Chicago Bears Roster Review: Martellus Bennett

Nov 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett (83) during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace has quite a rebuilding project on his hands.  In the next phase of our Chicago Bears Roster Review, we look at the players who are currently on the Bears roster.  We’ll look back at their 2014 season and look ahead to how they might fit into the team’s plans in 2015.

Martellus Bennett, TE, 28

2014 Review

Martellus Bennett enjoyed an extremely productive season in 2015, posting career highs in receptions (90), yards (916), and touchdowns (6).  Bennett emerged as one of Jay Cutler’s favorite targets and was voted to the 2015 Pro Bowl, the first of his career.  Martellus Bennett’s 90 receptions surpassed Mike Ditka’s mark (76) for the most by a Bears tight end in a single season.  Bennett struggled a little bit in 2014 with the blocking responsibilities of his position, but had excelled there previously so I’m not too worried about it.

Martellus Bennett signed with the Chicago Bears at the start of the 2013 season and immediately made his presence felt, recording 65 receptions for 759 yards and 5 touchdowns.  After spending 4 unproductive years with the Dallas Cowboys buried behind Jason Witten and one solid season with the New York Giants, Martellus Bennett was definitely one of the gems of 2013 Free Agency.

2015 Outlook

It remains to be seen whether or not Martellus Bennett can remain as prolific as he has been the past 2 seasons without Marc Trestman calling the shots, but his success with the Giants prior to joining the Bears and new Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase’s use of former Broncos tight end Julius Thomas over the past couple of years in Denver bode well for him.  I think it will be hard for him to duplicate his 2014 numbers, but Bennett is under contract through the 2016 season and I expect him to remain on the roster for at least the duration of that contract.  I still find it likely that the Bears will address the tight end position in the draft over the next 2 offseasons, but I think Martellus Bennett will be safe for the time being.

What do you guys think?  Can Martellus Bennett maintain his current level of productivity with the scheme change?  Let me know in the Comments…