There’s not exactly unwavering confidence in Bears tight ends these days. Actually, there’s little confidence in this group that was among the worst in the NFL in 2019.
General manager Ryan Pace has made tight end a priority this offseason, including bringing in veteran Demetrius Harris, who has experience playing in a Matt Nagy offense, and figures to also draft a tight end next month.
But it was the addition of aging veteran tight end Jimmy Graham that has infuriated the football world. It’s hard to look anywhere and see something positive about the Bears’ free agent signing of Graham.
Which has to mostly to do with the fact that Chicago overpaid for Graham’s services — a two-year, $16 million deal with $9 million in guaranteed money. That, in addition to Trey Burton’s contract, which continues to be a $8.5 million weight on the Bears’ salary cap in 2020.
While Graham could be considered an upgrade for the Bears at tight end, there are some, like Bleacher Report, that believe that Graham will be among the biggest duds this season in the NFL.
Somewhat ironically, the Chicago front office seems to hope the stable presence of Graham can help either Foles—acquired via trade—or Mitchell Trubisky, provided the latter responds well to the arrival of serious quarterback competition.
But Graham’s age isn’t the only problem. He just spent two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, catching just 93 of 149 targets for 1,083 yards and five touchdowns. He’s had seven individual seasons where he’s tallied at least five scores.
Throwing $8 million per year at a player who turns 34 in November and has slowed down considerably is risky, to say the least.
While Graham was at one time arguably the best tight end in the game, that’s simply not the case now. Age and injuries have caught up to him, and he didn’t exactly thrive in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers throwing him the football.
But Graham comes to Chicago with a chip on his shoulder, and he’s determined to prove that he can still be a difference maker in the NFL.
The Bears are desperate for production at tight end, and Pace is banking on Graham to be that guy.
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