Once Martellus Bennett was traded to the New England Patriots it seemed only right that tight end Zach Miller would be the starter. But is there another dark horse in Chicago Bears tight end Greg Scruggs?
Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller excelled last season in a way he has always dreamed of. He sensed that if his quarterback Jay Cutler would throw the ball to him, he would make plays. Well, he did and according to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Miller ranked twelfth in touchdowns in 2015. But the Bears can’t just have one main targeted tight end since that is not how John Fox designs his team. He likes to use multiple receivers, running backs and tight ends.
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The 2016 NFL Draft allowed the Bears to take an undrafted free agent in Ben Braunecker. A young explosive tight end who can compete with the youth of Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs), Tyler Eifert (Cincinnati Bengals) and Jordan Reed (Washington Redskins). Alongside Miller is Khari Lee, Rob Housler Gannon Sinclair, Tony Moeaki and rookie Joe Sommers. Both Lee and Housler have been more productive as blockers than active receiving tight ends.
And then there is Greg Scruggs, a defensive end who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. In 2013, Scruggs ended up on the reserve/physically unable to perform list and was then waived in 2015 as a free agent. However, the Bears took him off of waivers and he played just one game in January as a defensive tackle against the Detroit Lions. He posted three solo tackles and a sack in Week 17.
But somehow his athleticism seemed to spark a vision that he could play tight end. It isn’t the first time Scruggs has played tight end as he was an occasional fill-in at Louisville. Can this be a successful transition from defensive end to tight end? Well, it worked great for J.J. Watt in 2014 when on three separate occasions, the Houston Texans put Watt in on three plays that resulted in three successful touchdowns. It appears that the Bears saw the same thing in Scruggs that was displayed with Watt.
“I did play tight end in college a little bit, um I played, but it was all training camp. I didn’t take any live snaps, but a little bit of spring ball training camp I played tight end, it was fun. “-Greg Scruggs
In an interview with Larry Mayer on ChicagoBears.com Scruggs stated that, “It’s been a challenge man, just trying to learn the different ins and outs of the offense, and the way they operate and the way they do things, but I’ve always accepted challenges, but most importantly, I’ve always done what it took to help the team.” He went on to say that the biggest adjustment for him was “all the moving parts, because when you are on offense if you are four yards to deep your messing someone else’s route or taking that defender to that person.”
Scruggs also played basketball so he has the soft hands needed to catch the ball and great hand-eye coordination to locate it. Another key to his success will be the confidence of quarterback Jay Cutler. It’s a matter of hitting his routes and being there when eye contact is made. Once he gains Cutler’s trust on his routes and his blocking position, he will be an additional playmaker for Cutler.
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If their Bears coaching staff saw the need to pull a defensive end and turn him into a tight end, then it’s safe to say that the confidence in the current tight end roster is based on one player, Miller. It may be “Miller Time” come the season opener, but it will be party time if we see “Scruggs Style” of play on the field.