The Player Happiest To See Shane Waldron Reportedly Isn't Who You Think

Shane Waldron was brought in by the Chicago Bears to improve the offense across the board. Most believed Matt Eberflus' primary goal was to have somebody who could develop a young quarterback. Waldron brings plenty of such experience. He was in L.A. when the Rams turned Jared Goff into a Pro Bowler. Then, he helped Geno Smith revive his career in Seattle. Yet it goes beyond that. Waldron can help plenty of other players at different positions. In fact, one name stands to benefit the most from his arrival.

That is Cole Kmet.

Brett Kollmann of The Film Room explained on 670 The Score that Waldron's offense resembles the system that the New England Patriots ran in the early 2010s. That was when they had Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez simultaneously. They weaponized the tight ends more than most teams ever had before. Waldron leans into that style. Last season, the Seahawks ran out of "12" personnel (two tight ends) and "13" personnel (three tight ends) on over 30% of their total offensive plays. That means they get the tight ends involved a lot.

Kmet is easily the best Waldron has coached to this point. That bodes well for the upcoming season.

Kmet might be the biggest untapped resource for Shane Waldron.

Keep in mind the tight end has continued improving his production over the past three years despite two different offensive systems and a quarterback widely known for struggling as a passer. If he gets an offensive coordinator that works to his strengths and a QB that can put the ball on him, 2024 might be a true breakout season for him. That is saying something, considering the Bears also have other mouths like D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze to feed. It speaks to how stacked this unit has suddenly become.

Shane Waldron is no stranger to juggling lots of talent. He watched Sean McVay do it in Los Angeles with Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Todd Gurley, Gerald Everett, and Cooper Kupp. Waldron did it in Seattle with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Noah Fant, and Kenneth Walker. It is always about making sure everybody gets to touch the football. Spread it around. Yet, always go with the hot hand. Don't be surprised if Kmet ends up being that guy a lot this year because of the attention his new teammates draw.