Chicago Bears training camp 2017: Top position battles to watch and predictions

3. Tight End: Zach Miller versus Adam Shaheen

The Chicago Bears signed tight end Dion Sims in free agency this offseason. Sims is expected to come in and play a major role in the Bears’ offense, but he will primarily be a blocker. Sims is probably locked in as the Bears’ “number two” tight end, but I imagine that the starting spot is still actually up for grabs.

With Sims being a blocking tight end who is not much of a receiving threat, the Bears need a legitimate passing game option to play next to him. This is another case of incumbent versus rookie as Zach Miller and Adam Shaheen will battle for the job. Daniel Brown and Ben Braunecker may also be in the mix, but this will primarily come down to Miller and Shaheen.

Miller has been the Bears’ primary starting tight end each of the last two seasons. He had a respectable 34 receptions for 439 yards and five touchdowns in 2015, and 47 receptions for 486 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games last season. Miller is a reliable option in the passing game who was a great security blanket for Jay Cutler. However, at 32 years old, his long-term upside is obviously limited.

Battling Miller in training camp will be Adam Shaheen, who the Bears drafted out of Ashland University in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Coming from the D2 level, Shaheen will obviously be making a huge step up in competition this season. However, he appears to be up for the challenge.

Standing 6-foot-6 and tipping the scales at 278 pounds, Shaheen is a massive man for the tight end position. His size immediately stands out and is undoubtedly going to be a major weapon at the next level.

However, on top of that, Shaheen is extremely fast and athletic for his size. He will undoubtedly be a major weapon in the red zone at the next level and has legitimate breakaway speed. Shaheen is not a great blocker right now, but his upside in the passing game is absolutely massive.

Prediction: Shaheen

Shaheen is obviously the future at tight end for the Bears but is he ready to go immediately? Training camp will help determine that but I think he will show up and impress. The Chicago Bears do not expect to be competitive this season. They may as well see what Shaheen can give them, making Miller expendable.

If Shaheen performs well in camp like I expect, the Bears should shop Miller around the league to see if they can get any sort of draft pick compensation for him. He is still a valuable veteran player at the position. However, simply releasing him would not be a bad move either.

The Bears could move forward with Shaheen and Sims as their primary tight ends, with Brown and Braunecker there as insurance. Shaheen is a fantastic football player who has massive upside at the tight end position. As long as he proves worthy, I think the Bears should give him a shot to produce from the start.