The Chicago Bears were desperate for tight end help. Desperate. One can imagine GM Ryan Pace wasn't just going to sit back and do nothing at that position. The problem is his options weren't exactly glowing. So instead of delving into the unknown, he decided to stick with somebody he knew well. According to Adam Schefter, the team came to terms with veteran tight end Jimmy Graham, fresh off his release from the Green Bay Packers.
Honestly this move, while underwhelming given the man his 33-years old and not the player he was five years ago shouldn't be a huge surprise. He won't count against the compensatory pick formula for the Bears, having been released a few weeks ago. No doubt the hope from the team's perspective is he still has one good year left in him and can be a bridge to 2021 when the Bears might be able to find their long-term guy.
Jimmy Graham isn't great but he's better than who Bears got
People will scoff at Graham because of his age and declining production. It's fair to point out though that he was never a good fit in Green Bay. He was only targeted 60 times in 2019, collecting 447 yards and three touchdowns. However, when he was actually featured back in 2017 with the Seahawks he caught 10 touchdown passes. The Bears seem to think he has juice left in those legs. There's no question he can still catch the football and be a red zone threat.
Is he the guy people would've wanted? No. Is he better than what the Bears currently have? Yes. Perhaps being put in a more tight end-friendly offense like Matt Nagy's might reinvigorate his career. One can hope anyway. Odds are this isn't the only tight end move the team will make before it's said and done.
