Nobody is going to miss Trey Burton. The tight end came in with a lot of promise in 2018. He even played pretty well that first season. Then the problems started. Injuries kept him out of the playoff game against Philadelphia and soon details surfaced of him suffering from anxiety issues. Something that became apparent to the Bears as far back as their loss to the Giants that season.
It seems those mental issues had a physical effect on his body. Problems continued to persist in 2019. While Burton appeared in eight games, he was a shell of himself. Chicago finally placed him on injured reserve. Going into this offseason, they’d hoped surgery and plenty of rest might help him turn the corner. When they signed Jimmy Graham to an expensive contract, that was the first sign that they felt his recovery was not going well.
Then he was unceremoniously released.
Now the Bears are left without a definite option at the U-tight end position. That versatile spot Matt Nagy can move around the field. Some think he’ll go hunting for one in the draft. Maybe even Jesper Horsted, the standout undrafted free agent from last season could get a shot. However, there might be another option available on the trade block according to Vincent Frank of Forbes.
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Evan Engram would be a major upgrade to Trey Burton
There has been a lot of smoke around Engram dating back to last year. Some believe the Giants have considered trading the tight end for some time but haven’t pulled the trigger for one reason or another. Probably because despite his numerous health setbacks, he’s been a legitimate weapon on the field. In just eight games last season, he had 467 yards and three touchdowns. This despite playing with a rookie quarterback most of that time.
His mixture of athleticism and speed are hard to duplicate. If anybody could fill the void left by Burton, it’s him. In fact, he’d be an upgrade. Obviously there are some concerns for the Bears. How high is the price tag? If the Giants want a Day 2 pick that could be problematic. Then there is the health issues as stated earlier. Finally is the contract. Engram is entering the last year of his rookie contract. It does come with a 5th-year option but that would be expensive for a cash-strapped team like the Bears.
There are definite hurdles. Still, this offense is in desperate need of more explosiveness. Engram would provide that in a big way.
