Chicago Bears minicamp report: Cole Kmet excited to work, compete with Colston Loveland

LAKE FOREST – Bears fans weren’t the only ones surprised when general manager Ryan Poles selected tight end Colston Loveland in the first round of this year’s draft.

Tight end Cole Kmet told reporters at the first day of mandatory minicamp Tuesday that he was taken aback when the selection was announced. But new head coach Ben Johnson called Kmet after the pick and explained the team’s reasoning.

“From there, you’re all on board on it and kind of understand their vision,” Kmet said. “You understand that there’s going to be areas where we complement each other, and there’s obviously – just like any position room – there’s going to be areas that we compete for things. That’s football, and that’s how it should be.”

The selection of Loveland was a surprise at the time given Kmet’s role on the team and other roster needs. Kmet, whom the Bears drafted in the second round in 2020, seemed destined to be a part of the Bears’ future after Poles signed him to a four-year, $50 million contract extension in 2023.

Johnson initially reassured Kmet about where he stood with the Bears when they talked right after the selection. The two had a longer talk later, and Kmet said he felt good leaving the conversation. Kmet had a better understanding of what his role would be in Johnson’s offense and felt like the talk cleared the air a bit.

“He’s a pro, takes his work seriously, positive energy, great teammate,” Johnson said. “You could tell instantly when he was around the other offensive players, the rest of the team, there’s an instant respect level. I believe he’s been here the longest out of anybody on the roster right now, and you can tell that they respect him for that. There’s a lot to be said there. He’s done things the right way for a long time, and so it’s been great, not just him learning the offense but helping others in the process as well.”

Now Kmet and Loveland will need to figure out how they will complement each other in Johnson’s offense. That’ll take some time. Loveland hasn’t gotten a chance to practice this offseason as he recovers from shoulder surgery and likely won’t be ready until training camp.

Kmet told reporters he hasn’t been asked to be a mentor for Loveland. There still are things the veteran wants to work on and achieve. But he did say he’d pass along as much knowledge as he could to Loveland so that he’ll be ready to succeed when he hits the field.

“I’m excited about it, to not only push him and for him to push me, and we’re going to make each other better,” Kmet said, “I think the goal with it is to become the best 12 [personnel] tandem in the league and see where we can take it from there.”

The addition comes as Kmet goes through another offseason of change in his career. He’ll play for his third full-time Bears head coach this fall under Johnson.

“From there, you’re all on board on it and kind of understand their vision. You understand that there’s going to be areas where we complement each other, and there’s obviously – just like any position room – there’s going to be areas that we compete for things. That’s football and that’s how it should be.”

—  Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears tight end

Kmet also will try to regroup from a down season last year when he didn’t get many targets. He finished with 474 receiving yards on 47 receptions and 55 targets, all the lowest in his career other than his rookie season.

Kmet echoed what many of his teammates have said about Johnson’s intensity and attention to detail. He felt that intensity himself during an organized team activities practice when Johnson stopped a play because Kmet wasn’t lined up in the right spot.

But Kmet felt he could succeed under Johnson, as long as he put the work in.

“I think it’s been evident, like you gotta go out and earn it, which I can respect and I can totally understand, like things aren’t just gonna – you’re not gonna understand how to make things work, just ‘cause, you know, like you gotta show it on the field, and I think that’s what’s been cool about this process so far,” Kmet said. “So, definitely looking forward to finishing up these last few days, putting good stuff on tape going into the break, and then in camp it’s, you know, it’s big go-time with when the pads come on and roles really declare themselves.”

Who’s at left?

The open competition at left tackle continued Tuesday. Kiran Amegadjie earned snaps with the first team, while second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo took snaps with the second team.

The two have switched off with who works with the first team for much of the offseason, and that will continue with this week’s minicamp. They’re both competing for the spot because starter Braxton Jones is out recovering from a late-season ankle surgery.

Johnson said the battle was an ongoing competition and it was hard to jump to any conclusions without having the pads on. But Johnson and the coaching staff will be looking for something when deciding who starts at left tackle.

“The No. 1 job of an offensive tackle, doesn’t matter right or left, is to pass protect,” Johnson said. “And so you need to be able to block their best pass rusher one-on-one. To me, that’s the No. 1 job, and everything we can get out of them in the run game will be gravy on top of it.”

Perfect attendance

The Bears didn’t have any no-shows at the start of minicamp Tuesday.

“We had everyone in the building here today,” Johnson said. “Whether they’re out there on the field or not it’s another story, but it was good to get everyone together.”

Cornerback Kyler Gordon, linebacker TJ Edwards and second-round pick wide receiver Luther Burden III didn’t practice after Johnson said they were dealing with soft-tissue issues last week. Linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga and offensive linemen Jones and Ryan Bates also didn’t practice.