The newest Chicago Bears signing would've added to their wide receiver position under normal circumstances. This, however, hasn't been a normal offseason. Already being pretty strong at wide receiver, they added no less than three notable names to their depth chart in free agent Cordarrelle Patterson, 4th round pick Riley Ridley, and undrafted standout Emanuel Hall.
Two of them are almost certain to make the roster with the third (Hall) having a good chance thanks to his rare speed. So when Princeton wide receiver Jesper Horsted chose to sign with the team, one had to ask what he was thinking. The all-time stats leader at his position in school history almost certainly would've had better opportunities with another team.
It seems though he is determined to take his shot with the Bears. So much so that he decided to switch positions, going from his tradition receiver spot to tight end. It makes sense. Horsted is 6'4 and has the frame to add more weight for playing that spot. It's a matter of whether he can learn and perfect the significant differences.
Jesper Horsted is a fascinating Chicago Bears signing
People might scoff at this idea but it's not like it hasn't been done before. Horsted has a similar body type to fellow Ivy League alum Ben Braunecker, who has carved out a decent career for himself in Chicago. All Horsted would have to do is add about 25 lbs to his frame and they'd be the spitting image of each other. So one can understand Matt Nagy's interest.
He loves hybrid tight end-wide receivers like this. People saw what he could do with them watching Braunecker and Trey Burton last year. Their unique mixture of solid size and speed allows them to create mismatches in the right situation. They can be lined up all over the field.
Horsted showed at Princeton to be a man among boys. His junior and senior years saw him go over 2,200 receiving yards with 27 touchdown catches. He also rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another. His versatility is impossible to ignore. For a mad scientist like Nagy who loves to get creative with gadget plays, this is the sort of chess piece he loves to tinker with.
