Former Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl-winning tight end Trey Burton is reportedly being made a free agent, as the Chicago Bears are expected to release him before the NFL Draft.
This is an interesting name for the Washington Redskins to take note of, as they have a gaping hole at the TE position, and are expected to try and fill it via a draft pick somewhere in the third or fourth round. Even if they get one of the best TEs in the draft, he still won’t be able to completely fill the void left in Washington — a veteran player would give them the extra production needed to become relevant in the NFL.
So it would make sense for the Redskins to take a look at Burton, right? Well, in a vacuum, yes, but you must consider his injury history as well. In 2017 and 2018, Burton had a couple of great seasons with the Eagles, where he caught 11 touchdowns in the two-year span. However, after that, he dealt with a string of injuries that saw him on the sidelines for several weeks.
According to Bears reporter J.J. Stankevitz, with NBC Sports Chicago, it’s hard to see him being a difference-maker with any other team because of this.
The Bears’ offense — like the Eagles and Chiefs — needs good tight end play, and Burton didn’t offer that at all in 2019. He was hampered by a sports hernia that locked up his groin just before the Bears’ wild card loss to the Eagles and was never the same, finally going on IR with a calf injury then undergoing hip surgery the Bears hoped would get him back to his 2018 self. But seeing as they know his medicals better than any team and desperately need good tight ends, it’s hard to see Burton resurrecting his career somewhere else.
The last thing that the Redskins need is another injury-prone TE, but if Burton can eventually return to his prior form, it may be a risk worth taking. A report out of Washington shows that the Redskins apparently aren’t interested in acquiring Burton, but time will tell.
