Chicago Bears Q&A: Will Ryan Poles seek running back help? How about more snaps for Luther Burden III?

Coming off their first win under coach Ben Johnson, the Chicago Bears will try to even their record at 2-2 when they travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders on Sunday (3:25 p.m., CBS-2).

While Caleb Williams and the passing game heated up with 298 yards and four touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, the running game remained pedestrian (87 yards on 29 attempts). Might general manager Ryan Poles seek help for the backfield in the trade market?

Brad Biggs answers that and more in his weekly Bears mailbag.

Will Ryan Poles be proactive and not wait until the trade deadline arrives to find a running back that is available in trade? — Phil A., South Side

This has been a popular question since training camp opened — and even before that — and the reality is I don’t know that the Bears would be able to get a back who would make a significant difference in what they’re doing offensively.

The Bears rank 15th in the league with 113.3 rushing yards per game, but that figure is boosted by quarterback Caleb Williams’ production, especially in the opener. Williams accounts for 97 of the team’s 340 rushing yards, and he’s the reason the team’s average per carry is OK at 4.1 yards.

Week 3 photos: Chicago Bears 31, Dallas Cowboys 14

D’Andre Swift hasn’t found a groove running the ball and had only 33 yards on 13 carries in the blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys. The Bears did get more touches for rookie Kyle Monangai, who had six attempts for 16 yards. The offense was able to run the ball just well enough to give the Cowboys issues, including 11 consecutive handoffs in the 19-play drive that culminated in a 4-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore.

“In the moment I didn’t know it was 19 plays, and I didn’t know there were 11 runs in a row,” coach Ben Johnson said. “The runs, they were efficient for the most part. That helps me stay on track and call more of them.”

The sample size remains small through three games, but Swift’s numbers don’t paint a great picture. He has 89 yards after contact, according to Sumer Sports, which ranks 25th out of 31 running backs with a minimum of 25 carries. His success rate, as defined by Sumer Sports, ranks 24th.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Swift is averaging minus-0.5 rushing yards over expected per attempt. That’s a little jarring, but some big-name running backs are below him, including Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey, Bucky Irving, Chase Brown, Josh Jacobs and Las Vegas Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty (minus-0.94), whom the Bears will face this week. Saquon Barkley checks in at minus-0.32. Again, it’s early in the season.

The Bears are blocking better and the numbers should be a little bit better. There has to be hope Swift starts seeing the paths a little bit better and can be more productive. I’d also expect Monangai to continue to be worked in.

Trading for a running back isn’t the solution, in my mind. Could Poles find a player who potentially could be a little better than Swift after a few weeks of learning the playbook and adjusting the offense? Sure. Would having a slightly better running back at the start of the season have changed the team’s current record? I doubt it.

The Bears will have a host of needs after this season, and it certainly looks like running back very well could be on that list. Left tackle, safety, cornerback and edge rusher are also areas of concern. This is Johnson’s first season, and the Bears, like it or not, are in a position where they’re rebooting the most recent rebuild.

If you watched the Week 2 debacle in Detroit and then saw the Lions play Monday night in Baltimore, you’re aware there’s a significant gap between Bears and Lions. I’d venture to guess the same is true about the Bears’ efforts to catch the Green Bay Packers, and as you know, they lost to the Minnesota Vikings to open the season. The Bears are not a running back away from closing the gap with their NFC North rivals.

Barring a complete turnaround by Swift or breakout by Monangai, running back will be a clear need after this season. Poles needs to maintain the draft capital he has, and the Bears have to start getting more extra-base hits in the draft.

Trading away draft picks for stop-gap measures for a team in Year 1 with a new coaching staff would be a mistake, in my opinion.

Do we need to be worried about Darnell Wright? — Mark G., Chicago

Wright is dealing with a complicating factor for a lot of players, and that’s consistency. His good play can be really good. His lapses can be confounding. Fortunately, the Bears are relatively confident he didn’t suffer a serious injury to his right elbow when he had to leave Sunday’s win over the Cowboys. Wright returned and logged 48 of the 59 offensive snaps, also coming out during garbage time so Theo Benedet could get more reps.

Offensive line coach Dan Roushar made some pointed comments about Wright during training camp. He was echoing what people have said about Wright previously — it’s a consistency thing.

“I’ve been pleased,” Ben Johnson said Friday. “He’s a really talented individual that shows up all the time. He’s a little bit of a unicorn. The O-line, they take to it because he’s got some rare traits that you don’t see all the time around this league. He can be effective in both the running game and in pass protection. He’s a guy that we count on.

“We’re trying to do some different things with him, move him around, get him in space or have him pull a little bit, things that, maybe, he hasn’t done a whole lot of in the past. When you have a player of that caliber, that has talent like him, you do try to feature him on your offense.”

When Wright isn’t locked in, his performance can slip, and it’s not a week-to-week issue. It can be play-to-play. He leads the team with six penalties, tied with Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor for the most in the league. Wright was called for holding and being an ineligible player downfield against the Cowboys.

Wright, whom the Bears chose with the 10th pick in the 2023 draft, has a chance to be a foundational piece for the offense. But to reach that level and maximize his terrific athletic ability, he’ll have to even out his play.

Rome Odunze wants to be a great receiver for the Chicago Bears. It all comes ‘down to the details.’

At this point in time, wouldn’t it be inevitable for the Bears to gauge the cornerback market since Jaylon Johnson won’t be available for a while? — @williamsfc18

If the Bears are lucky, Johnson will miss only a couple of months after Ben Johnson indicated the two-time Pro Bowl selection will undergo surgery to repair his groin injury. Refer to my above opinion regarding trading for a running back when it comes to the possibility of trading for a cornerback. Teams are always hesitant to trade talented cornerbacks because a couple of quick injuries at the position, and all of a sudden you’re in the kind of jam the Bears have experienced since the season started.

The good news is nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon should be returning from his hamstring injury soon. Whether that’s Sunday in Las Vegas or potentially Week 6 after the bye, I don’t know. But help is on the way.

The Bears always are monitoring which players are available and the possibility of poaching another team’s practice squad. Too often, folks clamoring for a move fall into the trap of confusing activity for achievement. Just because the Bears make a move doesn’t mean they’ve done anything to meaningfully improve the roster.

They have two cornerbacks on the practice squad, and one, Dallis Flowers, was elevated from the practice squad for the Cowboys game. That’s always the first place a team will look when an injury occurs. Is there a guy already in the building whom coaches are familiar with and who can help the situation?

The reality is when a team loses its best cornerback — in this instance its best defensive player — there’s going to be a drop-off and it’s likely going to require an adjustment from the coaching staff to cover for the loss. I’d expect the Bears to keep a close eye on possibilities, but dealing away draft capital for a Band-Aid doesn’t make sense and 95% of the players on the street are there because their tape says they should be.

Will Luther Burden III get more reps and will Ben Johnson consider five wide receivers? — @rgbears69

Burden’s playing time has been relatively consistent through three weeks. He has played 47 offensive snaps: 18 in Week 1, 12 in Week 2 and 17 on Sunday, when he caught three passes for 101 yards, including the 65-yard touchdown on a flea-flicker.

The coaches were pretty transparent about Burden’s situation over the course of training camp. If you read between the lines, it was clear they would put more on his plate as he continued to earn their trust.

If fellow rookie Colston Loveland is slowed at all by the hip injury he suffered Sunday — and indications are it’s nothing serious — that would create more opportunities for 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers). Burden has received some work in 11 so far, rotating with Olamide Zaccheaus, and we’ve also seen him in some big-boy packages. Whenever I see Burden on the field with two tight ends, my mind immediately goes to play action with max protection and Burden as Caleb Williams’ No. 1 read on a deep shot.

As you know, the offense needs to spread the ball around to a lot of players, and as usual, you can make a valid case the tight ends aren’t getting enough targets. I’d expect Burden’s playing time to increase gradually as the season goes on because he’s an explosive player.

As far as five-wideout sets, the Bears aren’t going to major in that, even in instances when they can line up DJ Moore in the backfield. The key to Burden getting more reps is finding a role in more 11 and 12 personnel formations.

What position group is still the bigger question mark, defensive backs or pass rushers? — @karlgreenfield

Healthy or considering the current state of affairs? I’ll answer this question considering full health: The pass rush is a bigger question. The Bears probably felt the secondary, especially with Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, could be a strength this season. There always will be pressing questions when top players are sidelined.

The Bears had two sacks against the Cowboys with Montez Sweat and Dominique Robinson each bringing down Dak Prescott. The coverage was better and the rush more consistent with seven quarterback hits. You’d like to see a little more production with a big second-half lead, but Prescott is skilled at getting the ball to check-down targets.

We’ll see what the pass rush looks like next month. Will Austin Booker’s return provide a spark? Can he be an asset in passing situations? The Bears were optimistic he really took a step forward during training camp and the preseason, but we have to see it when he’s rushing against starting offensive tackles in games that count.

Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo need to show up more consistently, and there needs to be a stronger and more consistent push in the middle of the pocket. There are plays to be made for defensive ends if a tackle can force the quarterback to take just a step back. I’d say the pass rush has more questions — more pertinent ones anyway — than an injured secondary.

With the exception of garbage time vs. Dallas and the first three quarters vs. Minnesota, opposing QBs are completing passes at a high percentage. Is this a problem or is Dennis Allen’s defense meant to bend and not break this way? — @hickeymj

Context matters. It was a big problem in Week 2 when Jared Goff was able to operate like a seven-on-seven quarterback and hit his receivers in stride for big plays all over the place. It wasn’t an issue Sunday when Dak Prescott completed 22 of 34 passes (64.7%) for 251 yards. Tight end Jake Ferguson was targeted 14 times and had 13 catches for 82 yards on a slew of check-downs. That’s like a running back gaining 52 yards on 25 carries. That’s good defense.

The Bears are allowing opponents to complete 75.3% of their passes, which ranks 31st in the league. It’s OK to give up completions when you’re doing a better job of eliminating big plays and swarming to the ball, both of which Allen’s defense did against a Cowboys team that badly missed CeeDee Lamb.

I’d imagine you’ll see the Bears trend toward more two-high shells without Jaylon Johnson. That’s what they did 69% of the time against the Cowboys, and, sure, that can appear to be bend-don’t-break. You have to put your players in position to maximize their skills and minimize their weaknesses. Allen will mix it up. I’d focus on the number of explosive plays opponents are getting each week more than I would the completion percentage.

When you play bend-don’t-break and do it well, it’s difficult for the opponent to drive the entire field without making a mistake that leads to a punt or takeaway, and the Bears had interceptions to end the final three Dallas possessions.