Talent is always the biggest thing that determines the success of an offense in the NFL. It’s not the only thing though. Often the best offenses are the ones that carry themselves with a high degree of self-confidence. Like they know they’re good and nobody in the league is good enough to stop them for 60 minutes. This is something the Chicago Bears haven’t had on that side of the ball too often in their history. It’s something head coach Matt Nagy knew was needed. Are new arrivals Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet the ones to bring it?
That is what almost everybody is seeing after a week of training camp. The talent of the two newest Bears tight ends is obvious. Both are huge at 6’6 or above but can also run like deer. Combine that with strong hands for making catches and it’s been giving a great defense a lot of problems in practice thus far.
Yet their real benefit according to Adam Jahns is what they bring from a personality standpoint.
“But the vibe around the tight ends is tangible. Considering what the position means in Nagy’s offense, the ripple effect could be significant.
I would compare it to when the Bears had receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery and tight end Martellus Bennett in camp together in 2013. They went right after an established group of defenders — including Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings — that camp in Bourbonnais.
Graham, Kmet, the tight ends and receiver Allen Robinson are doing the same right now at Halas Hall but without any of the baggage that came with Marshall and Bennett off the field.
The swagger and energy Graham and Kmet have exuded in practice is different from them but also last season, where it was essentially nonexistent.”
Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet could open up Bears offense
The Bears offense in 2019 was terrible. There’s no getting around it. Yet a lot of people are quick to heap all the blame on just one thing. Most say it was the quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Others claim a dormant running game. Plenty even blame Matt Nagy’s play calling. Not enough people bring up just how awful the tight end position actually was.
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No player from that 2019 group had over 100 yards for the season. It was a dumpster fire. No opponent took it as a serious threat all season. This allowed them to place their focus on other key players like Tarik Cohen, Taylor Gabriel, and David Montgomery.
Don’t expect that trend to continue this season. Graham and Kmet are massive upgrades from Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen. Not just in talent but also personality. They play like alpha males. If you ignore them, they’ll make you pay for it. Defenses will have to devote lots of attention their way, and it will make life so much easier for everybody else.
