NEWSLETTER
The tight end position has been a bugaboo for the Bears for quite some time.
And according to the folks at Pro Football Focus, it remains a problem.
PFF ranks the NFL’s top 32 tight ends as it looks ahead to the 2021 season. It’s a list of talented players. Reliable pass-catchers. Superb blockers. Excellent two-way players. And no members of the Chicago Bears.
Not a one.
Yikes.
Irking, worrisome, vexing, and maddening are among the words that come to mind after browsing the list. To put as much capital toward the position as the Bears have in recent years and to not have the production that matches in distressing. Free agent deals for Dion Sims and Trey Burton did not yield a great return on investment. Neither did using a second-round pick on Adam Shaheen. And now, neither Jimmy Graham nor Cole Kmet cuts the mustard in the eyes of PFF’s analysts. Not great, friends. But it’s not all bad.
Here’s the good news. As Linsey writes, the tight end position is one “where it often takes players a year or two to acclimate to life in the NFL.” That’s a fair assessment that takes into consideration the learning curve. So, in other words, we can still have hope for Kmet moving forward and not be out of pocket.
Not for nothing, I stumbled across this Kmet sizzle reel from the 2020 NFL Draft:
Been scrolling through old vids. Thinking about how the Bears could better use Cole Kmet. Not just in the red zone, but also between the 20s.
There’s potential to use him in a variety of ways, as his college tape shows. pic.twitter.com/aZK0zmbRpw
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) May 27, 2021
The 58-second clip above serves as a reminder of how Chicago could better utilize Kmet. As a rookie, Kmet was best deployed in red zone situations. But he can be so much more. Get him out in space as an option when the quarterback is on the move. Put Kmet in a spot where he can be a QB’s safety valve. Place him in patterns where he is crossing over the middle. Or get him in space outside the numbers. Implement him when using the play action game. Ultimately, Kmet needs to be someone who can operate between the 20’s (in addition to being a primary red zone target). Perhaps this is something that is on the curriculum at TE University, where Kmet will be attending this offseason.
If the Bears can’t unlock Kmet’s upside, then they’ll have a new problem on their hands. Because if their first 2020 second-round pick doesn’t grow into a significant contributor in Year 2 as a pro, there isn’t much behind him. Graham, while having a $10 million cap hit, has limitations due to his age and declining athleticism. Don’t get me wrong. Graham’s contributions in the red zone were a welcome sight. And his help in aiding in Kmet’s rookie year development shouldn’t be overlooked either. But it’s tough to stomach that a player who has glaring limitations has a $10 million cap hit.
After that, does anyone from the group of Darion Clark, Scooter Harrington, J.P. Holtz, or Jesper Horsted do anything for ya? If so, I’m all ears to hear your pitches. Otherwise, I’ll be nervously tugging on my collar.
