Former Aggie TE Raymond getting love in Chicago

Although former Utah State tight end Dax Raymond did not have his name called in the 2019 NFL Draft as many predicted he might, Raymond has found a home in Chicago with the Bears as an undrafted free agent. Not only that, but there’s a lot of hype for the former Aggie as many believe Raymond could be one of the more successful UDFA’s not only for the Bears, but in the NFL in general.

The amount of money alone the Bears gave Raymond is quite the vote of confidence. Of the 558 UDFA’s, Raymond’s contract is in the top 98th percentile in terms of salary, sitting just $20,000 behind the highest undrafted signee, wide receiver David Sills (Buffalo Bills). Raymond was also the highest paid UDFA tight end along with Andrew Beck (New England Patriots).

Here we go!!! Bear down!!!@ChicagoBears https://t.co/QzXLuUVk9s

— Dax Raymond (@dax_raymond) April 28, 2019

Since the Bears gave Raymond that relatively lucrative deal mere hours after the conclusion of the seventh round, Raymond has impressed his coaching staff and indicated that the contract will be well worth the money spend.

“He has a really good skill set,” Chicago head coach Matt Nagy said per The Athletic. “I was happy with what he did this week (at minicamp).”

Also according to The Athletic, Bears tight end coach Kevin Gilbride commented on the adjustment Raymond continues to make in his transition into the NFL.

“He’s starting to really get his feet underneath him,” Gilbride said. “And what I mean by that is, not just understanding the play, but how to execute it and then how to understand who he is facing and how to manipulate the defenders a little bit.”

Impressing in summer workouts is one thing — where everyone gets reps and the undivided attention of coaches. It’s an entirely different animal to get those snaps and reps with the first team offense and build some kind of rapport with those players. Luckily for Raymond, he may very well get plenty of opportunities during parts of camp.

On May 29, Nagy told the media that Trey Burton underwent surgery for a sports hernia “a couple months ago.” Burton caught 54 passes for 569 yards and six touchdowns as the Bears’ starting tight end in 2018.

The main competition for Raymond will be Adam Shaheen. A second-round pick in 2017, Shaheen has not lived up to that billing with just 17 catches in two seasons in Chicago. Fellow rookies Ian Bunting and Ellis Richardson will also be in the mix, but neither are the receiving threat Raymond is.

In his three seasons at Utah State, the Provo native caught 72 passes for 873 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 12.1 yards per reception. Raymond declared for the draft with one year of eligibility remaining but still graduated with a degree from Utah State University.