The Miami Dolphins’ tight end situation appeared to be in strong shape this offseason, especially when considering the Dolphins’ choice in a new offensive coordinator. Chan Gailey assumes play-calling duties this season for the Dolphins — his track record has indicated that the Dolphins should expect to see a lot of 11-personnel on offense featuring one back and one tight end. Gailey’s offense likes to space the field and stress opposing defenses to cover all the yardage of the field, unlike what Miami implemented last season with the Patriots-oriented offense brought over by Chad O’Shea.
Given Gailey’s tendencies, the breakout performance of TE Mike Gesicki in 2019 and the lack of interest in upgrading the position amid the Dolphins’ spending spree in free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft, it would have been easy to assume Miami’s tight end position was settled.
Apparently not.
Reports this afternoon indicate that the Miami Dolphins will be trading what is rumored to be a conditional 2021 6th-round pick to the Chicago Bears for former 2nd-round pick TE Adam Shaheen.
The #Bears are trading TE Adam Shaheen to the #Dolphins, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 25, 2020
Shaheen has caught 26 passes in his three NFL seasons, struggling with durability and acclimating to the NFL level after serving as a standout at Ashland University for four seasons. The 6-foot-6 tight end was the No. 45 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft after grabbing eyeballs with his tremendous athletic testing at the NFL Combine. Shaheen checked in at 278 pounds at the Combine and proceeded to run a 4.79s 40-yard dash and logged impressive explosive marks in several areas — prompting the Bears to grab him early on.
But Shaheen’s struggles have seen the Bears add a slew more tight ends to the roster, which has culminated for Shaheen with a trade to the Dolphins. Shaheen figures to compete with TE Durham Smythe for the role of the primary blocking tight end and serve as a possible red zone target; but he’ll need to prove he can stay healthy first.
Additional details surrounding the trade and the conditions involved are not currently known.