Austin Hooper is the hot name connected to the Chicago Bears as free agency looms. Hardly a surprise. Most consider the 26-year old the best option available on the tight end market. The Bears desperately need help at tight end. Put two and two together. How good would he look in navy blue after nobody at the position managed 100 yards receiving in 2019?
Except things are never that simple. Hooper is expected to have a hot market when free agency opens on March 18th. The same goes for Hunter Henry. Combine that with a relatively weak NFL draft class coming out, and the Bears are in a difficult spot. Finding an upgrade at the position could prove a major challenge for GM Ryan Pace.
This could explain why Adam Jahns of The Athletic revealed the team is actively searching for alternatives to those two avenues.
"As a result, the Bears have been exploring potential trades to bolster tight end.
One tight end who could be available is former first-rounder Hayden Hurst, who has to compete with Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle for playing time in Baltimore. Our colleague Jeff Zrebiec doesn’t expect Hurst to be on the move, but that doesn’t mean the Ravens wouldn’t listen. Naperville native Cameron Brate could be available from the Bucs after his snaps and production went down in his first year with Bruce Arians. Denver’s Jeff Heuerman has struggled to stay healthy, but would probably be cheap."
Chicago Bears might have nice alternatives
Hurst came in with a lot of fanfare in 2018 for Baltimore. He was actually picked before Lamar Jackson if you can believe that. In two years though, he's been largely overshadowed by others. To date, he has just 43 catches for 512 yards and three touchdowns. Clearly being on a crowded depth chart has worked against him with many feeling it's probably best for him to find a new opportunity elsewhere.
Heuerman came in with a lot of potential as a 3rd round pick out of Ohio State. Sadly he arrived right after Peyton Manning retired and the Denver Broncos' QB issues began. Combine that with multiple health problems and it's little surprise he hasn't been able to take off.
Brate might be the most interesting of those names. He emerged as a legitimate target for the Buccaneers at one point. Between 2016 and 2017, he had 1,251 yards receiving with 14 touchdowns. Then Tampa Bay drafted O.J. Howard and he ended up getting fewer opportunities. Brate still has four years left on his current contract, commanding just under $7 million per year.
That could be palatable for a team like the Bears who are trying to find cost-effective options.
