With two and a half weeks to go before the Chicago Bears’ season opener in Detroit against the Lions, the offense will be the key to the team’s 2020 success. Although much attention is on the starting quarterback battle between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles, the tight end position will play a vital role in the production for whoever is the starting quarterback week 1. Veteran tight end Jimmy Graham’s role as the second tight end, behind rookie tight end Cole Kmet, could lead to a lot of unexpected production for the offense.
Graham, the former All-Pro and Pro Bowler, comes over from Green Bay, where he had two disappointing seasons. When the signed the tight end in 2018, they were expecting to see the level of production he produced in his final season in Seattle with the Seahawks that saw him catch 10 touchdowns. Graham, in two seasons with the Packers, only caught five total touchdowns and had a total of 93 receptions.
When the Bears signed him earlier this season, fans were very confused by the signing as many believed that the former Packer was well passed his prime and not the answer for the team’s tight end issues. Chicago received virtually no production from their tight ends in 2019, as the team’s five tight ends combined for 44 receptions and just two touchdowns. Matt Nagy’s offense relies heavily on the tight end to free up the rest of the receivers, including the running back in the passing game.
With the acquisition of Kmet and Graham, the role that tight end Trey Burton played in the offense will now be split amongst the two of them. The rookie will be the short-yardage target that will provide the quarterback a safe completion for easy accuracy and short-yardage pickup. Graham will be utilized heavily in red-zone and will be the second tight end that takes advantage of a lack of coverage. In 2018, Burton was targeted heavily in the red-zone as five of his six touchdown receptions came in red-zone situations. Last season, the team had two tight-end touchdown receptions come from 18-yards out, but that was it.
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Due to Graham’s size and ability to win contested passes, his red-zone production this season could shock many. With opposing defenses focusing their attention on wide receiver Allen Robinson, the former Pro-Bowl tight end could find favorable matchups when close to the end-zone. In 2017 with the Seahawks, all 10 of Graham’s touchdown catches came within 20 yards of the end zone with all but one being longer than 15 yards.
One reason why this could be a possibility is because of Nagy’s use of former Bear Adam Shaheen in 2018. Shaheen missed the majority of the season due to an ankle injury, but when he returned in late November, the Bears head coach quickly used him in the offense. The former second-round selection caught a 2-point conversion against the Vikings on a fade pass in his first game back. Two weeks later, Shaheen caught his first touchdown pass of the season, hauling in a 2-yard touchdown reception. For the remainder of the season, Nagy found moments to target the second tight end in the offense and could be seen more this season.
With Kmet likely to be used over the middle, Graham could find renewed success in the Bears offense this season. Although fans shouldn’t expect him to be as impactful as he was when he was with the Saints, they should be excited to see what he could do in his new role. Nagy knows how to utilize the tight end position, and if Graham stays healthy, there could be a 2017 level of production.
