The Chicago Bears’ offense will need more than just better quarterback play in order to improve this season. They need other young players at other positions to take the next step in their development. Perhaps none more important than Cole Kmet. He was decent in 2020 as a rookie, finishing just shy of 250 yards receiving with a pair of touchdowns. He also showed rapid improvement as a blocker.
However, he took a back seat to Jimmy Graham who finished with nine touchdown catches. Can the Bears bank on that again in 2021? Graham turns 35 this year. There is no telling how much gas he has left in the tank. Kmet was their top pick in the draft last year for a reason. They feel he is capable of becoming a complete tight end. Somebody who can be a threat on any down and in any situation.
Does the team still have such expectations?
Absolutely they do. When discussing the tight ends position in his recent column, Adam Jahns of The Athletic revealed something interesting that tight ends coach Clancy Barone mentioned about Kmet. Amidst the crazy finish of last season, not enough people recognized how much the kid improved as a player. Particularly in regards to his intelligence and execution.
“The more reps he got, the better he got with just playing football, a lot of it with his run blocking, his pass protection, his route running, knowing how to run certain routes vs. man and vs. zone and things like that,” tight ends coach Clancy Barone. “The big thing for him moving forward is going to be taking the next step in that progression, and a lot of it is understanding pre-snap vs. post-snap how to adjust things on the run.”
It is easy to forget Kmet’s situation. He just turned 22-years old. Most of his college career was divided between football and baseball. It’s a testament to his raw ability that he still managed to be the first tight end selected in the 2020 draft. With his focus now entirely on football, there are plenty of reasons for optimism. If he can add sharp route running to his imposing size and strength? He is going to be a dangerous pass target.
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Cole Kmet emerging would be huge for Bears
Having a go-to receiver in Allen Robinson is nice but he’s still just one man. The Bears desperately need somebody else to emerge. Somebody who can take the pressure off him. Kmet might be in the best position to do that. His talent is undeniable. It is a question of the Bears getting him more involved and him creating more explosive plays. Getting better quarterback play from Andy Dalton and/or Justin Fields would certainly be nice.
Part of the problem last year was Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles weren’t always giving him opportunities. Whenever they did, he seemed to make plays. The interesting part will be whether they can start finding him down the field. Something that was absent last season. He isn’t blazing fast but has enough speed mixed with his 6’6 frame to be a consistent problem for defensive backs to deal with.
It should be loads of fun to see where he’s at in training camp.
Given his track record, he is likely to show up in shape and ready to go. How his progress unfolds from there will be interesting. One can safely say fans won’t have a good idea of where Cole Kmet is at until the season begins. The first month will be telling. How much action will he see compared to Graham and has he formed a strong connection with whomever the starting quarterback is? If it goes the way many hope, then the Bears offense is a huge step closer to success.