The Chicago Bears have cycled backup running backs behind Matt Forte for what seems like a decade now, but Forte's health and success has made most of them irrelevant.

In his seven full seasons since 2008, Forte has failed to play 16 games just twice: 12 games in 2011 and 15 in 2012. He had secured at least 200 carries in each of those seven years, and with 136 carries through seven games this year, he was well on pace to hit that mark again.

He had also failed to hit 70 targets just once in that span (59 in 2012).

Whether it was Chester Taylor, Kahlil Bell, Marion Barber, or Michael Bush nipping at his carries and touchdown totals, Forte had remained at the top of Chicago's depth chart for more than half a decade.

But with the MCL injury he sustained in Week 8, his stranglehold on the Bears' backfield duties is in question for Week 9 and beyond. He could return soon, of course, because the injury isn't a season-ender, but it's at least fair to ask a bigger question for now.

Is Jeremy Langford the man to dethrone Forte for good?

Langford's Profile

Okay, sure, "dethroning" is probably not the right wording, as Forte surely hasn't played himself out of the job (more on that later), but Langford did require a fourth-round draft pick this season for Chicago. That's not elite draft capital by any means, but Langford's college campaign more than justified it.

Langford spent four seasons at Michigan State but saw no offensive touches as a freshman (in 2011) and got just nine as a sophomore. Then the Spartans eased him into his role as a junior by throwing 292 carries and 28 receptions his way. He turned those into 1,579 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns.

As a senior, he carried the ball 276 times for 1,522 yards and 22 touchdowns, adding 11 catches for 62 yards.

Such a workload (his 292 carries as a junior tied for 8th in the country in 2013, and his 276 as a senior tied for 11th) may suggest that Langford is a big-bodied back, but that's not the case.

At 6'0" and 208 pounds, Langford ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash, so he's more of a speed back than a plodder. He compares closely to Tevin Coleman, Lamar Miller, and Bilal Powell in terms of physical measurables.

The smallish back, though, did get work inside the red zone at Michigan State. As a junior, he converted 13 of his 47 red zone totes for touchdowns and another 10 for first downs. As a senior, he saw 53 red zone carries: 15 touchdowns and 8 first downs. For some context, of the 69 backs with at least 30 red zone carries in 2014, his touchdown rate (28.30 percent) ranked 18th, and his combined touchdown plus first down rate (43.40 percent) ranked 31st.

Neither are elite marks, but results are absent of context. The more important part of this is that Langford has an interesting physical profile, given his speed and ability to handle carries.

But can he really replace Forte?

Langford in the NFL

Through seven NFL games, Langford has seen 27 carries for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also has 31 receiving yards on 2 catches (5 targets). Prior to his Week 8 game (46 yards on 12 carries), he had racked up 15 totes in six games.

In terms of our numberFire Live. While a negative Rushing NEP isn't necessarily indicative of "bad" play, Langford's metrics still resemble those of an average running back so far in his short career.

Further, the Bears entered Week 8 as the worst team in the NFL, according to our no timetable for his return.

He's handled big roles in college, he's got some speed and interesting similarities to other promising NFL backs, and most important, he's got a chance at first-team reps against a weak run defense.

Maybe he'll give Chicago some hope -- if only for a week or two.