This is getting ridiculous. The Chicago Bears very easily, and let me say again, very easily could have moved on from Jimmy Graham this offseason. The team was up against the cap and even swollowed some dead money to move on from names such as Kyle Fuller and Charles Leno. The argument all summer was that Matt Nagy needed two tight ends for his offense.
This is fair, Nagy said that from day one, when he added Trey Burton to compliment Adam Shaheen. When he drafted Cole Kmet he said the same thing. The issue is that we are now four years into the Matt Nagy offense and we have never seen this two tight end magic.
Sure, Burton and Shaheen were busts, and okay, last season Cole Kmet was a rookie. This year there is and are no excuses.
On Sunday, against Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, the Bears stuck with their basic one tigh end set, and hardly played a second tight end. Nope, no need for chipping tight ends, who were supposed to be a focal point of the offense.
Jimmy Graham played seven snaps on Sunday. You can say that Graham is getting older, and has little value. We said that all offseason. The reality is that the Chicago Bears are paying him, and now they are paying him not to play. This is not the fault of Graham. He is showing up and doing his job. Matt Nagy just decided to pay him to not have a real job.
Marquise Goodwin played 10 snaps, and Damiere Byrd played 34. Both have roles, but both could see it reduced for a second tight end.
This is the type of decision that makes it look like Nagy is in far over his head. He waited and waited for a second tight end and now that he has two, he has no clue how to use them.