Chicago Bears must explore Nick Vannett

As the Chicago Bears continue to explore options in free agency to address the tight end position, one name they should keep an eye on is Nick Vannett.

If there’s one position that the Chicago Bears need to address this offseason to get the offense moving in the right direction, it’s tight end. While many would point to quarterback being an issue as well, tight end is equally as important since the head coach Matt Nagy has emphasized it being a focal point on offense.

The good news for the Bears is that there are plenty of options available for them to bring in tight end competition in 2020 to push Adam Shaheen and Trey Burton. There are top-tier names in free agency such as Eric Ebron, Hunter Henry, and Austin Hooper. Each of those three names would help the offense tremendously.

Everyone knows the story of how tight ends performed for the Bears in 2019. Guys like Burton and Shaheen were injured which forced the offense to rely on guys like Jesper Horsted and J.P. Holtz, two guys who showed potential but not enough to be surefire solutions.

However, if general manager Ryan Pace cannot land one of the three names listed above, a good second-option to keep an eye on would be Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Nick Vannett. At just 26 years old, Vannett makes sense for the Bears for multiple reasons.

First, he’s young and 2020 will be just his fifth season in the NFL. This is significant since he offers the Bears a chance to finally find a long-term solution to the tight end position, something which has always been an issue under Pace.

Second, Vannett showed promise during his time in Pittsburgh in 2019. However, throughout his career, he’s averaged 9.7 yards per reception and has caught 72.6 percent of his passes. While those numbers may not jump off the screen and be incredibly eye-opening, he’s proven that he can be a reliable option for a team.

Vannett also has excellent hands. For someone who’s mainly been a second or third-string tight end his entire career, he’s caught a total of 61 passes for 561 yards and four touchdowns over the last four seasons.

Overall, Vannett may not be a top-tier option but he will be cheaper than most people expect. If the Pittsburgh Steelers decide not to resign him, the Bears need to explore him because at the end of the day, he’s going to be a second-string tight end at best.