There was arguably no position worse than tight end for the Bears in 2019. Chicago’s top three tight ends — Trey Burton, Adam Shaheen and Ben Braunecker — all wound up on injured reserve before the end of the season.
Not that they were productive before being sidelined by injury. Considering the disappointing output from Bears tight ends last season — they combined for 46 catches, 416 yards and two touchdowns — Chicago is certainly in the market for a tight end.
They’ve already signed veteran Demetrius Harris, someone familiar with Matt Nagy’s offense. But they’re expected to pursue a top free agent tight and add a young player in the NFL Draft.
Let’s take a look at five tight ends the Bears could target in free agency:
1. Austin Hooper
Austin Hooper is the best tight end on the free agent market, and he’s going to have no shortage of suitors. Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowler, had a career year in 2019, where he caught 75 passes for 787 yards and six touchdowns.
While it’s been reported that the Bears will be targeting Hooper in free agency, considering Hooper’s projected price tag north of $10 per season, the Bears likely won’t be able to afford him.
2. Eric Ebron
Another top tight end set to hit the free agent market is Eric Ebron, who would be an immediate upgrade at the position over Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen. Ebron saw a dip in production in 2019, where he caught 31 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games with the Colts. That was a major disappointment after he posted a career year in 2018, where he made the Pro Bowl.
Ebron even indicated that he might be interested in reuniting with former North Carolina teammate Mitchell Trubisky in Chicago. Well, Trubisky could certainly use more help from tight ends this upcoming season, assuming he’s still the starting quarterback.
3. Delanie Walker
While the Bears are reportedly interested in pursuing Hooper, a cheaper option with experience is Delanie Walker, who was released by the Titans on Friday. Walker has been one of the NFL’s more reliable weapons over the last several years, and that production has only been halted by injuries. Walker has played in just eight games since 2018.
Outside of Allen Robinson, the Bears don’t really have a consistent offensive weapon. Walker, a two-time Pro Bowler, has shown that he can be a security blanket for Trubisky. That is, assuming he stays healthy, which appears to be an issue for most tight ends on Chicago’s roster at this point.
4. Jimmy Graham
The Packers recently released tight end Jimmy Graham to save $8 million in salary cap space, but there’s a chance that he could land in Chicago. Considering Graham is 34 years old and didn’t necessarily play up to his contract in Green Bay, the Bears could land him for a cheaper price than his $11 million salary. In his two seasons with the Packers, Graham had 93 catches for 1,083 yards and five touchdowns.
The Bears are expected to also target tight end in the NFL Draft, so they could bring in a veteran like Graham one a one-year prove-it deal while also grooming a young tight end, in addition to some other options already on the roster in Demeterius Harris, Jesper Horsted and J.P. Holtz.
5. Tyler Eifert
There’s been discussion about a Cincinnati Bengal joining the Bears in quarterback Andy Dalton. But perhaps it’s another Bengal that Chicago should be targeting in free agency with tight end Tyler Eifert.
The knock on Eifert is his injury struggles. He’s missed 52 games between 2014-18, which isn’t exactly reassuring for a tight end group that had its top three tight ends land on injured reserve last season. Eifert had a healthy season in 2019, where he played in all 16 games. He had 43 catches for 436 yards and three touchdowns playing for a struggling offense.
When healthy, Eifert has proven to be a solid target. Who knows, if the Bears wind up trading for Dalton, it could be a reunion between quarterback and tight end in Chicago.
