Bears land TE Martellus Bennett
BY SEAN JENSEN sjensen@suntimes.com March 12, 2013 2:56PM
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Updated: March 12, 2013 5:54PM
Minutes into free agency, free-agent tight end Martellus Bennett announced that he’s going to be a Bear.
On his Twitter account, Bennett wrote, “I’m proud to say I’ll be joining my other brother [Brandon Marshall] next season.” He capped it with, “Bear down.”
Bennett agreed to a 4-year deal, the team later confirmed.
The Sun-Times first reported Tuesday the team’s interest in Bennett.
Bennett is one of the top free-agent tight ends and would provide the Bears’ offense another weapon.
A second-round pick in 2008, Bennett played behind Cowboys eight-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten in Dallas. After signing a one-year deal with the New York Giants last season, Bennett started all 16 games and finished with 55 catches for 626 yards with five touchdowns. His longest catch was a 33-yard touchdown.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bennett was rated the NFL’s fifth-best overall tight end, ahead of players such as Jimmy Graham (10th), Vernon Davis (9th) and Tony Gonzalez (17th).
As a receiver, Gonzalez was No. 1 and Bennett was 11th. Bennett was ranked 3rd by PFF as a pass blocker and 13th as a run blocker.
Bennett is 6 foot 6, 265 pounds, and he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds at the NFL Combine.
If the Bears need salary cap space, releasing tight end Kellen Davis would save $2.5 million.
