Michael Bush

Bears.com writer Larry Mayer answered a question about RB KaDeem Carey:

Q: I thought running back KaDeem Carey was a steal in the fourth round of the draft. How many carries do you see him getting this year?

A: That’s difficult to say, primarily because starter Matt Forte is such a versatile three-down back who’s capable of running inside and outside as well as catching passes. I know the coaching staff has a hard time taking Forte off the field, and who can blame them? Interestingly, the Bears’ backup running back got 112, 114 and 114 carries in Lovie Smith’s final three seasons as coach, but only 63 last year in Marc Trestman’s first season.

With that being said, I think that Carey has the potential to be more productive than predecessors Chester Taylor (267 yards and three touchdowns in 2010), Marion Barber (422 yards and 6 TDs on 2011) and Michael Bush (411 yards and 5 TDs in 2012 and 197 yards and 3 TDs in 2013).

But Carey must first prove that he can learn and execute pass-blocking assignments because protecting the quarterback is vital in Trestman’s offense. If you want me to guess, I’ll say that Carey will get 80 carries this season barring a serious injury to Forte, which breaks down to five per game.

It sounds like Mayer thinks Carey has the chance to play more of a role than Bush did last season. Carey seems like a guy to grab later in drafts as a potential handcuff to Forte, especially when you consider Forte will likely be one of the top-five RBs off the board later this summer. Of course there is some risk with drafting handcuffs and Carey may not get all of Forte's workload should Forte get hurt, but it's a situation worth monitoring if you plan to protect or draft Forte.