The summertime roster churn in the NFL is never-ending. Players go in and out of team facilities, hoping to land somewhere, make a good impression, and then keep the good vibes rolling throughout training camp and preseason in hopes of making it to Week 1.
As we move toward training camp, we’ll often stumble across some names that are more familiar than others. And every once in a while, one of those names will land a tryout at Halas Hall:
#Bears have max allowed 5 players in minicamp on a tryout basis, including former Michigan TE Jake Butt. pic.twitter.com/RuQtpBWmiQ
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) June 15, 2021
Back in college, Butt was really great.
He won the Big Ten’s Tight End of the Year award twice, the Ozzie Newsome Award, and the John Mackey Award given to college football’s best tight end. Analysts saw Butt as a top-tier prospect at the position. And coming into his senior season, early projections were forecasting Butt to be a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Some even saw him as a top-50 pick. Unfortunately, Butt tore his ACL during the Orange Bowl, was unable to showcase his skills at the NFL Scouting Combine or at Michigan’s Pro Day. In the end, Butt went off the board in Round 5 to the Broncos with the 145th overall pick.
Butt has just 10 catches and 90 receiving yards in eight games over two seasons. However, perhaps there is still untapped potential that remains. At minimum, it’s an interesting first-hand look at a possible post-hype sleeper who could bring depth to the TEs room. We’ll learn more later if the Bears choose to add him onto the 90-man summertime roster. After all, there is one available spot.