Ben Braunecker – Syndication Server

Matt Nagy likes where Bears tight ends room is at heading into 2020

The Bears overhauled the tight end position this offseason, and head coach Matt Nagy likes what he’s got to work with heading into 2020.

The Chicago Bears tight ends room looks virtually unrecognizable from this time last year. Of the current seven tight ends on the roster, only Jesper Horsted was on the roster at training camp last year. And for good reason.

Chicago’s tight ends group was one of the collective worst in the NFL last season. They combined for 36 receptions, 416 receiving yards and just 2 touchdowns, as well as three tight ends on injured reserve, which led to Trey Burton, Adam Shaheen and Ben Braunecker all released or traded from the team.

“It’s an important position,” coach Matt Nagy told reporters last week. “We know that, we understand that. So that’s our job, is at the end of the season you evaluate where you’re at. We did that, we made some moves, we like where we’re at right now.”

The Bears brought in three new tight ends to overhaul the position, including second-round rookie Cole Kmet and veterans Jimmy Graham and Demetrius Harris. They also return Horsted and J.P. Holtz from last season. And Nagy likes what he sees at the position.

“There’s going to be great competition for them to get in there and do what they can do,” Nagy said. “Having tight ends—whether it’s in the run game or the pass game—in all of our opinions is very, very important and so we wanted to try to get better and improve in that area as well as a bunch of other areas.

“That was a start and we’re excited. I know I’m excited. The rest of our coaches on staff are excited to see how it goes when the pads come on. We’ve got a great group of guys, I mean Jimmy coming in here with the experience that he has; I told you he’s got a little chip on his shoulder right now, which I like. Demetrius Harris and I have a history from Kansas City, so we have a plan with him. We drafted Cole Kmet, and then we have a nice group of other guys that we’re excited to see really come in and compete.”

Hopefully the result is far better production at the position in 2020, especially given the importance of the tight end in Nagy’s offense.

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Projecting the 4 Bears tight ends on 53-man roster

Following the trade of Adam Shaheen, we’re projecting the four tight ends that will make the 53-man roster heading into 2020.

Ahead of the start of training camp on Tuesday, the Chicago Bears have started trimming their excess of tight ends. After releasing Ben Braunecker on Friday, the Bears traded former second-round pick Adam Shaheen to the Miami Dolphins for a conditional sixth-round pick in 2021.

With the trade of Shaheen, the Bears have parted ways with their top three tight ends from a season ago, and Chicago’s tight ends room is going to look a lot different in 2020.

While the top three tight end spots are essentially locked up, there’s still one roster spot up for grabs during training camp between J.P. Holtz and Jesper Horsted.

Let’s take a look at the four tight ends that will likely be on the Bears’ roster in 2020.

1. Jimmy Graham

The Bears signed veteran tight end Jimmy Graham to a two-year deal this offseason with the hope that he can give their tight ends room a boost in the passing game as the starting “U” tight end. Although Graham is far from the same player he was during his time in New Orleans and Seattle. Graham’s signing was heavily criticized given the $9 million in guaranteed money, but Ryan Pace is turning to Graham to do what Trey Burton couldn’t do during his time in Chicago.

Last season, Graham had 38 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns, which was more than all of Chicago’s tight ends combined in 2019. With a big focus on the tight end in Matt Nagy’s offense, Graham will have a chance to improve those numbers.

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3 Bears tight ends with most to gain from Ben Braunecker’s release

Ben Braunecker’s release should give some other Bears players a big opportunity to win what’s likely the final tight end roster spot.

Everyone is aware of the Chicago Bears’ crowded tight end room. In fact, it became a running joke this offseason. Especially with the three offseason additions of second-round rookie Cole Kmet and veterans Jimmy Graham and Demetrius Harris.

With Kmet, Graham and Harris expected to occupy three of the likely four tight end spots on the roster, that left one roster spot up for grabs in training camp. One of the players that figured to be a favorite to win the job was Ben Braunecker, who was entering the final year of his two-year deal.

But with the Bears needing to cut 10 players ahead of training camp on Tuesday, they made their first surprising cut with Braunecker, freeing up $1.5 million in salary cap space.

Braunecker’s release should give some other guys a big opportunity to win that final spot. But there are three Bears tight ends in particular that should benefit from Braunecker’s release.

1. J.P. Holtz

J.P. Holtz, an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh, has a great chance to earn a roster spot in training camp. Holtz was Chicago’s most productive tight end from a statistical standpoint last season, as he had the most snaps and receiving yards of any Chicago tight end last season. While it wasn’t the most impressive performance statistically, Holtz led the team with 91 yards on seven receptions.

Not only is he a terrific blocker, but there were times when Holtz lined up as a fullback last season, and his versatility certainly gives him an edge in the competition. Given the importance of the run game heading into this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Holtz grab that final spot.

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Chicago Bears release TE Ben Braunecker

The Bears have started making roster cuts ahead of training camp, and TE Ben Braunecker is the first big name to be released.

The Chicago Bears have released tight end Ben Braunecker, the team announced Tuesday.

Braunecker’s release frees up $1.5 million in salary cap space.

We have released TE Ben Braunecker.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 23, 2020

A 2016 undrafted free agent out of Harvard, Braunecker played in 47 games for the Bears. In his four seasons with the Bears, Braunecker totaled 13 receptions for 142 yards and one touchdown.

In the 2019 season, Braunecker appeared in 11 games and missed the final five games due to a concussion that placed him on the injured reserve. Braunecker recorded six receptions for 59 yards and his only touchdown.

The Bears have to make roster cuts due to the NFL limiting the training camp roster to 80 players. The remaining tight ends on the roster are Jimmy Graham, Demetrius Harris, Cole Kmet, Adam Shaheen, J.P. Holtz, Jesper Horsted, Eric Saubert, and Darion Clark.

Chicago released Trey Burton earlier this offseason, and there will be plenty more tight ends that will be released ahead of the regular season.

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5 Bears on the roster bubble heading into training camp

There are a handful of Bears that are looking to secure a spot on the 53-man roster that might find themselves on the outside looking in.

When the Chicago Bears kickoff training camp in less than two weeks, they’ll bring a roster of 90 players with them. By the end of camp and preseason, that roster will be trimmed to just 53 players and a group of practice squad players.

Whether that’s because of depth at the position or past performance.

Let’s take a look at five Bears players that are on the roster bubble heading into training camp.

WR Javon Wims

The Bears have a ton of talent at receiver, but they’re not going to be able to keep everyone on the 53-man roster. With the speedy weapons Chicago has added in Ted Ginn Jr. and rookie Darnell Mooney, former seventh-round pick Javon Wims could find himself the odd man out with just six roster spots up for grabs.

Last season, Wims appeared in all 16 games, where he 18 receptions for 186 yards and his first career touchdown. While he showed promise last year, there’s essentially just six roster spots for receivers. Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, Cordarrelle Patterson and Ted Ginn Jr. feels like virtual locks to make the roster, which leaves two roster spots for Wims, Riley Ridley and Darnell Mooney. Unfortunately, Wims could find himself on the outside looking in.

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Bears 2020 training camp preview: Tight ends

While the Bears have a crowded TE room, there are ultimately just four roster spots up for grabs. Let’s take a look at the Bears TEs.

Chicago Bears training camp is less than three weeks away, which means it’s time to start looking ahead at the roster the team is bringing to Lake Forest.

Next up are the tight ends, which the entire NFL world knows Chicago boasts a ton of. While the Bears have a crowded tight end room, there are ultimately just four roster spots up for grabs, and three of those spots are all but locked up with Jimmy Graham, Cole Kmet and Demetrius Harris.

Let’s take a look at the tight ends heading into training camp.

Jimmy Graham

The Bears signed veteran Jimmy Graham to a two-year deal earlier this offseason, which signaled the end of Trey Burton’s career in Chicago. Graham’s signing was heavily criticized given the $9 million in guaranteed money, but Ryan Pace believes he can give their tight ends room a boost in the passing game as the starting “U” tight end.

While Graham was a force in the league during his time with the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks, he didn’t have the same effect with the Green Bay Packers. Which could have something to do with how he was utilized — or lack there of — in Green Bay. Last season, Graham had 38 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns, which was more than all of Chicago’s tight ends combined in 2019.

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9 Bears players coming back from injury ahead of training camp

This offseason has given injured Bears players an opportunity to get healthy heading into a crucial 2020 season.

One of the biggest challenges for any NFL team is to remain somewhat lucky on the injury front. It’s something that the Chicago Bears were able to do in 2018, where they didn’t suffer any significant losses long-term.

But the 2019 season was another story. The Bears suffered a number of injuries, including some significant losses on defense and offense. Chicago defense lost three of its best players and their top three tight ends all landed on injured reserve.

Luckily, this offseason has given those players an opportunity to get healthy heading into a crucial 2020 season.

Let’s take a look at nine players the Bears are getting back from injury heading into training camp.

DT Akiem Hicks

The biggest boost to this Bears defense will be the return of Akiem Hicks, who anchors the middle of the defensive line. Last season, Hicks suffered an elbow injury against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5. He landed on injured reserve for eight weeks before returning for Chicago’s biggest game of the season against the Green Bay Packers in Week 15. But Hicks re-aggravated the elbow injury that held him out most of the season.

Hicks’ return will bolster the entire front seven, including the pass rush, which struggled last season in his absence. Back in May, Hicks shared a video of his first time lifting weights without a brace on his elbow. And he’s confident he’ll be good to go come training camp.

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11 notable Bears who are unrestricted free agents after 2020 and whether they should be re-signed

Let’s take a look at 11 notable unrestricted free agents and whether the Bears should re-sign them, as well as the to-be-determined group.

We’re just a few months from the hopeful start of the 2020 season. But it’s never too early to take a look at what lies ahead in 2021. Particularly on the unrestricted free agent front.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace has some important decisions to make regarding some of his big-name free agents, some that will have to earn that next contract and others that are shoe-ins for another deal. (Looking at you, Allen Robinson.)

Let’s take a look at 11 notable unrestricted free agents and whether the Bears should re-sign them, as well as the to-be-determined group that features a slew of one-year prove-it deals.

*Contract details courtesy of Spotrac

WR Allen Robinson

2020 salary: $14M

Allen Robinson has been the best thing about the Bears offense in his two short seasons in Chicago, and he’s proven to be the No. 1 receiver this team has been looking for. He’s managed to thrive in some pretty average or bad offenses in Chicago — even managing a 1,000-yard season in one of the league’s worst offenses — and it should be a no-brainer for Pace to lock up Robinson long-term.

Verdict: Re-sign

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What is the Bears’ biggest roster weakness heading into 2020?

The Bears had no shortage of weaknesses on offense last season, but tight end remains the biggest heading into 2020.

When you have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, there’s more than one issue at fault. That was the case for the Chicago Bears, who stumbled to a 8-8 finish with an abysmal offense that could never seem to find a rhythm — with the exception of a two-game stretch late in the year.

Inconsistent quarterback play, lack of a run game, struggles at tight end and offensive line and questionable playcalling, you name it, it was a weakness.

General manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy have been working this offseason to fix Chicago’s offense, whether that’s through bringing in new players and new coaches.

So, at this point, what is the Bears’ biggest offensive concern? According to Sports Illustrated, the Bears’ biggest roster weakness heading into the 2020 season is tight end.

Without knowledge of how the position will work at the moment, we have to assume that, for the most part, the struggles of 2019 still remain. I would not be surprised if the Bears drastically altered their formation usage from a year ago (they were in 11-personnel with three wide receivers 64% of the time and 12-personnel with two tight ends just 10% of the time).

At the moment, GM Ryan Pace has adopted the fire hose approach to solving this issue by signing a 33-year-old Jimmy Graham, drafting Cole Kmet and then signing enough backups and camp bodies to field a full indoor soccer team (the Bears have nine tight ends on the roster currently). While this will likely lead to a significant improvement, we don’t know what will happen yet.

The Bears will have two new starting tight ends this year in veteran Jimmy Graham and rookie Cole Kmet, and Pace is banking on both to provide a boost to the offense.

SI mentions the influx of tight ends on Chicago’s roster right now, but they fail to acknowledge that the number on the 53-man roster will trimmed to four. Right now, there’s no harm in having a packed tight ends room. Especially when we already have a good idea of who the four tight ends will be — Graham, Kmet, Demetrius Harris and Ben Braunecker.

Chicago should get better production out of its tight ends group this season if only because they were so bad last season. They combined for 36 receptions, 416 receiving yards and just two touchdowns.

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Bears’ 3 most exciting roster competitions heading into summer

There will be no shortage of roster competitions to watch on both offense and defense heading into training camp.

Despite having a roster that is loaded with talent, the Chicago Bears have several key positions that will have competitions for starting gigs. And while organized team activities will not be able to provide any opportunities for players to stand out, the NFL remains hopeful that training camps can go on as planned.

The Bears, on paper, figure to have one of the league’s best defenses. Names like Eddie Jackson, Khalil Mack, and Akiem Hicks headline Chuck Pagano’s defense, but there is one position in particular that will be intriguing to monitor.

Elsewhere on offense, the Bears will have several battles for roster spots, including quarterback, wide receiver and tight end.

Let’s take a look at the three most exciting roster competitions to watch heading into training camp.

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