The exact phrase Ben Johnson used on draft night was: “We’re cooking with hot grease now.”
The Chicago Bears coach was on the phone with Colston Loveland, whom the team was about to select with the No. 10 pick.
Bills Bears Football
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland is tackled by Buffalo Bills cornerback Brandon Codrington during the first half of an NFL preseason football game on Aug. 17 in Chicago. Kamil Krzaczynski, Associated Press
“You’re exactly what we’re looking for,” Johnson told Loveland.
Four months later, the Bears are about to debut Johnson’s offense in Monday night’s season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. In three years as the offensive coordinator in Detroit, Johnson worked wonders, building the Lions offense into a juggernaut. The tight end position was a big part of that success.
Now, as Johnson embarks on his first season in Chicago, the tight end position appears to be a big part of his plans. Look no further than his first draft pick.
The Bears can pair Loveland with returning veteran Cole Kmet in what they hope could become one of the league’s best one-two punches.
People are also reading…
“I’ve said this many times, but they’ve welcomed me with open arms,” Loveland said of his fellow tight ends. “They’ve helped me, especially early on with the playbook and everything. Yeah, I think we compliment each other well. All the tight ends do.”
In addition to Loveland and Kmet, the Bears kept veteran blocking tight end Durham Smythe on the 53-man roster.
Pretty much since draft night, the Sam LaPorta comparisons have been endless for Loveland. The Lions drafted LaPorta with the 34th pick in 2023. LaPorta made an instant impact, going to the Pro Bowl and earning second-team All-Pro as a rookie.
Loveland said on draft night that he was a big fan of LaPorta’s game. Now he might be filling a similar role in Johnson’s offense.
LaPorta added an extra dynamic to a Lions offense that already was humming at the end of the 2022 season. Then last year, as the Lions marched to a 15-2 season, Johnson’s offense used two tight ends at one of the highest rates in the league — more than 30% of offensive snaps.
With Loveland and Kmet, the idea is to create something similar.
SPORTS-HOW-CHICAGO-BEARS-DIVVY-UP-1-TB.jpg
Chicago Bears tight ends Durham Smythe (81), Cole Kmet (85), Colston Loveland (84) and Jordan Murray (48) head to the next drill during training camp on July 29 at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill. Stacey Wescott, Chicago Tribune/TNS
Tight ends are like wild cards. They can block and they can run routes. Being able to use two of them interchangeably gives the offense more opportunities to cause confusion for a defense.
“Once we get into the games, we will be a lot more specific which plays are for who,” Johnson said during training camp. “Or there might be plays where it really doesn’t matter who is out there for those. We just get in a flow of a game and maybe a guy, he’s the primary one in 11 personnel (with three receivers and one tight end) for that series, unless we get to one of the specific play calls.”
Asked how Johnson elevates the play of the tight ends, Loveland said it’s all in the details. Multiple Bears players have spoken over the offseason about how detailed Johnson is at every position group.
Johnson understands how all 11 players are intertwined. He knows what each position should be doing. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent said in the spring that Johnson could be the position coach for every position — offense or defense.
It’s no different for the tight ends.
“He just comes in, very detailed, tells us what to do and if we go out and do it, it normally works,” Loveland said. “Just got to listen to what he says.”
Asked about the rookie, Kmet made a point to mention Loveland’s abilities as a run blocker. That was an underrated part of his game coming out of college. Everybody noticed Loveland’s pass-catching skills, but he learned to block in a pro-style offense at Michigan.
SPORTS-FBN-WIEDERER-COLUMN-TB
Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet breaks free from Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andre Cisco before scoring a touchdown in the second quarter last season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune/TNS
“He brings good physicality in the run game,” Kmet said. “That’s not easy to do as a rookie coming into the league. I know how it was for me at first, but he handles his own, that’s for sure.”
Speaking with the Tribune over the summer, Loveland’s college tight ends coach, Steve Casula, was quick to dispel any notion that Loveland is simply a pass-catcher.
“He’s in the game to help us run the football,” Casula said.
Traditionally, tight end has been a difficult position to make the transition from college to the pros. The position’s natural versatility means it’s akin to learning the workload of an offensive lineman and a receiver combined. But tight ends from certain programs that run pro-style offenses — such as LaPorta coming out of Iowa and Brock Bowers from Georgia — have bucked that trend in recent years.
Loveland, coming out of Michigan, is well-positioned to make an immediate impact.
“It’s impressive when you can come in and handle your own and show the coaches and gain the coaches’ trust,” Kmet said.
How Johnson divvies up the touches and snaps between Loveland and Kmet is one of the more intriguing subplots in Week 1. Presumably both will be on the field plenty.
“He’s going to put us in the best position to succeed,” Loveland said. “He’s going to give us all the plan and the tools.”
0 Comments
Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!