The Chicago Bears had high hopes for their offense heading into the 2024 season. With the arrival of franchise quarterback Caleb Williams and the addition of wide receiver Keenan Allen, the Bears seemed to have all the weapons they needed to compete in the NFC North, and some believed they were a sleeper team to take home the division title.
Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out. Chicago ranked 28th in scoring (310 points) and last in total offense (4,820), leading to the departure of Matt Eberflus and arrival of Ben Johnson. Coming from the smashmouth style of the Detroit Lions, many focused on the offensive line and rushing attack, which received major overhauls during the offseason. But the passing game received its share of attention with the addition of wide receiver Luther Burden III.
The new talent should help Williams and the rest of the Bears reach their potential. But it also puts a veteran on the ropes. A failed draft pick is finding that out the hard way and he could be given his release sometime after the team’s rookie minicamp.
Bears Draft Pick Tyler Scott Could Be Gone After Rookie Minicamp
The Bears selected wide receiver Tyler Scott in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein thought it was a steal. At 5-foot-10, 177-pounds, Scott was small by league standards but Zierlein believed he could be an explosive slot receiver with a 4.44-second time in the 40-yard dash and compared him to T.Y. Hilton.
Those comps haven’t played out in Scott’s first two years in the league. He caught 17 passes for 168 scoreless yards in his rookie season and added seven carries for 41 yards last season. The Bears added Allen in a trade after the season but Scott still had potential in an offense that had just added Williams.
Unfortunately, Allen’s presence was too much to overcome. Scott’s offensive snap count declined from 436 in his rookie year to 20 and he had just one target – a five-yard reception – in his sophomore season. With just 35 special-teams snaps, Scott was starting to take up a roster spot that could go to Burden during minicamp.
Burden was one of the most explosive players in this draft, running a 4.41-second time in the 40-yard dash. He also had one year of elite production, catching 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns during the 2023 season. While his numbers declined as Missouri’s offense struggled, he’s a bigger version of Scott at six feet and 206 pounds and can be used as a versatile weapon.
These are things that Scott hasn’t grasped since coming to the NFL and time is running out. While he could salvage his career by learning special teams, a new coaching staff has no connections to him and could choose to move on as soon as Burden gets on the field.
