How the Chicago Bears Tight Ends Can Help the Passing Game
After two weeks, the Chicago Bears passing offense has shown that it’s going to struggle in 2017. With a lack of talent at the wide receiver position, there aren’t too many options for quarterback Mike Glennon to throw the ball to, but he does have some reliable receivers in his tight end group?
The Chicago Bears have, historically, not been a strong offensive team. They have prided themselves on their defense and have spent a majority of their time and resources on that side of the ball. But in today’s NFL, you must have a good offense to compete. Chicago has been working towards having a better offense but isn’t quite there yet.
One of the most underrated positions on the Bears, or almost any team, is the tight end position. Some teams have figured out how to use the tight end effectively; the New England Patriots with Rob Gronkowski and the Carolina Panthers with former Bear Greg Olsen have found success utilizing their tight ends.
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
The position is much more important than anyone realizes.
While some tight ends are used to block, and others are used to catch passes, they all have some value to an offense. Some can become a quarterback’s favorite receiver while others may be placed on one side of the offensive line to block and make up for a weakness.
When the Bears’ final cuts came down a few weeks ago, they originally kept five tight ends on the roster. They were Zach Miller, Dion Sims, Adam Shaheen, Daniel Brown and Ben Braunecker.
Since then, the Bears have cut Braunecker and added him back to the practice squad.
This leaves four very capable tight ends to help the offense in 2017.
Let’s take a look at the four tight ends the Bears currently have on the roster, what they have done in the past and what they might be able to do in the future.