Chicago Bears are on two sides of the fence for the Jimmy Graham signing. Both have fair arguments
The reaction from the Jimmy Graham signing can be looked at in a variety of ways. Some fans were disappointed and they have the right to be so.
Jimmy Graham is 33 years old and his career year was in 2014. He had a patella tendon injury on his resume and is clearly a different tight end than years past. That can be shown in his stats. Still, he is being paid like the sixth best tight end in the NFL.
Greg Olsen produced more with Kyle Allen than Jimmy Graham did with Aaron Rodgers and Olsen made less than Graham. It is one thing to add the aging Graham, but to pay him premium money is a tough pill to swallow.
On the other end, when you add up all of the Chicago Bears tight end stats in 2019 they still do not have the production of a “struggling” Graham. Graham is the best tight end on the roster.
He at least leaves them in a spot where they are not overly reliant on Trey Burton, where any injury could hinder the entire season. Graham has slowed a bit, but he has shown to be reliable and healthy since his injury in Seattle.
The Bears missed out on Olsen, but perhaps Olsen saw Russell Wilson as a better option. This is where the Bears are.
They cannot just let the tight end position go. They had to sign someone. Perhaps throwing a bit extra at a free agent to ensure that you are not completely bare at the position is the price that the Bears have to pay to get out of the situation they are in.
The move shows desperation, but the Bears are a desperate team. It had to be done. They are clearly better at the position because of the move.