Chicago Bears Free Agency: 5 players worth the money
By Ryan Heckman
4. Tight End Austin Hooper
Maybe the biggest pain point on the roster outside of offensive line has to be at tight end. The Bears’ tight end group was nothing more than abysmal in 2019.
Two years ago, Pace inked former Philadelphia Eagles backup Trey Burton to become their go-to guy at the position, and over the 2018 season he was just that. However, in 2019, his production and health dipped quite a bit. To be honest, I’m not so sure anyone knows the extent of what happened with Burton last year.
Austin Hooper is going to be a hot commodity on the free agent market. At just 25 years old and coming off two straight Pro Bowl seasons, Hooper is exactly what the Bears are missing at tight end.
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He isn’t the biggest guy on the field, but at 6-foot-4, Hooper still offers plenty of size. He’s also a clean route runner and possesses phenomenal hands. Over his four years, Hooper’s catch percentage sits at an impressive 77.3 percent.
I would assume he gets a deal averaging between $7-$10 million per season, and if Pace can afford to offer him that kind of contract, he has to. Over just about any other position of need, the tight end needs to be fixed the most. Hooper would not only solidify it, but change is drastically.