BearFan PHX

Good ones - do you know what year they are from? Im not saying NEVER, Im saying not as a rule, not often enough. Anyway, one way or another, we will all see in time if Cole is on the team opening day of 2026. I just think it's more likely that he won't be.

Well what will happen to Kmet is definitely just my opinion - but that he has underperformed, and not put that kind of shaking a defender or making contested catches on tape is a fact. We can say he will (or wont) do those things better with better coaching and gameplan, but I never saw anything at the top of his route that was crisp or put fear in the heart of a DB or LB that was covering him? A TE is supposed to be a big guy who moves athletically. Hes a mismatch because he is a real WR, even if not a 4.4 speed, and he can use his big body to get open west coast style with body position, or with twitch at the top of his route (meaning, where he breaks) Kmet is big, but he hasnt really shown more athleticism for the position, in my opinion, than Wright would if he lined up at TE. Kmet is a big guy, but he isnt special running routes. All his catches are wide open in broken zones, or after Caleb is scrambling. I dont see Kmet as a threat in rhythm in the passing game.

OK, cool - it's just I usually say "thats why i think" or "it looks like" or some kind of qualifier. When you say "He is not going to be playing the inline TE role" it sounds like such a definitive statement, and it makes me think "well you dont know that" - I'll try to read those as opinion in the future. And in the case of Cole, I'm totally bendable. I do say hes a good player, and has a chance to play himself back into the light. It's not as definitive for me as it was when I started saying "Eberflus sucks 100% he needs to be fired" or something like that. THAT was just true, we all got there eventually.

Yeah you cant really judge how they will be in live fire - strength and all that - but it is a good chance for the coaches to work on positioning, and the mental side of the game. One thing we seldom talk about, but it really important, is teaching the blocking rules to the players. They have to all be reading the same way on an outside zone blocking scheme (for example), or you end up with unintentional double teams, and also someone coming free. We've had serious problems with assignments and stuff like that for a LONG time. I hate seeing Bears OL players just standing in space looking around with no one to block. That's usually a blown assignment. This is something the players and coaches can work on this time of year. Having Roushar, and even just getting rid of Morgan is a huge step forward for us. I heard Coach Johnson talk about needing smart players on the OL, and this is where that really makes a difference - in processing what youre seeing the same way your teammates do, so you can all get the right guy. If we can consistently identify and move guys on the OL, we are gonna win a lot of games. That's the core that makes everything else work. And knowing who to block is a huge part of that - especially in complex systems. BJ runs all kinds of different running systems. Most teams are either inside zone, outside zone or power schemes. Most dont run multiple blocking rule sets. We apparently do now, and so this time of year is probably doubly important, especially in year one. So I guess you can see whether your players are getting it, at least in terms of the mental part of the game.

I agree with both of you.

how do you know where they will line him up? my expectation is that they will do all sorts of things with him because he is so flexible.

I think we have milked the Kmet conversation to death now. Weve all said everything we think, and now time will tell. All I can add right now is that I havent seen Kmet shake off defenders, or make contested catches. Maybe he will, but so far he hasnt lived up to his draft status or contract.

Back in January you were saying 2 new OL at most, that you liked what we had on the roster, and I was saying 4. It looks like we are at 3 right now, and likely heading toward 4.

yes, and in the past week or two Ive heard that Trapilo worked at LT after practice throughout his college career to be ready to play LT in the NFL. He's a big athletic guy, if he can take over well at LT, then that would be fantastic. Also as you say, we have Amagadje in the mix. Im ignoring all his film from last year, since he went from injury right into the fire without any preparation. So I think of him as a 3rd round rookie basically, or maybe even a third rounder who was redshirted. he will have his chance to compete too.

OK, but youre saying he had a high catch rate, and was usually wide open when he was targeted, but had a low target rate. COuldnt that mean he didnt get open unless it was a blown coverage or a hole in a zone? ANd then he caught the ball well when he was wide open. But does that indicate that he won battles? Got open when someone was on him? The tape, to my eyes, looks like hes too stuff to shake off defenders. That would account fot his low targets, and his wide open status on the smaller number of targets?

BJ wont necessarily run the same offense as he did in Detroit. I do agree Loveland's receiving stats could be similar, but Loveland CAN block too!

I think teams with weak schedules who get the playoffs usually dont do very well. I kinda like a tough schedule, because if you succeed, you know what youve got?

I am only saying Kmet isnt special, and that Loveland is better. On our roster, I dont think Kmet is worth the money. For someone else, it might work out differently. Kmet is a middle of the pack starting TE in my view - he will have people interested, but its not gonna be a 1st or 2nd round pick in trade I agree. I agree again about 2 TE sets forcing defenses out of nickel and into base defense. And If Cole isnt on the team, there will be someone else playing TE2 for sure - and they will be an inline blocker so as to force the exact mismatches youre talking about. I just dont think Cole is worth the money they're paying him, and will replace him with someone cheaper. I didnt see Kmet breaking free of LBers covering him. That's the theory here. Or even using his big body in a west coast way to shield off defenders. He SHOULD be able to do that, but I havent seen it on tape. My lack of faith in Kmets price tag is one thing, but we totally agree about 12 personnel and Ben Johnson's ability to leverage it - we see that the same way. I bet the new coaches are looking at Kmet and DJ Moore to see if last year was about losing, or if it means they are head cases. I think for both, they wanted to win and were frustrated with Eberflus. But Im not sure how much of a leadership role Kmet will have going forward here? Especially as TE2? And I do think someone else will pay him to be TE1, and he would naturally want that? Cutting Kmet is an interesting question. It boils it down to just the money. There is no draft pick. Makes it a harder choice. Adam, or anyone, what are the compensatory ramifications for this? Do we get a pick if we cut him?

I agree with all of this. The best way to help Caleb is a good running game that opens up play action.

i totally get that Kmet and Loveland are different in style. But Im saying Kmet isn t that good - even at what he does. In fact, Im not convinced that Loveland isnt a better blocker than Kmet. As for spacing and working different areas of the field, there are lots of ways to put 4 or 5 guys into the pattern, no matter whether you have 0, 1 or 2 TEs in the game - I know you agree with that. So Kmet isnt better playing any area of the field than Loveland or Burden would be, but there are areas that Kmet cant get to that Burden and Loveland can? So to me, I predict Kmet will get traded next year, or at the trade deadline. But all of this with the caveat that Kmet DOES have physical tools. If the light goes on for him, he can play himself back into relevance here, and stick around. I'm just personally betting against that happening, because i havent seen it yet from him? I suppose if he were to agree to a cheaper contract he could also stay, but no one ever does that with years to go on their deal, and the likelihood that someone will pay him in a trade. But your last point is dead on. The stage is set, over-set even. There are weapons everywhere and a stellar coaching staff. It all falls on Caleb now. Exciting times to be sure! I mean, what does it say that we are all dithering over TE2? That only happens when other things are looking set. Pretty cool.

I agree. Loveland isnt a bad blocker though. There was a narrative that he was all WR, and youre right that he can play like one, but apparently he is a better blocker than people realize too. Im not sure when we go to one TE inline that it will be Kmet though and not Loveland?

Poles has been active at the trade deadline every year.

I dont think anyone, including me, disagrees with that. It's not too early to make projections, but it is too early to actually trade Kmet in any case.

If it was Bowers and Loveland, they'd make it work, and work well. The whole question here really rests on how good Kmet really is. We all have our views, but we will all see him on the field, with Johnson using him correctly. if he balls out, then we will keep him and be fearsome. If he doesnt, hes gone at some point. Those that rate him highly will expect him to play well, and should feel pretty good that he will stay. Those that rate him less well will expect him to play at a mediocre level and feel good that he will be gone. Im in the second group, but I will be very happy to be proven wrong. It's not impossible by any means. Kmet's measurables are really great. So we will see if he can quickly ascend under Johnson's tutelage. He can wake up and take his destiny, but its not easy to do, and his window is probably pretty short. I hope he does it.

I think at this point we've all been so abused by the Bears, it is wise to want to see it on tape before getting too ahead of ourselves. I really want it, but I need to see it.

Right, youre not hating on Loveland, you just wish theyd spent the pick elsewhere. And I think you think Kmet was OK (and I do too) but I also think you dont think Loveland will be worth the lost opportunity to have spent the pick elsewhere. My disagreement with that is i think hes gonna be a star. If he just ends up decent, then youre totally right.

I cant say it isnt rigged, but if i understand correctly there are a lot of balls in there and some teams have multiple balls and some have just one, and a team with just one won it. Consider that each ball in there has the same % chance to be picked. Each team has a different % of outcome, because some have more balls, but each singular ball has the same chance to be picked, so it's not so crazy that the team with just one ball won.

Lets GO.

You have to pay them all, and if you dont, you can use the money elsewhere like on the DL for example. Its not a case of whether Kmet has value, of course he does, its just a matter of cap management, not now, but at the trade deadline or next offseason? I just dont think Kmet is as good as you do. And he will have at least half a season to make his case to both of us.

I'm on the other side of this one re: Loveland and Kmet, but we are 100% aligned, that I need to see it on the field too. I've read all kinds of stuff over the years and gotten overly excited year after year. I wanna see it on the field. I expect we will, but I need to see it. Youre right.