The NFL is short for Not For Long. While Cole Kmet had been able to carve out a nice five-year career with the Chicago Bears out of Notre Dame, a new face has entered the tight end room. Kmet was "taken aback" when Chicago used the No. 10 overall pick on former Michigan Wolverines standout Colston Loveland. I thought the pick was a huge reach, but this is all about Ben Johnson in the end.
Kmet was a second-round pick by Chicago out of Notre Dame in the 2020 NFL Draft. Those he has never been close to a 1,000-yard receiver, Kmet earned a second contract with the team. He is entering year two of a four-year deal worth $50 million. I understand that this is a pass-heavy league, but overspending on tight end may not be the best course of action when it comes to team-building.
Here is what Kmet relayed to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times about the Loveland draft pick.
“You’re just understanding their vision and their expectations for you as a player. It’s hard to come into work every day when you don’t know your set expectations. I think having those conversations kind of cleared the air a little bit.”
He mentioned in his conversation with Finley that "there's going to be areas where we can complement each other" and the end goal is to have the best tight end tandem in the league. In an ideal world, yes, but this is a new coaching staff in town having to make due with some of the players general manager Ryan Poles drafted before Johnson got to town. The Bears revel in dysfunction.
There are some reasons to be optimistic over the tight end duo, but only so many passes to be had...
Can Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland co-exist in same Bears TE room?
To me, it comes down to a combination of two things. One, is Johnson really going to be the galvanizing presence Chicagoland believes he will be as a first-time head coach? Matt Nagy and so many others before him talked a big game before taking over the Bears job and inevitably failing. I was lukewarm on the Johnson hire for that reason, but he seems to a potential conduit for change.
The second is probably the most important. Will Caleb Williams emerge as a leader of men as the team's starting quarterback? Below the shoulders, I can understand why he was the No. 1 overall pick out of USC two years ago. However, I still have concerns about his character, mental makeup and his ability to lead. He may be a frontrunner like Cam Newton was, so be prepared for that if it is the case.
To bring it all back home, if Johnson and Williams can live up to lofty expectations, then yes, Kmet and Loveland can co-exist marvelously in the Bears' tight end room. The talent and production is obviously there, but how do the pieces fit? Should either Johnson or Williams not play up to par, then we might have a mess on our hands. Again, it all comes back to the fact that Poles built up this team.
The Bears could be a playoff team next season, but they have to be markedly more consistent first.