Veteran Bears Playmaker is Chicago’s Biggest Offseason Loser So Far
The Bears continued to add on the offensive side of the ball early in the draft with their first three picks going to that side. Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, and Ozzy Trapilo should all be heavily involved in the offense this season under new head coach Ben Johnson.
The offensive line was shored up earlier this offseason via two trades for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, who both should be the starting guards to begin the year.
The Bears’ offense is loaded with talent now, but there is only one ball to go around.
Cole Kmet May Be the Odd Man Out on Offense
Tight end Cole Kmet is coming off his worst year since his rookie season, having only caught 47 balls for 474 yards and four touchdowns.
Anyone who watched a Bears game last season, however, can vouch that it was more often a terrible gameplan versus Kmet underperforming. He was never a big part of the focus and Caleb Williams never got on the same page with him consistently.
The Bears selected Colston Loveland 10th overall so he will definitely play a huge role in the offense, but it will be interesting to see how Johnson deploys him and Kmet. The obvious thought is the Bears can utilize 12 personnel (two wide receivers, two tight ends, and one running back) much more as they will have two solid tight end options.
The Lions ran 12 personnel 32% of the time last season, the third highest in the league. Detroit’s offensive line and running back room was much better than the Bears’, however, so they relied on running the ball — whereas this offense may be looking to put the ball in the air more with the pass-catching weapons they have.
Luther Burden III can potentially throw a wrench in those 12 persoannel plans. The offense on paper has all the players to create mismatches everywhere, but the fact of the matter is they quite literally cannot have all of them on the field at all times. Kmet is not going to provide the route-running and receiving threat that Loveland and Burden will, but he is still a very big body that can threaten zone coverages.
D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Burden and Loveland provide a much scarier looking offense than one with Kmet on the field. I would not be surprised to see Kmet on the field much more on earlier downs than third and in obvious passing situations where Loveland would give the offense a better look.
It is not difficult to visualize a scenario in which Kmet may begin the year as the starting tight end, but seeing his snap total continue to decline as the year goes on. This is definitely a good problem to have, yet the future of Kmet on this team is one to keep an eye on.
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Bears 2025 Draft: Who will have the biggest long-term impact in Chicago?
Topic number four of our Bears post-draft roundtable!
We’ve all had some time to reflect on the 2025 NFL Draft, so give us your answer to this question.
Which of their selections will have the biggest long-term impact for the Chicago Bears?
Jeff Berckes: Taking Colston Loveland is such a big swing, and if he reaches the heights you think he can, he’s a superstar tight end. That could change everything about how the offense is designed and operates. Exciting stuff.
Jacob Infante: I’ll go with Luther Burden III for this one. Coincidentally, I compared him to DJ Moore in my draft guide as my player comparison for him. If he meets those expectations, which I think he can, and if the offense incorporates him properly beyond Year 1, it would be a tremendous value add on Day 2.
Josh Sunderbruch: It better be Loveland. Taking a TE in the top ten when you already have a starting-level TE is a bold move. He has all the tools to be an impact player, and now he needs to show that the team was right in taking him as high as they did. If a team takes a player in the Top 10 and he’s not the biggest impact player they took, something probably went wrong.
Sam Householder: If Ozzy Trapilo becomes a starter on the offensive line, I think he could anchor a spot for years.
Mongo Peanut: Burden. He and Loveland are both young prospects, so they have lots of time to make long-term impacts. With that said, Burden just looks like the type of slot receiver that is destined to put up 80 catches and 1,200 yards year in and year out. With coaching from a savvy route runner like Randle-El, Burden is only going to sharpen.
Erik Duerrwaechter: Eventually, we will see Colston Loveland find his groove and dominate as a nightmare matchup for years to come. Tight End is a notoriously difficult position to settle into at the NFL level. He’s also not going to be asked to be the Bears’ top weapon as a rookie. There’s no pressure on being “the guy” with so many weapons everywhere for the Bears. Give him a couple of years, and he’ll come into his own.
Bryan Orenchuk: I feel Colston Loveland will have the greatest long-term impact on this team. The first hand-picked player with Ben Johnson on staff who quickly morphed Sam LaPorta into an All-Pro and Pro Bowler as a rookie figures to follow a similar path, as both players have similar skillsets.
Dr. Mason West: I almost said Ozzy here because I think he will he a solid NFL player for a decade, but who’s to say he gets a 2nd contract with the Bears? We see quality OL leave in FA all the time. So, I’ll go with Loveland. If he reaches his ceiling, that’s a guy you pay.
TJ Starman: I think a lot of players have potential here, but the obvious answer seems like the most likely one: Colston Loveland. At minimum, I think he’ll be a high-end TE2 over the next 5 years, which is more than I am willing to say for any other pick right now.
Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.: Loveland just turned 21, and if he hits his ceiling, he’ll be a game-changing weapon for several years.
