Chicago Bears: 5 Bold predictions for the 2020 season
5. Chicago Bears tight ends make a big improvement
The tight ends unit was a disaster last season. Starter Trey Burton didn’t fully recover from the sports hernia surgery he had that prevented him from playing in the playoffs the season before. He got injured while trying to compensate for his pain and was a non-factor in 2019.
Adam Shaheen again spent a season full of injuries and ineffectiveness. He wasn’t able to get on the field consistently enough to make a mark.
No one on the tight ends unit reached 100 receiving yards in 2019. In fact, the entire group recorded just 46 catches for 416 yards and two touchdowns. There were 21 tight ends who had more receiving yards and 44 of them who had as many or more touchdowns than the entire Chicago Bears tight ends group. Additionally, 13 tight ends had more touchdown passes than the Bears’ group. That’s how bad the unit performed in 2019.
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The Bears hope that changes in 2020. They picked up one of those players who did more than the entire Bears group did last season — Jimmy Graham. That move was met incredulity. Many felt there were plenty of other younger options to go after. They felt that Graham is over the hill and doesn’t have anything left to contribute.
Graham’s time with the Green Bay Packers was bad. He seemed to not like being there and the Packers seemed to not make him a real part of their offense. In 2017, he went to the Pro Bowl after catching 10 touchdown passes with the Seattle Seahawks. In his two seasons with Green Bay, he combined for five. Graham also had some problems with the media. He always seemed sullen and not interested in being there.
Things appear to be different in Chicago. He’s engaging with the media and seems to want to be in Chicago. He hears the talk about him being finished and wants to show that there’s still something left in the tank.
The Bears offense utilizes the tight end more than Green Bay. Graham will be more involved in this offense and will be a big red zone target. The Bears spent their first pick in this year’s draft on a tight end. They selected Cole Kmet out of Notre Dame with the 43rd overall pick. The coaches feel that Kmet is a future star in the making.
The team also signed Demetrius Harris. Harris spent time with Nagy in Kansas City. He is mostly a blocking tight end but he is also an effective red zone target. He has six touchdown receptions in the past two seasons.
The Bears now have three big targets to go after in the end zone. Both Graham and Harris measure in at 6-foot-7 and Kmet comes in at 6-foot-6. Graham weighs 265 pounds, Harris 230, and Kmet 262 pounds. Throw in Allen Robinson and Cordarrelle Patterson at 6-foot-2 each and the Bears have a lot of big-bodied targets to go to in the end zone.
Barring injuries this tight ends unit will certainly be a big improvement over last season.
Prediction: Graham finishes with 56 catches for 598 yards and 8 touchdowns. Kmet finishes with 30 catches for 301 yards and 3 touchdowns. Harris finishes with 30 catches for 230 yards and 4 touchdowns.