BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – For a position that’s been overlooked the last two years, the Chicago Bears now find themselves with an abundance of depth at tight end. There are four players worthy of being on the 53-man roster, including second-year man Kyle Adams, who made the club last summer as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Purdue.

As a rookie, Adams played in just nine games, mostly on special teams, before he ended up on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury. But Adams recovered in time to participate in the Bears’ offseason program, a luxury he did not have last year because of the NFL lockout, and parlayed a strong spring into a solid first three weeks of camp.

Adams spent time lining up on the first team Thursday when the Bears went to a double tight end formation.

“It’s a world of difference, particularly understanding defense and understanding what we are trying to run,” Adams said. “Last year, you’re just trying to take in as much as you can and survive. This year, I feel like I understand what is going on, and I’m just trying to get my technique down.”

Already a proven commodity on special teams, Adams has flashed the ability to stretch the field in the vertical passing game. However, Adams knows he must improve his blocking if he ever wants to be an all-around tight end in the NFL.

“I take a lot of pride in catching the ball, but I really need to work on my blocking,” Adams said. “Catching the ball is always something I’ve been blessed with. Our last year at Purdue, we kind of transitioned to a spread offense so I caught the ball more than I blocked.

“The toughest thing about blocking in the NFL is that everyone is good. There are no bad players with bad techniques. You can’t get away with anything. So you have to be mindful of that.”