The Chicago Bears have many holes to fill and one of the biggest is the tight end position. After trading Martellus Bennett to the Patriots, Bears fans watched Zach Miller limp through another injury-plagued season getting very little performance out of the position for Chicago. Heading into 2017, Miller remains the top tight end on the depth chart despite his ripe age of 32 and the fact that he’s never played a 16-game season in his NFL career.
Ryan Pace needs to address the tight end need, fast.
Starting at the top, Rob Gronkowski is widely considered the best tight end in the NFL and he might be on the trading block already. With their recent Super Bowl victory the Patriots proved they really don’t NEED Gronk to be successful. Not only that, but Bill Belichick and the Patriots have made a NFL-high 62 trades since Tom Brady became the starting quarterback. Those trades included players like six-time Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins and Pro Bowl pass rusher Chandler Jones. It’s clear Belichick and the Patriots will trade ANYONE, except Tom Brady.
Most recently, after undergoing his third back surgery and sitting out most of the 2016 season, Gronk was photographed shirtless at the team championship parade pounding beers.
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Doesn’t exactly mesh with the high level of respect people attach to the brand of New England. As many people know, this is one of many stunts by Gronk others include off-seasons filled with booze cruises and porn stars. The partying has contributed to Gronkowski’s popularity with the fans, but it’s also made him a bit of a black-eye to the reputation of the Patriots’ organization.
Taking all that into account, many analysts expect New England to pursue a trade for Gronk this offseason, and Chicago is arguably the most “tight-end needy” team on the market.
