The Chicago Bears have already started adding to their tight ends room.
Here’s the latest from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport:
The #Bears have added a free agent before free agency begins, agreeing to terms on a 1-year deal with former #Browns TE Demetrius Harris, sources say. The athletic Harris spent time with coach Matt Nagy when both were in Kansas City, as Chicago begins to upgrade the TE position.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 19, 2020
Rapoport reports Harris and the Bears have come together on a one-year deal.
Harris, 28, spent last season with the Cleveland Browns, where he caught 15 passes, gained 149 yards, and scored three touchdowns. Previously, Harris spent five years with the Kansas City Chiefs. That includes a four-year period in which he crossed paths with Matt Nagy when he was an assistant under Andy Reid.
Harris is essentially a short-term stop-gap at a trouble spot on the Bears offense. With Harris, the Bears should provide depth and an upgrade from whatever Adam Shaheen provided over the last two seasons. But no, he isn’t going to be the stretch-the-field pass-catcher (or even someone who finds soft spots in the zone to move the chains) this team still needs. But he should be a useful player within the confines of the offense, which is welcome after a season in which the Bears received little to no production from the group as a whole.
Or, in other words, Harris’ signing might be just the first move in getting the tight end position fixed for 2020.