Forgotten Man Doug Kramer Turned Heads Vs. Titans

The Chicago Bears‘ offensive line had a strong performance on Saturday afternoon against the Tennessee Titans. It wasn’t exclusive to the starters, either. Several backups played quite well. One name that most fans probably forgot is Doug Kramer. The 6th round pick out of Illinois was lost to a season-ending injury last year. Most didn’t bother thinking about him after that, feeling he likely had no future on the roster. The Bears didn’t give up on him so quickly. After healing up, he returned to practice and has put in lots of work to improve.

His training camp hasn’t been anything great or terrible. There were some good moments and some rough ones. That is expected from somebody who hasn’t played serious football in a year. Stepping onto the field against Tennessee was his first game action since the preseason opener against Kansas City last August. Based on early reports, he didn’t disappoint. Kramer allowed zero pressures on the quarterback in 22 pass-blocking snaps, including 11 where he was one-on-one. He also earned a strong 80.4 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.

Doug Kramer picked a great time to look sharp.

Chicago has serious question marks along their interior offensive line. Nate Davis remains sidelined with an injury—the same for Lucas Patrick. Matt Eberflus and Luke Getsy must know what they’re working with before considering potential moves on the roster. Saturday proved things might not be as bad as they feared. Kramer looked solid at center, showcasing his tenacity and athleticism. He was also able to stay on his feet most of the game, which was often an issue during his time at Illinois.

Ja’Tyre Carter was also a big winner of the afternoon. He, too, didn’t allow a single pressure on the QB and threw some big blocks on the D.J. Moore and Khalil Herbert touchdowns. It is too early to know what awaits Doug Kramer. Patrick remains the heavy favorite to back up Cody Whitehair at center. One way around that problem is the Bears could list him as a backup guard, which he also has experience playing. That would allow Kramer to stick on the roster as a pure center. However, it will take two more solid performances this month before the former 6th rounder completes what could be an exciting comeback.