In an ideal world, the Chicago Bears wouldn't be searching for a tight end this offseason. Instead, Trey Burton, their prized free-agent from 2018, should be the athletic playmaker who's scoring touchdowns and racking up yardage consistent with his $8 million-per-year salary.
But that isn't the world the Bears are in right now. Burton has just six touchdowns after two seasons in Chicago, and none of them came in 2019. He had just 14 catches last season in what was a year defined by injury and underwhelming play.
Burton's failures will force GM Ryan Pace back into the free-agent market to find a viable alternative at the position for Matt Nagy's offense, and while high-priced names like Atlanta's Austin Hooper and Indianapolis' Eric Ebron are often the first two names mentioned as possibilities, a new candidate for the job was just made available.