The Chicago Bears have made it clear that they're taking the rebuild of their roster very seriously this offseason. Ben Johnson's arrival as head coach brought excitement, attention, and a reason for optimism, and that was just following his January press conference. The heat started to pick up for the Bears when Johnson was in Indianapolis along with general manager Ryan Poles at the 2025 scouting combine, and even more so now one week before free agency is set to begin.
Having already traded two draft picks, a sixth-round in 2025 for Jonah Jackson of the Los Angeles Rams, and a fourth-round pick in 2026 for Joe Thuney of the Kansas City Chiefs, the front office needs to continue to be creative with their roster moves. The focus for Chicago will be on the trenches, with the center and pass rusher positions being in the spotlight for potential upgrades. However, there are still other needs that are not as prevalent, but still require attention, one of those positions being a second tight end on the roster behind Cole Kmet.
After releasing veteran Gerald Everett to begin the offseason, the Bears not only opened up more cap space, but opened a hole on the roster that needs to be filled immediately. On Thursday it was reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that the Bears have agreed to a one-year deal with veteran Durham Smythe, but that does not address the entire tight end position. Smythe has familiarity with Johnson, but a one-year deal doesn't put long-term plans into place in a position important for Johnson's offense.
When he was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, Johnson was responsible for getting tight end Sam LaPorta to a second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in the 2023 season. Now considered one of the best tight ends in the NFL, LaPorta is a prime example of the importance of the tight end position for Johnson in Chicago. Kmet is cemented as the team's starter and top tight end, but behind him, the Bears should be monitoring the status of Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer.
A former second-round pick of the Raiders in the 2023 draft, Mayer has fallen out of favor with the team, who saw rookie Brock Bowers set records in his first year. The play of Bowers has made Mayer expendable for Vegas, with the team reportedly having trade calls about their young tight end who has fallen out of the starting lineup. Having already traded away two picks before free agency begins and signing a veteran tight end, the move may not make sense to some, but depth matters, and during his time in Detroit, Johnson got the most out of every offensive player who played.
Michael Mayer would be an excellent addition to the Chicago Bears' offense
Mayer is talented, that's why he was taken in the second round, but having Bowers in place and plenty of other holes on the Raiders roster, it's best for both sides to move on. It would be a hard sell for the Bears to continue to trade away draft picks and that's why they should simply monitor what Vegas decides to do with Mayer. He could be a potential cut candidate if the Raiders can't find a team to meet their asking price, but if Chicago could get away with selling off a late 2026 pick, then they should make the call.
A tight end group of Cole Kmet, Durham Smythe, and Michael Mayer would be ironically unique, as all three played at Notre Dame in their collegiate careers. More importantly, with Kmet leading the way and Smythe bringing knowledge of Johnson's offense, Mayer could be a low-cost, high-reward second option in an offense that's building towards being explosive with their new head coach.