This potential salary-cap casualty would make a ton of sense for the Bears

The emergence of Cole Kmet during the 2022 season has pushed tight end down the list of needs for the Chicago Bears this offseason, but it doesn’t mean the position will (or should) be ignored.

Kmet finished the year with 50 catches for 544 yards and seven touchdowns. It was a productive season, one that resulted in a career-high in touchdown catches, despite the Bears’ passing offense struggling mightily at the beginning of the year.

But if we’re being honest about Kmet as a player, his upside as a pass-catching threat is limited. He’s a quality red-zone target and a chain-mover on third downs, but his average athleticism makes him more of a big-bodied bailout option than a tight end who can chew up yards after the catch.

The Chicago Bears could find a more explosive tight end in this year’s free-agent market. The Los Angeles Chargers have a tough decision with Gerald Everett, who may be a salary-cap casualty at the start of the 2023 offseason.

#Chargers star Keenan Allen, and TE Gerald Everett are “most likely” cuts for the team, per @danielrpopper

LAC can save $14.8 million in cap space by releasing Allen and $4.25 million by cutting Everett.

The Chargers are currently $23.4M over the cap.https://t.co/VIhDsNWaba pic.twitter.com/dJyUcGS7Nx

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 6, 2023

Gerald Everett, TE, Chargers

Gerald Everett could become an unexpected free-agent target for the Bears

According to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, the Chargers have to make salary cap cuts to become cap compliant. Everett was deemed the “most likely” of the bloated paychecks to get the axe.

At first glance, Everett doesn’t appear to be much of an upgrade. He totaled 58 catches for 555 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games last year. But his stats don’t properly reflect his athletic skill set, which made him more of a pass-catching prospect during the 2017 NFL Draft. The Los Angeles Rams selected the South Alabama product in the second round that year.

TOUCHDOWN CHARGERS?

Justin Herbert ? Gerald Everettpic.twitter.com/unadWgxMf6

— ChargerNationCP (@charger_cp) October 2, 2022

Adding Everett to the roster would make sense in the short term and could also benefit the Bears’ offense as a long-term player. Everett could emerge as a better target in Luke Getsy’s system than Kmet, and with Kmet entering a contract year in 2023, there’s a chance the Bears won’t be able to re-sign him.

Everett, meanwhile, will be on his fourth team since 2017, and while that (again) doesn’t sound like a positive, he’s been more a product of circumstance than a player without talent. At 28 years old, he’ll likely be looking for some stability, and the Bears are a team that could provide that.

The Chicago Bears are expected to be an aggressive team in free agency this year. They have the most money available under the salary cap and many positions that need upgrades. Adding firepower to the offense by signing a player like Gerald Everett won’t generate many headlines, but it will pay dividends in 2023.