Greg Olsen's Return Is Something for Bears to Consider

Ah the days of Greg Olsen catching passes from Jay Cutler, the good old days.

Well, maybe they weren't that great but agent Drew Rosenhaus tweeted out something Bears fans might be interested in as the countdown to free agency continues. Olsen is done in Carolina, but still hopes to play.

There is one team looking around for a tight end to make certain last year's debacle does not occur again.

The Bears have already strongly suggested something will be changing at tight end this year, although it would seem they'd probably be more likely to look to the draft because of the cost savings.

Olsen isn't a free agent but the Carolina Panthers will be cutting him because they can save about $7.9 million in salary and two bonuses contingent on his being on the roster. Meanwhile they'd be eating $3.7 million in his prorated signing bonus so they would save about $4.2 million overall.

The same situation confronts another veteran tight end, Jimmy Graham. It seems unlikely the Packers would retain him with a $7.45 million base salary when the signing bonus they would eat in the final year of his contract is $3.7 million.

So both would be available. Graham is 33.

Bringing Olsen back to Chicago would probably make less sense than signing Graham.

Olsen has always been limited as a blocker and really has been a big receiver. Olsen also has been plagued by injuries the last three seasons, playing only 30 out of a possible 48 games. He has 718 career receptions, including 194 with the Bears. And 20 of those in Chicago were touchdowns. He had 39 TD catches in nine Panthers seasons.

Olsen just went through a highly productive 52-catch season for 597 yards. The Bears' six tight ends who caught passes had 46 total as a group.

It's possible Olsen could turn to broadcasting and retire, but Rosenhaus' tweet about continuing to play makes it seem he'd like to continue. Olsen had the chance to be a broadcaster for ESPN and Fox.

Olsen would have the second highest cap hit and Graham the third highest if neither were cut, so expect both to get the ax.

Graham would be a better fit with the Bears because of his size and ability to play the Y-tight end position. He can be the in-line tight end they haven't had because Adam Shaheen just hasn't measured up.

Either veteran tight end would only be pursued by the Bears at a budget rate.

If the Bears felt like digesting a healthy amount of cap, they could cut Burton. It sounds like the last thing on their minds as GM Ryan Pace expressed the need to get his 2018 free agent acquisition healthy after undergoing yet another surgery designed to help correct his lingering groin problems. They're hoping this problem was one causing his groin issues.

"It's on his hip, his labrum," Pace said. "We're hoping that's going to solve it."

The Bears could easily go to the draft for a tight end with two second-round picks and a likely fourth-round compensatory pick coming their way. They have other Day 3 picks, as well.

Olsen was a second-round pick by former GM Jerry Angelo, so it's not difficult to find top quality at the position in Round 2.

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