Chicago Bears Roster Breakdown 2016: Offense
By Mike Curran
Tight End/ Fullback:
Projected starters: Zach Miller
The only thing surprising about the tight end position this year is that the Bears didn’t attempt to address it in the draft. Ryan Pace did manage to bring in undrafted prospect Ben Braunecker who many within the organization are very high on, but who hasn’t flashed much during training camp due to being sidelined with injury.
Depth: Khari Lee, Tony Moeaki, and Ben Braunecker (practice squad)
Rob Housler played very well in the preseason game against the Patriots and looks to push hard for a spot on the 53 man roster. That being said he still looks to be the odd man out so far since both Lee and Moeaki consistently appear ahead of him on the depth chart. The underdog that everyone has been cheering for in this group is Ben Braunecker. Unfortunately an ankle injury has kept him from practicing and showing his potential. Braunecker was seen working with the athletic training staff independently during practice. Hopefully Ben will be healthy enough to get some reps in camp so that he can be evaluated fairly. I don’t remember the last time the Bears kept a true fullback on the 53 man roster. It might have been Jason McKie in 2009, but that seems like a very long time ago. Paul Lasike is going to try and change that this year, but the odds aren’t in his favor. The value of the true fullback seems to be lost in today’s NFL.
Best Case: Miller flashed at the end of last season and showed great athletic ability and good hands. He appears to be on the same page as Jay Cutler and could actually make a positive impact on this team. It is very doubtful that we could expect a pro bowl year out of Miller, but a solid above average season in which he helps to keep defenses honest across the middle of the field is not out of the realm of possibility.
Worst Case: We can not overlook the injury history of Zack Miller. Staying healthy is an attribute the same as speed, strength, or quickness. When is comes to the health attribute Miller is very poor. I can only imagine his health score in Madden 2017, he has to be minus 30. This being said, it is far too hopeful to think he will play all 16 games this year, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he missed more than 10 games this season. Should Miller get hurt, none of the players behind him are ready to step up and be impactful in nearly the same manner.
Cap Hit: Zach Miller (3 mil), Khari Lee (525k), Tony Moeaki (600k). Zach Miller’s cap hit ranks 23rd among tight ends, which will be a bargain if Miller stays healthy all year. Of course with Miller you always have to worry that one hit could put him on the couch for the season and at that point this cap hit is just him stealing money.
Projected 2016 ranking: Assuming Miller plays 8 out of 16 games this unit ranks between 20-25th in the league.
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