The Bears’ offseason moves indicate they play to use more multiple tight end formations this season. Chicago committed to the position by signing Dion Sims to a three-year, $18 million deal with $10 million guaranteed, and by drafting Adam Shaheen in the second round. Both are obvious locks to make the roster assuming they stay healthy.
That leaves veteran Zach Miller competing with Daniel Brown, Ben Braunecker and MyCole Pruitt for potentially one spot.
Miller, 32, set career highs with 47 catches and 486 yards in 10 games last season. He broke his right foot in Week 11 last season, forcing him to miss the offseason program.
Since he joined the Bears in 2014, Miller has missed 23 games and played in 25. He has one year remaining on his contract with a base of $1.5 million. All of those factors could open the door for Brown, a converted receiver claimed off waivers from the Ravens in November.
“Basically me and Zach are the same players and obviously Zach can’t practice right now,” Brown said, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. “There is a lot of stuff they are putting in that Zach can do, and they want to see if I can do it. I guess they trust me enough to know if I can do it, Zach can do it. Let’s see what we can do with the skill sets we have.”