Bears Get Creative in Effort to Find Blocking Tight End

Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune answers your questions:

“Have you heard anything about the Bears moving defensive lineman Greg Scruggs to tight end? Cornelius Washington has Scruggs’ No. 90 now and Scruggs is listed on the Bears roster now as a tight end with No. 87. — @wasram

“That’s a sharp catch by you. The Bears asked Scruggs to change positions on May 2 at the start of the third week of the voluntary offseason workout program, according to a source close to the player. It also happened to be the first day the veterans were in the building after the draft in which the Bears were unable to add a tight end. Scruggs was probably a longshot to make the roster as a defensive lineman and he actually played tight end at Louisville during summer camp before his senior season when the Cardinals were short at the position… They’re looking for a Y tight end that can block. While Scruggs is listed at 310 pounds, he’s weighing 289 right now and if he didn’t look like he could handle the position, the Bears would have likely moved him back to the defensive line or released him.”

At almost 300 pounds, Scruggs could make a decent blocker but is unlikely to show the versatility to be a threat in the passing game. More and more, teams are desperate to find the versatility needed to make a good dual purpose tight end.

Teams will frequently try to convert larger wide receivers to tight end but hese players most frequently show the opposite problem: they can catch but they can’t block.

I’ve never understood why teams aren’t trying to convert the players who are most often tasked with defending these tight ends, the linebackers. They typically show about the same size and need the mobility for the position. Perhaps its because they rarely show ideal length. Still, there must be linebackers out there that are worth a try.