Chicago Bears: 5 Top targets in 2020 NFL free agency

3. Darren Fells, TE

The Chicago Bears had an awful performance from their tight ends in 2019. Five players combined for only 44 catches for 395 yards and just two touchdowns. Starter Trey Burton by himself had 54 catches for 569 yards and six touchdowns in 2018.

Of course, injuries played a big part in the tight end struggles. Burton had a sports hernia injury late in the season that prevented him from playing in the playoff game. He had offseason surgery but while the team said it was successful the truth is he still struggled after the surgery. He didn’t look the same and it seemed like he was trying to compensate for his injury, leading to other injuries and only eight games played.

Adam Shaheen also suffered through injuries but he also drew Nagy’s ire by not working as hard as he should and the coach called him out publicly. He also only played eight games.

Behind the two main tight ends were Jesper Horsted, J.P. Holtz, and Ben Braunecker. Those players didn’t scare anyone and certainly didn’t help quarterback Mitchell Trubisky much. The Bears need to overhaul that position.

There have been reports stating that the Bears were looking at Austin Hooper, Eric Ebron, and Tyler Eifert. There were also reports of them staying with Burton as the main tight end. All of this highlights Pace’s secrecy.

One player who can come in and play together with Burton is Darren Fells.

Yes, Fells is 33 years old. He had 34 catches for 341 yards but he had seven touchdowns, good for third among NFL tight ends. Burton ranked fourth in touchdowns in 2018, so if he can stay healthy and Fells continues his production, the Bears could have a good one-two punch at the position.

At his age, the Bears could still draft a tight end and have him provide good depth. That prospect can ease into a starting position in a year or two. In the meantime, the Chicago Bears still have a good, established player playing effectively.