Chicago Bears: Is “Bronk” The Next “Gronk”?

NEW HAVEN, CT - NOVEMBER 21: Ben Braunecker #48 of the Harvard Crimson celebrates with teammates after his touchdown in the second half against the Yale Bulldogs on November 21, 2015 in New Haven, Connecticut. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
NEW HAVEN, CT - NOVEMBER 21: Ben Braunecker #48 of the Harvard Crimson celebrates with teammates after his touchdown in the second half against the Yale Bulldogs on November 21, 2015 in New Haven, Connecticut. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /
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Chicago Bears’ undrafted free agent Ben “Bronk” Braunecker, a Harvard alum, has some things in common with New England’s star tight end Rob Gronkowski.

When Pro Bowl tight end Martellus Bennett was traded in the offseason to the New England Patriots (for a fourth-round pick), a huge hole was left at the position for the Chicago Bears.

Replacing Bennett is not and won’t be easy. Even though he quickly became a headache for John Fox and his coaching staff, his production on the field (an average of 69 receptions and 704 yards per year in a Bears’ uniform), can be duplicated by only a handful of tight ends in the league.

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New offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains is giving veteran tight end (and fan favorite) Zach Miller the first crack at filling Bennett’s shoes. Miller, 32, had a career-year in 2015, playing in 15 games and hauling in 34 receptions for 439 yards and five touchdowns.

Miller’s lengthy injury history, however, raises some red flags if he can be counted on for a full season. Miller was limited to just 33 games over the course of his first six NFL seasons, and when he caught his first pass of 2015 on September 20, it came an incredible four years after his last reception in the NFL (2011 with Jacksonville).

Some players have just been cursed with the injury-bug, and unfortunately, Miller is one of them.

Dec 20, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller (86) runs after the catch in the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller (86) runs after the catch in the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Because of this, finding a reliable backup tight end should be high on the Bears’ priority list. After not drafting one in April, the Bears are counting on guys like Rob Housler and Khari Lee (neither of which are going to blow you away) to provide insurance should Miller happen to go down with another injury.

While both Housler and Lee have probably tapped-out their potential, undrafted free agent Ben Braunecker (a Harvard alum) has gobs of potential as a dynamic pass catcher.

Nicknamed “Bronk”, Braunecker (6’4”, 250 lbs.) wowed scouts at the combine with his athleticism, posting a 4.73-second forty-yard dash time (fourth-best among all combine tight ends), a 35.5” vertical (second-best), and a tight-end best 11.32-second 60-yard shuttle.

At Harvard, Braunecker averaged 17.7 yards per reception in his final season, and earned the best SPARQ score (which measures a player’s speed, power, agility, reaction, and quickness) among all the tight ends in the 2016 class. When he went undrafted, the Bears moved quickly and handed him a $10,000 signing bonus (the largest signing bonus the team gave to any undrafted player).

Braunecker has impressed the Bears during offseason workouts, and he reportedly has earned snaps with the second-team offense ahead of Housler and Lee.

NEW HAVEN, CT - NOVEMBER 21: Ben Braunecker #48 of the Harvard Crimson catches a touchdown pass by the defense Matthew Oplinger #22 of the Yale Bulldogs in the second half on November 21, 2015 in New Haven, Connecticut. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
NEW HAVEN, CT – NOVEMBER 21: Ben Braunecker #48 of the Harvard Crimson catches a touchdown pass by the defense Matthew Oplinger #22 of the Yale Bulldogs in the second half on November 21, 2015 in New Haven, Connecticut. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /

There’s a lot to like with Braunecker. At Harvard, he was a powerful and physical blocker who oftentimes blocked defenders through the whistle. He was able to line up both out-wide and in-tight, and as a receiver, showed the feet and fluidity in his hips that are needed to be an effective route-runner at the NFL level.

Braunecker oftentimes dominated his competition at Harvard, but some scouts are weary that his play was elevated because the talent-level in the Ivy league is not too great.

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Regardless, the Bears have an intriguing player on their hands. No one knows for sure if “Bronk” can become the next “Gronk” (which, in reality, can anyone really be?), but Braunecker figures to be one of the “guys to watch” as training camp approaches. The Bears definitely have a need at tight end, so Braunecker should get his chances to impress this summer.