The Baltimore Ravens have stolen blocking tight end Durham Smythe from the Chicago Bears and signed him to a deal, per Yahoo Sports. This news comes after free agent tight end Charlie Kolar's departure to the Los Angeles Chargers, and Smythe is expected to fill Kolar's role as a blocking tight end.
On the surface, losing Smythe might not seem like that serious a hit to the Bears. However, when you break down Smythe's crucial role in the Bears blocking scheme, his loss will most definitely make the Bears run game a lot weaker.
When NFL fans think about what makes a great tight end, they often think of their receiving ability and whether they can move the sticks or score in the red zone. Blocking is one of the most underrated aspects of a tight end's skillset, and Smythe has made a career out of it.
Bears losing Durham Smythe might hurt the team
Despite his lack of production as a receiver, Smythe quickly became a vital chess piece in the Bears' rushing attack.
Smythe ended up being a great fit in Ben Johnson's vertical, run-heavy offense and helped the Bears finish third in team rushing yards, per StatMuse. Only the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens accumulated more rushing yards than the Bears. Thanks to Smythe and a revamped offensive line, both of the team's running backs, D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, rushed for more than 750 yards and five touchdowns each, an impressive feat in today's pass-heavy NFL.
Smythe's versatility will also be missed. Even though he's listed as a tight end on the depth chart, he also served as the team's unofficial fullback. There were multiple times throughout this season when Smythe lined up at fullback.
You know you are doing something right when Brian Baldinger takes notice—that's high praise.
With tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet already on the roster, you can't fault Bears general manager Ryan Poles for not resigning Smythe. It's tough to justify resigning a blocking tight end with the salary cap situation the Bears walked into the new NFL year with. But Loveland and Kmet will most definitely have to step up in the run game and master their blocking assignments without Smythe around.
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Prior to joining the NFL, Smythe played college football at Notre Dame, where he joined a long and illustrious fraternity of Fighting Irish tight ends who went on to play in the NFL. He was drafted in 2018 and spent the first seven seasons of his career as a blocking tight end with the Miami Dolphins before joining the Bears.