If the Chicago Bears are looking for cheap depth at the tight end position they could be looking at James O’Shaughnessy
When going through the Chicago Bears depth chart by position it was clear that they had a vision of who their starters were going to be in 2019. Between Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen, the two were going to handle most of the work.
However, Matt Nagy has talked about the value of three tight ends and Dion Sims got playing time before being injured, despite being ineffective. Sims will save the Bears cap space, but they will want to replace Sims and his role for next season.
However, with two investments already at tight end; monetarily with Burton and in draft capital with Shaheen, the team will be looking for a cheaper route than Sims and his $6 million cap hold to fix this spot.
This is where James O’Shaughnessy makes. James O’Shaughnessy was a fifth-round pick out of Illinois State. While he is a free agent from the Jacksonville Jaguars it is worth noting that he spent his first two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
While he did not catch on, what stands out is that he had typically graded out as a solid blocker. It is interesting to note because his draft profile reads:
"“Basketball” tight end with plus foot quickness, concentration, hands and vertical ability. He can elevate and compete for jump balls while creating space for himself with his quickness. His blocking is a work in progress, but he could end up being a highly productive Day 3 draft pick if a team utilizes his talent properly."
His strong blocking grades can be due to playing 90 snaps in two seasons with the Chiefs. In fact, in a bigger role with the Jaguars last season his pass blocking dropped in a big way. However, his run blocking stayed consistent on 215 snaps.
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What is nice about O’Shaughnessy is that he is not going to come at any cost, or long term commitment. If Matt Nagy thinks there is any juice worth the squeeze from their Kansas City days he could bring
him in and hope his combination of blocking and jump balls can add value.
If not, they could still draft depth or find another option. He will not get any longterm guarantees and will be a lower end free agent.
When the Chicago Bears are debating bringing back Ben Braunecker and Daniel Brown, they may as well take a shot on O’Shaughnessy as well. He has more upside than both and will come at the same cost.