The Bears Workout Tight End Depth

Coming into this week the Bears most glaring needs were in the secondary, at offensive tackle, and at tight end. The Bears haven’t added any secondary depth yet, but did sign right tackle Nate Chandler to add a back-up for free agent RT Bobby Massie, and late last week they brought in a group of tight ends to try out for a spot on the 90-man roster.

There isn’t a large group of talented tight ends still available on waivers and the Bears didn’t even bring in the tight ends I thought were the best ones left, Owen Daniels and former Packer Andrew Quarless.

The most notable name that the Bears brought in for a workout was former Chief, Bill, Seahawk, and Falcon, Tony Moeaki. The majority of his career was spent with the Chiefs were he played for three years. Moeaki was first team all Big Ten at Iowa which got him drafted in the 3rd round of the 2010 draft.

As a rookie Moeaki caught 47 passes for 556 yards and three touchdowns. He looked like one of the more promising young tight ends in the league, but in September of his second season Moeaki suffered a shoulder fracture that sidelined him his entire 2nd year. He came back strong in 2012 with 33 catches for 453 yards and a touchdown.

More from Chicago Bears News

• Franchise tag and transition tag windows open for Chicago Bears and NFL
• How the Chicago Bears can control the running back market in 2023
• The Chicago Bears can own the city of Chicago moving forward
• Chicago Bears NFL Combine Preview: Quarterback
• 7 best free agent tackle options for Chicago Bears

Moeaki looked like a long term starter at tight end but injured his shoulder again early in the 2013 season and was eventually waived with an injury settlement. He spent time with the Bills and Seahawks over the next two seasons but only caught 8 passes for 143 yards and one TD.

In 2015 Moeaki signed with the Atlanta Falcons who were in desperate need of a tight end and did appear in ten games, but wasn’t very productive with just three catches for 58 yards and a TD. Who knows what type of athleticism Moeaki, 29 years old, has left after an injury plagued career?

Coming out of college Moeaki had 4.69 speed, soft hands, the ability to find holes in zone defenses, and was a red zone weapon. With the Bears thin at tight end, they could do a lot worse than signing Moeaki to compete with Housler, Lee, and Sinclair for a spot on the roster.

Next: More Tight End Options