Bears fans hoping that former Panthers tight end Greg Olsen's career will come full circle and end with a return to Chicago are headed for disappointment, especially if Olsen's first two stops on his free-agent tour end up being his only ones.
The Bears, despite an obvious need for an upgrade at tight end this offseason, aren't scheduled to meet with Olsen, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Instead, it's the Bills and Redskins.
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Washington makes a ton of sense for Olsen. His long-time coach in Carolina, Ron Rivera, is now in charge of the Redskins and could use one of his former players to help create the locker room culture he had with the Panthers. There's also a big need at the position in Washington because of Jordan Reed's history of concussions and inability to stay healthy.
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Olsen isn't the player he once was when he recorded three-straight seasons of 1,000 receiving yards between 2014-16. But he's more than capable of contributing enough plays on offense for a team like Washington (or the Bears!) to add on a one-year deal in 2020.
It's highly unlikely Olsen will make a third visit on his free-agent tour. That's just how these things work. It's usually the first (or second) stop that results in pen-to-paper, and with a player as talented and respected as Olsen hitting the market before the free-agent blitz, a club like the Redskins can fill a big need while freeing their focus on other positions come mid-March.
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If only Ryan Pace would do the same.