In the second of nine position previews in advance of training camp, coach Tim Spencer discusses the Bears running backs:

As you look back at last season, how impressive was what Matt Forte was able to accomplish as a rookie?

Running back Matt Forte set Bears rookie records for yards rushing, receptions and total yards from scrimmage last season.

He’s a smart young player who had been privy to a lot of different offenses, so he had a good grasp of some of the things we were trying to do. He has great talent and he was very prepared. He learned the terminology and he went out and was able to be himself because he knew what he was doing.

After such a productive rookie season, what are your expectations for him this season?

I expect him to build on what he has done in the past. It’s going to be up to us as coaches to make sure that we watch him. I would like to see his yards per carry and yards per catch both go up, and I think they will. We’re going to have to use [backup running back] Kevin Jones some more to ensure that both of them are as healthy as they can be by the end of the season.

How concerned are you about Forte experiencing some sort of sophomore jinx?

I don’t worry about that. I’ve never even thought about anything like that. I just know that this young man works his butt off and he’s a good athlete and a smart and respectable young man. He’s going to do well.

You mentioned that you’d like see Matt improve his yards per carry and yards per catch averages this season. Do you really think he could be a better player this year than he was as a rookie?

I think he’ll be better just because he’s had a year to know the plays and to know the people he’s playing with. We have some new players and we’ve improved on our offensive line. I see no reason why Matt shouldn’t improve this season.

Kevin Jones looked very quick, fast and explosive during offseason workouts. What were your impressions of him in those practices?

Kevin looked great in OTAs. He’s in shape, he’s ready to run, and he wants to run. He’s hungry, and that’s what I think is the most important thing. It’s up to us to get him on the field, and he will get on the field. It would be nice to develop a 1-2 punch. Kevin struggled a little bit earlier on because his knee wasn’t quite ready, but there are no excuses now.

How much healthier is Jones now compared to when he joined the Bears a year ago when he was coming off a torn ACL he sustained while playing for the Lions?

He’s 100 percent healthy now. He’s back to where he was before he injured his leg.

How has spending the entire offseason with the Bears helped him?

He knows our system and he knows what we’re trying to do. He fits in real well with the guys. He and Matt are real good buddies. All of our guys are real close, so that makes for a good working relationship. It’s easy to work and it’s easy to get better in that type of environment.

How unique are Garrett Wolfe’s skills and what type of role do you envision for him this year?

Garrett has some very unique skills. He can do pretty much everything. I just think you have to watch what you give him. I don’t know if you necessarily want him to carry the ball 40 times a game, but he can carry it 20 times a game. Now, will he get that? Probably not. But we know that he can do it, and we know that he can do a lot of other things. Garrett has worked hard on his game. He does special teams too. So he’s going to have his work cut out for him, but we’ve definitely got to get him on the field also.

Where does Adrian Peterson fit in?

Well, AP is the wily old vet. He’s smart and dependable. I see him doing some of the same things that he did last year. You can always depend on him. He’ll be a special-teams standout again. There are always a couple guys like AP and Garrett who will never get all the reps they want, but when they get in there, sometimes they’ve got a little chip on their shoulder, and that bodes well for us.