Chicago Bears free agent target: Blake Jarwin, TE
Alright, a guy on this list who does fall into the undrafted free agent category is Blake Jarwin. Like Ereck Flowers, Jarwin would not count against the compensatory pick formula because the Dallas Cowboys released him prior to finishing out his contract. The thing with Jarwin is that he shouldn’t be signed for a little while since he is at risk of not being ready to start the season.
Jarwin had to have surgery on his hip which caused him to miss some time in 2021. He also played through it late in the season and into the playoffs, but once the offseason hit, he was told he needed an “uncommon” hip surgery. This should not stop Ryan Poles from looking to add Jarwin as the offseason progresses. The team only has three tight ends on the roster and although I’m sure they will add a few more for camp, Jarwin might be the best late addition if the Chicago Bears do not draft a tight end later this month.
When we try to find connections of players to new coaches and executives, Jarwin has one with new head coach Matt Eberflus. Jarwin was brought into Dallas in 2017, the last year that Eberflus coached for the Cowboys. Although Jarwin played on the opposite side of the ball as Eberflus, it doesn’t mean that the two didn’t cross paths. Eberflus was the defensive passing game coordinator and linebackers coach. His job would have been defending against Jarwin and other tight ends during training camp and practices.
Over the last two years, Jarwin has not been very productive. However, he showed real promise in 2018 and 2019. He gained 672 yards combined and scored three touchdowns each year. He would be a solid addition to the tight end room with Cole Kmet, Jesper Horsted and newly signed Ryan Griffin.