October 15, 2023
pic.twitter.com/twoThElEDr
Overall, I expect this move to solidify D’Andre Swift’s value as a high-end RB2 for your dynasty squads. He will have every opportunity to move into RB1 territory. However, I expect the Bears to work him in conjunction with at least one of their other backs. Swift has had a penchant for getting nicked up over the years. I believe that Eberflus and company will at least try to keep him healthy. However, OC Shane Waldron preferred one dominant back during his time in Seattle. This was despite the presence of a highly thought-of backup. I expect Swift’s value to fall between RB 9-15 in dynasty rankings.
Final Thoughts
This was about as smooth a landing as you could hope for. The top two backs, Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley, garnered more money and years on their contracts. However, the Bears are an emerging offense that should provide Swift with an opportunity to succeed. He will not be going to a place where he is forced to carry the franchise on his back. His predecessor, Miles Sanders, did that last year when moving to Carolina. That proved disastrous for the former Eagles starter.
Frequently, running backs will find it hard to succeed in a new home. Swift has already shown the capability to do this with his move from Detroit to Philadelphia. He is young enough and has low enough mileage on his body. D’Andre Swift should be a nice dynasty asset for your squads for years to come. Dare I say you should swiftly check his owners in your league to find out if they aren’t as excited about his new home?
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