Chicago Bears: Predicting the 2017 53-man roster before training camp

Tight Ends

Starters: Adam Shaheen and Dion Sims

Backups: Daniel Brown and Ben Braunecker

The Bears have an interesting situation at the tight end position. Zach Miller returns as the incumbent starter, but there are a lot of interesting players behind him on the depth chart. I may quickly end up looking like an idiot here, but I predict that we have seen the last of Miller in a Bears’ uniform. The other players on the roster simply make him expendable.

Now, in order for the Bears to move on from Miller, the other tight ends on the roster are going to have to show that they are ready for a big role. Most notably, second-round rookie Adam Shaheen. Trubisky got all of the headlines for the Bears’ rookie class, but Shaheen may be the most interesting player who the Bears drafted.

At 6-foot-6, 277 pounds, Shaheen is a massive man at the tight end position. He uses his size extremely well in the passing game, showing the ability to box out defenders and go up and get the ball well. On top of that, he is extremely fast and athletic for his position and shows consistent hands.

His blocking leaves plenty to be desired, but the raw ability is certainly there. Plus, his upside as a receiving tight end is massive. Shaheen will have a steep learning curve coming from the Division-II level, but his talent is legit. I expect him to prove that he needs a big role in the offense during training camp.

I predict Shaheen as the starting receiving tight end, with Dion Sims supporting him as the starting blocking tight end. Sims is not a huge threat in the passing game, but he is dominant blocker from the tight end position and can make some plays in the red zone. He is the perfect number two option next to a guy like Shaheen.

Young guys Daniel Brown and Ben Braunecker showed some upside in limited time last season. Neither player has proven much, but they both have the ability to make plays in the passing game. having both Brown and Braunecker around would provide security for the Bears should Shaheen not be ready to take on a full load of snaps.

I predict that Shaheen, Sims, Brown and Braunecker will be the Bears’ tight end core in 2017. They would be smart to be aggressive with their young talent and give them a chance to prove themselves at tight end.

In this scenario, Miller is traded to a tight end-needy contender. He would not bring back anything more than a late-round selection, but I think Miller would still have some value on the market.