The signing of tight end Trey Burton had plenty of Chicago Bears fans puzzled. Did the team not just spend a second round pick on Adam Shaheen? The big tight end had flashed a ton of promise as a rookie. What was the point of throwing so much money at Burton, while also keeping Dion Sims, if this was the case? The simple answer is an offense never has enough weapons.
Burton is a weapon, or at least that’s what the Bears want everyone to believe. Is he though? On the surface, he looks like little more than a reserve tight end with some versatility who just got paid starter money. This wouldn’t be the first time GM Ryan Pace has done something like this. He loves to pay younger, athletic players in hopes they blossom for Chicago.
Thankfully there may be overlooked evidence that Burton is indeed such a case. Not just because he’s coming into an offense that knows how to utilize his talents. Matt Nagy, after all, loves athletic tight ends. It’s also because he made the most of the opportunities he’s had the past couple years.
Trey Burton could blow up if used in a feature role by Bears
Since 2016, Burton has been targeted a total of 91 times in the passing game. All told he made 60 catches for 575 yards and six touchdowns. By contrast, Travis Kelce whom Nagy utilized in Kansas City was targeted 122 times last season. If one were to extrapolate those numbers and say Burton got targeted that many times? His numbers would average out to 770 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s rock solid production.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Pro Football Focus also confirms the Bears may have gotten a good one.
“In a season that ultimately ended with a Super Bowl victory, Burton caught 76.7 percent of the passes thrown his way, which was the sixth-best mark among tight ends with at least 30 targets. He was especially effective in the red zone, where he generated a passer rating of 147.3 – the best mark among tight ends with at least five red zone targets.”
Burton has always been a player who could be considered underutilized. It wasn’t just true in Philadelphia. It’s been true since his time at Florida where he played a bit of quarterback, running back and wide receiver. He’s never had a chance to be the focal point of an offense despite constantly making plays whenever he gets the chance. It’s hard to say if that will change in Chicago what with Shaheen, Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel all needing touches too.
Still, it’s fun to wonder if this might finally be his moment and to see if the Bears back their pledge to get him the football more.
