As the regular season comes to a close, fans are looking well ahead for the Chicago Bears.
Much of the talk lately has been about what the team will decide to do with quarterback Justin Fields. Others want to know whether or not the organization will clean house within the coaching staff.
Is Luke Getsy a goner? Has Matt Eberflus done enough to stick around? Will Ryan Poles even still be here? There is a lot yet to be determined.
In conjunction with all of those decisions, the Bears will have some decisions to make on their own free agents, come March. There are a few names, in particular, the team should allow to walk. Let's identify which ones and why.
1. Robert Tonyan, TE
When the Bears first signed Robert Tonyan last offseason, I was pretty excited about the opportunity to see the offense utilize two pass-catching tight ends. But, Tonyan has not been the guy he was with Green Bay. He's struggled in the receiving department, most notably dropping a deep touchdown pass agains the Browns which would have altered the outcome of that game.
Chicago should look at drafting another tight end they can use in 12 personnel sets, though. Using two pass-catching tight ends could be a ticket to unlocking even more of what Justin Fields can do. Just look at how Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox have worked together in Buffalo for the sake of Josh Allen.
Tonyan is worth letting go, but the Bears should invest in a replacement that they can use often. This year's tight end class is fairly deep, too, and Chicago could find one in the mid rounds without a problem.