NEWSLETTER
Bears GM Ryan Pace is out there doing work today.
The Chicago Bears are on the verge of adding a Super Bowl hero to their mix of pass catchers:
Former Eagles TE (and sometimes trick-play QB) Trey Burton is expected to sign with the Bears, source says.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 13, 2018
Just as we posted rumors of the Chicago Bears’ interest in tight end Trey Burton, word comes from Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network that the team is expected to sign the budding tight end.
With their latest move, the Bears have now added two pass-catching weapons for Mitch Trubisky in the early stages of free agency. Burton and Allen Robinson (yep, that happened) are the kind of young playmakers GM Ryan Pace needed to add in order to create a dynamic, versatile offense led by a developing quarterback.
After spending four years behind Brent Celek and Zach Ertz as the Philadelphia Eagles’ backup tight end, Burton will receive a significant increase in playing time upon his arrival in Chicago. Burton, who caught 23 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns in 2017, played on just 26.5 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in 2017, a number that should double once he joins the Bears’ offense.
Considering that NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports the deal is worth $32 million over four years, the Bears will be looking for Burton’s production to kick up a notch. No word yet on the guarantee, but these kinds of deals for tight ends in recent years have seen a guarantee typically in the $12 million to $14 million range. Burton figures to get at the high end of that range.
Burton seemed to be on the cusp of taking on an expanded role in an offense, and at age 26, is young enough to be part of the blossoming offensive core in Chicago. Because even with with second-year tight end Adam Shaheen in the fold, the Bears were in a position to add a versatile tight end with upside. And since Matt Nagy’s offensive concepts are expected to be similar to what Doug Pederson put together in Philadelphia, adding Burton makes perfect sense.
