Ryan Poles draft/free agent decision already haunting the Bears

Williams is arguably the top available free agent running back and one who has a very good familiarity with what Ben Johnson wants to do on offense. He also has familiarity with other coaching staff members.

It was Williams in 2022 during Detroit's first season with Ben Johnson as offensive coordinator who was given the keys to the car, so to speak. Johnson made him into the starting running back and demoted D'Andre Swift to relief and third-down back status.

Of course, that was a younger version of Williams, who is now 30 years old and hasn't had a good season since 2022.

Williams gained 1,066 yards that season, 465 more than in any of his other years in the league. He has 4,122 yards on 1,069 carries with 32 TDs.

More than half of Williams' career TDs came in Johnson's offense during the 2022 season, when he led the NFL with 17 scores.

Williams was more the power back as predecessor in Ben Johnson's offense to David Montgomery.

Other coaches Williams is familiar with are offensive coordinator Declan Doyle from one year together in New Orleans, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

How Allen would feel about Williams on the roster isn't known but after Williams was with Detroit he went to New Orleans with Allen as head coach and gained only 470 yards on 154 carries (3.05 yards per carry) in two seasons. He scored two rushin TDs, caught 27 passes for 119 yards and no TDs, and was also involved in a bit of a mild controversy.

At the end of the 2023 season finale, Allen had called for the Saints to take a knee with a 41-17 lead but offensive players decided, instead, to give the ball to Williams so he could score his only TD of the season on a 1-yard run. Obviously, it looked like the Saints were running up the score and Allen had to apologize.

“That’s not who we are. That’s not how we operate,” Allen said. “We should’ve taken a knee.”

ESPN’s Katherine Terrell and Michael Rothstein reported the Saints wanted either Williams or former Bears tight end Jimmy Graham to score a TD.

"Williams hadn’t scored all season, and his teammates attempted to convince Allen to let him have a chance," they wrote. "Allen, however, shot the idea down, saying he preferred to take a knee. The coach was overruled by the players once they got on the field.”

It didn't seem to have much impact as Williams was still there in 2024 but didn't participate much for a team in need of help everywhere.

One reason the Bears might be interested in Williams besides pure numbers at running back is his pass blocking ability.

He was once regarded as a respectable pass blocker against blitzers through his first six seasons. Pro Football Focus has him at 21 pressures allowed in his first six seasons and every year but one of those he had pass blocking grades of 70.4 or higher. A 70 is regarded as a good score for PFF's system.

However, in his last two seasons with New Orleans Williams gave up 13 total pressures and four of the nine career sacks PFF attributed to him, while accumulating pass blocking scores of only 46.3 and 38.0.

The Bears will watch seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai and undrafted player Ian Wheeler closely in Sunday's preseason game to see how they do with blocking, as well as running and receiving. The Bears defense has had little problem getting pressure on Caleb Williams with blitzes and Miami also had what would have been called a sack in a two-minute drill with an unchecked safety blitz of Williams.

Sadly, GM Ryan Poles had the opportunity earlier this offseason to acquire any number of better options than Williams. The Bears' depth was no better then than when they started training camp.

They appeared then to be only an injury away from trouble, unless Travis Homer is your idea of a great fill-in running back.

Players like JK Dobbins, Nick Chubb, Javonte Williams, ajee Harris, Elijah Mitchell, Rico Dowdle and Ty Johnson were in the free agent market and the Bears decided that backfield with D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Monangai, Homer and undrafted free agents Ian Wheeler and Deion Hankins

Until or if Roschon Johnson returns, Homer is probably their most qualified replacement for Johnson as a pass blocker but he can't match the former Texas running back's ability to run with power and in short yardage.

The Bears are lacking greatly without Johnson when it comes to power running, unless Monangai proves something in Sunday's game.

Whether they can find that quality in a 30-something back who hasn't had a good season since 2022 seems a long shot at best, but they might have no other option at this point because of their reluctance to pursue the position in free agency or the draft.