Everybody knew that the Chicago Bears had the best tight end duo in the NFL, but a recent ranking by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN showed us just how much of an advantage they have. The top ten ranking of NFL tight ends was made by executives, scouts, and coaches. While Kmet did not make the top ten, his teammate Colston Loveland did at number seven.
However, Kmet was listed as an honorable mention. This would put him in the top 15 range. So, the Bears have a tight end who ranked seventh, and their number two is still in the top half of the entire NFL.
This provides context for why the Bears trading Kmet is such a tough decision
Chicago Bears Have Two of the 15 Best Tight Ends in the NFL
A lot of fans and media are projecting the team to trade Kmet. When you initially see this list, it is easy to understand why. Kmet would be a starter for plenty of teams, but is the Bears' number two.
However, the Bears have no real incentive to trade him at this point. He is on a good contract, and the team does not save that much by moving on from him.
The acquiring team is getting a quality starting tight end, but with only two more years left on his deal. So, it is hard for them to find the right price to trade for Kmet.
Rookies are going to come with four-year deals, so you have to either know you will extend Kmet or be sure that those two years will be twice as valuable as a rookie salary. Kmet is a good tight end, but not a game-changing asset.
So, teams are not looking to trade any significant draft assets for him. On the flip side, if the Bears do not get any significant draft capital, they are also not getting enough cap relief to make moving on from him make any sense from their side.
Having two players this well respected across the NFL can be used as a matchup advantage, especially for someone as creative as Ben Johnson.
Most will see Kmet ranked so high and think Why are the Bears still holding onto him? The Bears see him ranked that high and think that they have one of the bigger advantages in the NFL on their side. That is where the disconnect is.
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