Huge signing (according to Pace), this obviously addresses the need at TE. I don't expect another TE to be signed.

This fills the blocking Y TE position while Burton, Holtz, and Horstad can play the U.  Raymond might be in the mix yet and Shaheen and Braunecker will fight for a roster spot.  If they add another TE, it will be a draft prospect.

29 minutes ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

29 minutes ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

This fills the blocking Y TE position while Burton, Holtz, and Horstad can play the U.  Raymond might be in the mix yet and Shaheen and Braunecker will fight for a roster spot.  If they add another TE, it will be a draft prospect.

 

He's 230 lbs.  He must use it well.  He looks chiseled.

I think earlier on I saw this speculation pop up and the knock on him was under production - so far.  Never played Football in college but had a basketball player background.   Cleveland signed him hoping he would catch more passes but didn’t.  That could be more due to the ineptness of Cleveland’s offense.

 The good thing is he has familiarity with the offense and more specifically with Nagy from when he was KCs OC.  

21 minutes ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

I think earlier on I saw this speculation pop up and the knock on him was under production - so far.  Never played Football in college but had a basketball player background.   Cleveland signed him hoping he would catch more passes but didn’t.  That could be more due to the ineptness of Cleveland’s offense.

 The good thing is he has familiarity with the offense and more specifically with Nagy from when he was KCs OC.  

15% drop rate is not good

1 hour ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

This fills the blocking Y TE position while Burton, Holtz, and Horstad can play the U.  Raymond might be in the mix yet and Shaheen and Braunecker will fight for a roster spot.  If they add another TE, it will be a draft prospect.

Spot on.

I like the way Pace attacks adding players.  Harris and early Robertson . Not big signing but cheap additions that at least adds depth before FAgency . I think both make the roster that keeps costs down. 

2 hours ago, Mongo3451 said:

He's 230 lbs.  He must use it well.  He looks chiseled.

Not much beef on 79" of frame. 

From Windy City Gridiron: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.windycitygridiron.com/platform/amp/2020/2/19/21144583/chicago-bears-sign-former-chiefs-browns-tight-end-demetrius-harris-free-agency

The 6-foot-7, 230-pound Harris has impressive length for the tight end position, and his starting experience gives the Bears some much-needed experience to their current group of players. Touted for being a talented blocking tight end during his time with the Chiefs, he fits the in-line ‘Y’ tight end role.

So isn’t he just a more expensive version of Sowell?  Meant more to block than he is receive?  Why not just get a FB?  They cost a lot cheaper.

Could this be another Pace smoke screen? Sign a TE to then sign another like Hooper, Henry, or Ebron? He did it with Glennon and Trubisky.

1 hour ago, adam said:

Could this be another Pace smoke screen? Sign a TE to then sign another like Hooper, Henry, or Ebron? He did it with Glennon and Trubisky.

Honestly I didn’t know there were so many different versions of TEs (Ys and Us - what the heck?) so yeah I could see that.  Which TE besides Burton is a proven possession TE?  Which is that, Y or U?  
 

At the rate their going they’ll have 6-8 TEs on the roster.  Which with the need they have in helping to block and more people that can catch short and intermediate catches to help Trubisky makes sense.  

2 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Honestly I didn’t know there were so many different versions of TEs (Ys and Us - what the heck?) so yeah I could see that.  Which TE besides Burton is a proven possession TE?  Which is that, Y or U?  
 

At the rate their going they’ll have 6-8 TEs on the roster.  Which with the need they have in helping to block and more people that can catch short and intermediate catches to help Trubisky makes sense.  

Y is your traditional inline blocking TE. U is basically a slot WR but a TE. Lines up anywhere along the line.  

It could be nothing, but I would still expect to draft a TE.

Burton and Horstead will be the Y's.  Maybe a draftee too.

 

Sounds like another dart thrown at the board hoping to hit the center.  But it's better that nothing.  How many TE's are now on the roster sorta.  Ten.  I just don't see them letting Burton go unless in a trade.  Not going to pay another 7mil for someone not on the roster.  I assume you got the y and u mixed Mongo or what am I missing.

6 minutes ago, Mongo3451 said:

Burton and Horstead will be the Y's.  Maybe a draftee too.

 

3 hours ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

Y is your traditional inline blocking TE. U is basically a slot WR but a TE. Lines up anywhere along the line.  

Interesting. So what type of TE was Ditka?  Or was that a more recent development?  

1 hour ago, Bill said:

Sounds like another dart thrown at the board hoping to hit the center.  But it's better that nothing.  How many TE's are now on the roster sorta.  Ten.  I just don't see them letting Burton go unless in a trade.  Not going to pay another 7mil for someone not on the roster.  I assume you got the y and u mixed Mongo or what am I missing.

Yeah, I mixed them up.  Good catch

2 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Interesting. So what type of TE was Ditka?  Or was that a more recent development?  

Back then a TE did both catch and block, these days it's more of a specialty thing in passing offenses to have a pass catching TE. It's a rarity to find someone that does both well. Olsen was never good at blocking, M. Bennett was actually good at both.

27 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

These days it's more of a specialty thing in passing offenses to have a pass catching TE. It's a rarity to find someone that does both well. Olsen was never good at blocking, M. Bennett was actually good at both.

Interesting... again, I hadn't really heard about the different type TEs. Seems like Pass Rusher has worked into the vernacular when before they were all called defensive ends.  It seems that this style offense, roughly based off of WCO would have a need for more short and intermediate pass receivers thus a reason for more catch capable TEs.  But to have another that is just doing blocking?  What happened to the FB's?  Isn't that what they were for?  Or is this the final stage of the complete elimination of FBs?  

It's not a good sign for the future when half of his highlights are of times the defense ignored covering him.  There are still some contested catches in the mix but he's a depth player.  But then I decided to compare him against Shaheen's highlight and I thought well then he is better. 

This is classic Pace hedging his bets before Free Agency and the draft by adding some veteran depth pieces to a position of need so he doesn't feel he must draft a TE early.   From what I saw I'm not sure he's any better than either of Holtz or Horsted (different skillsets of course) but he puts pressure on them to make the roster.  

 

I don't know why but this screams Dion Sims to me.  Was all excited when I saw his highlights and bummed when the guy in the highlights wasn't the same in person.

1 hour ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Interesting... again, I hadn't really heard about the different type TEs. Seems like Pass Rusher has worked into the vernacular when before they were all called defensive ends.  It seems that this style offense, roughly based off of WCO would have a need for more short and intermediate pass receivers thus a reason for more catch capable TEs.  But to have another that is just doing blocking?  What happened to the FB's?  Isn't that what they were for?  Or is this the final stage of the complete elimination of

Many teams use the concepts. The opposing defenses see the offense running out two TEs which might dictate run, so they may send out or leave in a LB. The U is going to be the more talented, which doesnt mean they cannot block.  They can line up over the OT or motion out wide or sometime lineup as a RB.  The Y is usually the stronger blocker but occasionally sneaks out on a route.  The thing is, you have to run the ball.  Marching out two TEs doesnt sell run when it is known it will be pass anyways.  

2 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

I don't know why but this screams Dion Sims to me.  Was all excited when I saw his highlights and bummed when the guy in the highlights wasn't the same in person.

Your right the difference is we are not paying him 6.5 mil to play.  With little cap space this is what you have to do to find competition at a weak position. There is no paying the best option at TE 10 mil to play or drafting a 2nd round pick that will start for us this year. We have to roll the dice on many options and pick the best one out going forward.  Maybe we can sign a old injury prone vet and pay 7 mil , oh shit we blew that one.