The Chicago Bears have been trying to find the missing link to their offense for a while. It turns out they do not believe it is Matt Forte, or Brandon Marshall, that are the missing links, rather they would like to invest heavily in the tight end position. Hunter Henry is this draft class' best tight end, hands down.
He is the only tight end who could go in the first round and has only had one pre-draft visit. That visit was to Chicago, as the Bears look to evaluate the young playmaker. Henry is a big bodied target who can easily become a security blanket for any quarterback, but it appears as though the Bears are the only team that is giving him some serious thought early on in the draft.
We all have to remember how much John Fox utilized Julius Thomas during Peyton Manning's pre-retirement years. Thomas has had his best years in the NFL so far under Fox, so it would make sense that the Bears head coach would attempt to find another potent tight end for this offense.
To make the situation more perfect, the Bears have just traded Pro Bowl tight end Martellus Bennett away. Sure, they have re-signed tight end Zach Miller, but it is only to a two-year deal and he is absolutely not the answer at that position. Henry would be a relatively cheap player to land in the first, but he would become a bargain in the second for the Bears.
Picking at the 11th spot, the Bears could have him fall to them during the second round but could potentially trade up for him or back if they got a solid deal. The Bears were pretty active this offseason, as they would land some of the biggest free agents available. Trevathan was one of the biggest free agents on the market, and the middle linebacker signed a four-year deal with the Bears.
Chicago also signed right tackle Bobby Massie, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, to a three-year deal, and former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Jerrell Freeman to a three-year deal. The Bears did manage to resign several players that they could have lost during the 2016 free agency period: cornerback Tracy Porter, backup defensive lineman Mitch Unrein, running back Jaquizz Rodgers, tight end Robert Housler and wide receiver Marc Mariani. Selecting Henry would be shocking, but he would give this offense an immediate upgrade.
