If there’s one thing Ryan Pace has done well since coming to the Bears it’s his ability structure team-friendly contracts. Wish I could say the same about his free agency choices, but the structure of the deals has played a big role covering up some terrible decisions by Chicago’s General Manager. Mike Glennon, Pernell McPhee and Jerrell Freeman are clear examples of mistakes that the team got rid of without really breaking the bank.
Enter Trey Burton.
Trey Burton’s Contract Is Pretty Ridiculous
The newly signed tight end, for Matt Nagy’s offense of course, is likely doing back-flips over the amount of money Pace chose to give him. With just six career touchdowns and five career starts in the regular season, Burton is now the fifth highest paid tight end in football thanks to the Bears. He will make more money than Greg Olsen, Charles Clay, Dwayne Allen and Kyle Rudolph to name a few.
Interesting stat: Olsen’s total contract value is $22.5 million, Burton’s guaranteed money from Chicago is $22 million. That is absolutely absurd for a player that was a backup in Philadelphia his first two seasons in the league.
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The U-Back
Burton is expected to play the “U-back” in Nagy’s offense, similar to the role Travis Kelce plays in Kansas City. Kelce has back-to-back 1,000+ yards seasons.
That information, combined with his contract, is a clear indication that Pace and Co. have big plans for the former Florida Gator. He wasn’t paid based on anything he’s really done, outside of throwing a Super Bowl touchdown pass to Nick Foles, he’s been paid on what Pace expects him to do which is a very dangerous approach for a player with such limited experience.
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The Pressure Is On
After signing a four-year, $32 million, contract which included a $7.5 million signing bonus, Burton will be expected to immediately contribute to the offense. Considering he has been in the league four years and only has 63 career receptions, he will be in a position to put up career numbers in 2018. What if that doesn’t pan out?
Fellow tight end Adam Shaheen is expected to do some great things in Chicago as well after being selected in the second round (45th overall) of the 2017 Draft. He contributed nicely his rookie season scoring three touchdowns on just 12 receptions. How does he fit into the Burton deal? Is Shaheen now the backup, or will they both contribute with Burton playing primarily the U?
These are just some of the questions fans are asking. Bleacher Report recently reported that the Burton deal could be the biggest regret for the Chicago Bears heading into the 2018 season, do you agree?
If Burton Fails, Pace Will Be Held Accountable
Pernell McPhee was damaged goods when Chicago signed him.
Ray McDonald lasted less than three months before his character caught up with him and he was charged with domestic violence and child endangerment.
Jerrell Freeman got popped taking PEDs and then cut after failing to pass a physical.
Markus Wheaton was signed for two years, $11 million, and didn’t start a single game for the Bears before being cut.
Mike Glennon will be a running joke in Chicago for the rest of his career.
Is Trey Burton the next black eye for Pace in free agency? Or, will his potential be leveraged by Nagy to turn him into a Pro Bowler?
Either way, this contract carries a significant amount of risk for Pace, the Bears and Nagy’s offense. We can only hope the comparisons to Tim Tebow don’t pan out and Burton ends up better than his brother who was a tight end waived by the Bills back in 2015 during tryouts.
Burton will be given every opportunity to succeed in Chicago, but the amount of money he signed for comes with big expectations. Let’s hope the 26 year-old can live up to the hype Pace and Nagy have placed upon him.
