Martellus Bennett Trade Rumors: Latest News, Speculation on Bears TE’s Future
Published by Mike Chiari on March 4, 2016
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Following a disappointing 2015 season, tight end Martellus Bennett‘s tenure with the Chicago Bears may soon be coming to an end, as the team is reportedly fielding trade offers.
Continue for updates.
Packers Interested in Bennett
Tuesday, March 8
Luke Rodgers of 247 Sports reported that the Packers are “showing interest” in Bennett.
McCaskey Comments on Bennett Trade Rumors
Friday, March 4
Despite the report, Bears chairman George McCaskey said he was unaware of any such plans, per Zach Zaidman of the Bears Radio Network:
McCaskey also made it clear that he trusts his football decision-makers to do what is right regarding Bennett:
Bennett Coming Off Injury Riddled 2015 Season
The soon-to-be 29-year-old veteran had a down year in 2015, as he missed five games due to injury and ended up with just 53 catches for 439 yards and three touchdowns.
It was a sharp decline from his career campaign in 2014, which saw him set personal bests with 90 grabs for 916 yards and six scores as quarterback Jay Cutler‘s most reliable safety valve.
The former Texas A&M standout is in line to be Cutler’s No. 2 target in 2016 behind only franchise-tagged wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, but that may never materialize.
Bennett and the Bears have been mum about his situation, though, including general manager Ryan Pace, who didn’t say much about his star tight end at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to ESPN.com: “I talked to him right at the end of the season. I haven’t talked to him recently. Really with him, he’s under contract. We have a lot of players that aren’t under contract, so that’s where our focus is right now.”
At 6’7″ with good hands and impressive blocking ability, Bennett promises to be highly sought after on the trade market.
Acquiring him wouldn’t take a long-term commitment either, as he is signed for just one more year at a salary-cap hit of $6.31 million, per Spotrac.com.
Zach Miller could be a potential replacement for Bennett after gaining 439 yards last season, but he is a free agent and can sign anywhere come March 9.
The Bears don’t seem poised to win much in 2016, so dealing Bennett before he hits free agency would be a sensible move.
Although the return may not be huge due to his impending free-agent status in 2017, potentially losing him for nothing wouldn’t help Chicago’s rebuild in the least.
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