Chicago Bears: Should team elevate Jesper Horsted to 53-man roster?
With so much uncertainty around the tight end position, should the Chicago Bears elevate the undrafted free agent?
All offseason, we highlighted the tight end position as a critical one for the Chicago Bears this season. Adam Shaheen is oft-injured, and Trey Burton was coming off offseason sports hernia surgery. Behind them, there was little depth, with only Ben Braunecker and converted offensive lineman Bradley Sowell on the depth chart.
After training camp, those four remained the only tight ends on the 53-man roster, with Dax Raymond placed on injured reserve and Jesper Horsted waived. Horsted, however, was re-signed to the team’s practice squad. The Princeton University graduate flashed some potential in training camp, as well as the preseason game, including a dazzling juggling catch as well as a touchdown in the final preseason game against the Tennesse Titans.
With the injury history and current injury concerns surrounding the tight end unit, it was a bit surprising the Bears only kept four tight ends. That decision will be tested, as days after the roster cut-down, the team announced Burton is dealing with a groin injury and his status for Thursday’s opener against the Green Bay Packers is in doubt.
Recent developments beg the question of whether Horsted should be elevated from the practice squad to the 53-man roster? There are advantages and disadvantages.
In terms of disadvantages, the Bears can elevate him to the roster at any time, but once they do, they have to keep him on the roster, or release him and hope he clears waivers again. So if he plays well in a regular-season game, they would risk losing him to another team if they don’t want him to remain on the roster, or if Burton and Shaheen stay healthy.
The upside is having a viable option if Burton’s groin injury lingers or he develops another injury. While the team is confident in Braunecker at the “U” position, Horsted offers more potential. While he may not be as good of a route runner as Braunecker, he’s more athletic and in my opinion has slightly better hands.
Must Read. One area the Bears will surely improve. light
Perhaps he doesn’t have a strong enough grasp of the playbook yet, and certainly regular-season action is drastically different than preseason Week 4, but in light of the Bears tight end situation, he at least has to get some consideration — if not this week, then certainly if these injuries linger.