There is a long list of things that killed the Chicago Bears 2016 season. Topping the list of course is a piss poor secondary that routinely couldn't force turnovers and gave up big plays. Then there was the carousel situation at quarterback due to injuries. To say nothing of the health problems throughout the rest of the roster.
One particular area that really sped up the spiral downward to a 3-13 finish was the disaster at tight end. Concern for the position really began when the team traded Martellus Bennett to New England in the off-season. The move was understood at the time, but there was a caution that they'd need to find a way to improve depth to compensate.
Ryan Pace certainly tried. He attempted to sign restricted free agent Josh Hill from New Orleans but was blocked. Then he tried trading up to get Arkansas standout Hunter Henry in the draft. Unfortunately he was taken by the Chargers. That meant the burden fell on veteran Zach Miller to stay healthy. Sure enough, he suffered a season-ending foot injury.
Now the Bears must find a way to bolster the position this off-season, and they may soon have a major opportunity to do so.
A few years ago the name Julius Thomas was on the lips of every football fan in America. He was a revelation in 2013 and 2014 for the Denver Broncos, catching 24 touchdown passes in those two seasons. The final two that John Fox had as head coach. Thomas used that success to garner a big contract in free agency from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It quickly became apparent though that the offense he signed on for wasn't the best fit for his skill set. Combined with some nagging injury problems, Thomas struggled through the past two season. It appears the Jaguars brass have seen enough according to ESPN, who predicts he will be a cap casualty this March.
"The Jaguars will not bring tight end Julius Thomas back. He has been a disappointment since signing a five-year, $46 million ($24 million guaranteed) contract in March 2015 and has missed 11 games in two seasons due to various injuries. He does have nine touchdown catches, but the Jaguars have him catching short passes and trying to turn up field and break tackles when he's more successful down the field and on seam routes. Jacksonville didn't miss him when he was out of the lineup for the final four games. He also has the fourth-highest cap figure ($8.3 million) in 2017."Thomas turns 29-years old this coming June. When healthy he's shown he can still gash defenses as a receiving threat up the seam. That was something the Bears desperately needed and didn't have the second half of 2016. Provided the price isn't too steep, Fox may love the idea of a reunion with the tight end. Make no mistake the man can still play good football when properly motivated. [video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Blake-Bortles-Tosses-a-29-Yard-TD-Pass-to-Julius-Thomas-Texans-vs.-Jaguars-NFL.mp4"][/video] [video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Julius-Thomas-Week-12-Highlights-116-Yards-Recieving-1-TD.mp4"][/video] The Bears will have plenty of salary cap space to work with and Thomas represents the kind of free agent acquisition they like. Cheaper than the going rate but a high probability of being productive. If nothing else this gives the team something they just didn't have enough of this season, which was more depth at the position. Having him and Miller on the roster will at least ease the problem until they can find a younger, more reliable option. Get used to hearing the Chicago Bears Julius Thomas talk if and when the Jaguars do indeed cut him loose.
