Chicago Bears (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears surprisingly decided to release tight end Trey Burton. This opens the door for a big move soon to come.
For a team with so many tight ends on their current roster, you would think the position isn’t exactly a need. But, the Chicago Bears are in a completely different circumstance, believe it or not.
The Bears had 10 tight ends under contract prior to Friday night. What happened Friday night? They decided to part ways with veteran Trey Burton, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Still, the position remains a need.
Burton will likely be a post-June 1st cut, saving the Bears upwards of $2.8 million, per ESPN’s Field Yates. If they cut him before that date, they only save about $1 million.
After struggling with a nagging groin injury that just hasn’t completely gone away for over a calendar year, Burton was unable to be fully healthy in 2019. The Bears signed him in 2018 to be their go-to player at the position, and in his first year, he showed he was capable. However, this last season saw him fall out of favor with the Bears due to health.
Without Burton, veteran Jimmy Graham likely steps in as the starting tight end. The Bears signed him to a lucrative 2-year deal worth $16 million, so of course he’s going to play a big role. But, beyond Graham, the Bears don’t have anyone of note within the group.
It makes you realize, now, that general manager Ryan Pace is up to something. He isn’t going into this season with Graham and a bunch of no-names. He’s going to make a move. In fact, he could make a move very soon.
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With the 2020 NFL Draft coming up next weekend, the Bears definitely have options. They could opt for one of several tight end prospects like Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet, Washington’s Hunter Bryant, Dayton’s Adam Trautman, Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins, among others. I would bet a large sum of money that Pace drafts a tight end within the first four rounds (yes, that means he trades back, too).
On the flip side, Pace could also decide to make a trade for another veteran tight end like David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns or O.J. Howard of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Just days ago, the Bucs were reportedly fielding offers for Howard — a sign he is on his way out.
The Browns, meanwhile, signed Austin Hooper to a gigantic contract this offseason, which makes you wonder whether or not they want Njoku around for the long haul.
It would be no surprise to me if Pace went out of his way to land one of Howard or Njoku over the next few days. What would it take to get either one of them? My assumption is a second-round pick.
Both are talented, athletic guys at the position who have shown plenty of flashes, yet haven’t gotten the chance to truly break out just yet. On a team like the Bears, who are starved for talent at tight end, Pace could absolutely land one of them to solidify the room. No matter what, though, I think Pace is going to make a significant move in the near future.
