Chicago Bears News: 3 thoughts on Jimmy Graham signing
By Ryan Heckman
2. Tight end still a draft priority
Graham would have been a great signing six years ago, but not when he turns 34 years old in the middle of the 2020 season. You now have he, Burton and a bunch of other guys in the tight end room, without a clear-cut stud.
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Heck, I would settle for competent, let alone a stud.
You could argue that a healthy Burton is competent, and I would agree. In 2018, Burton looked very good within Matt Nagy’s offense. He gives them a tight end they can line up all over the place, which works well especially on those trick plays.
But, Burton’s health has been in question over the last 12 months and no one is truly certain what they can expect from him.
Obviously, we just covered the fact that Graham is far from the guy he used to be.
So, the Bears still have a need at the position. There is no way they can count on these two going into September, unless Nagy decides that he doesn’t want to use the tight end all that much. Still, if Nagy wants to commit more to the run, the only true blocking tight end they have on the roster is Demetrius Harris.
Chicago is going to need to find a pass-catching tight end in the draft, and they might have to grab one with either a second-round pick or with their fourth-round compensatory selection. If not, rolling with the guys they currently have is a big risk.