Colston Loveland was pass blocking earlier this week when a defensive end tried to spin away from him. The Bears’ rookie tight end anticipated it and shuffled to stay between the rusher and the quarterback.
It was a good sign for his surgically repaired right shoulder, and a better sign of his instincts.
“That’s what we’re asked to do as tight ends, especially in this offense,” Loveland said Tuesday after the Bears’ sixth training camp practice at Halas Hall. “You’re not just gonna be a pass-catching tight end or a run-blocking tight end. You’re gonna be asked to do it all, and you wouldn’t want it any other way.
“It feels good.”
The Bears saw those instincts on film — but not on the field during the offseason program while Loveland was recovering from January shoulder surgery. He was ready for the start of training camp, though, and after a ramp-up period has been a standout in the Bears’ two padded practices.
“You can’t gauge, until you get them on the field, the football instincts,” coach Ben Johnson said. “And it showed up from the get-go.”
Monday, Loveland soared into the air and extended his hands high above his head for a completion against cornerback Nahshon Wright. Tuesday, he caught a pass over the middle before being thumped to the ground by safety Kevin Byard, whose first NFL season began when Loveland was 12 years old.
Loveland hit the ground. His shoulder, which he is still getting used to falling on again, felt fine.
“You know the old saying, ‘If you can touch it, you can catch it,’” he said. “Most of the time, that stands true — and that’s how you want it to be.”
He dropped a pass Tuesday that he wished he had back.
“I’m working every day to be better, be perfect,” Loveland said. “Obviously, perfection’s tough.”
The Michigan star’s skillset drew the Bears to him in April. They picked him 10th overall despite having greater needs at tackle and running back — and in part because three tackles were taken with the first nine selections.
Johnson has praised him ever since, even when it was describing how he pushed through rehab on his right shoulder.
“Obviously it puts a pressure on me, the pressure I want to have — to be the best …” Loveland said. “I’m just trying to raise my standard each and every day, make minimal mistakes. If I make mistakes, don’t make the same mistake twice. Just stay on that good side with that rise.”
He climbed the mountain quickly at Michigan, catching 117 passes for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns over three seasons. He had 582 receiving yards last year despite fighting through a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery.
Johnson knows tight ends — he was the Lions’ tight ends coach before being promoted to play-caller. As offensive coordinator, he helped develop tight end Sam LaPorta, who’s totaled 1,615 receiving yards over his first two seasons.
Johnson’s scheme relies heavily on the position — with the Lions last year, Johnson used two tight end sets more than all but two NFL play-callers. The Bears figure to use veteran Cole Kmet, whom Loveland called a “stud,” and the rookie together.
That’s still about six weeks away. Until then, though, Johnson is excited by what he’s seen from the rookie — including him blocking the spin-move.
“Those are things that really stand out to the coaching staff that maybe if you’re just a regular bystander you might not see,” Johnson said. “And it’s really encouraging when you look at a young player like that and the growth that he’s going to be able to have with the more reps that he gets.”
