Tag: doug kramer

8 Bears players on the roster bubble heading into training camp

These Bears players will need a strong camp to secure a spot on the initial 53-man roster.

Chicago Bears training camp is drawing closer each day and it’s only a matter of time before players report to Halas Hall and begin practicing. While fans are eager to see players such as Justin Fields, D.J. Moore, Tremaine Edmunds, and Jaquan Brisker, training camp will be vital for those near the bottom of the depth chart looking to make the initial 53-man roster.

From former first-round picks to undrafted free agents, everyone will need to do their part to earn a roster spot when practices get underway. Here are eight players on the roster bubble heading into camp that will be worth watching.

Bears 2023 free agency preview: Will the Sam Mustipher era finally come to an end?

Sam Mustipher has drawn the ire of Bears fans for the last two years due to his struggles at center. Will the team finally move on from him?

NFL free agency will be here before we know it, and the Chicago Bears have plenty of players set to hit the market. From key starters to valuable reserves, general manager Ryan Poles will have important decisions to make about who to bring back.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going through each individual player and breaking down their 2022 performance and whether or not they fit in the Bears’ long-term plans.

Up next is center Sam Mustipher, who wound up playing a much bigger role than initially anticipated. But after another down year, will the Bears finally let him go?

Bye week grades for the Bears 2022 rookie draft class

Bye week grades for the Bears 2022 rookie draft class

The Chicago Bears won’t be taking the field this weekend due to their bye week, but it presents a good opportunity to evaluate their 11 draft picks they selected earlier this spring.

Some players have stood out in big ways, while others have disappointed despite getting numerous opportunities. And then there’s the other group that has seen just a few snaps here and there, waiting for their opportunity to make an impact.

After 13 games, here are our grades for the 2022 Bears draft class.

Report: Bears are worried rookie Doug Kramer suffered Lisfranc injury

According to Brad Biggs, the Bears are concerned that rookie Doug Kramer suffered what would likely be a season-ending Lisfranc injury.

Bears rookie center Doug Kramer has been sidelined for the last few days, and it doesn’t sound like good news.

Head coach Matt Eberflus told the media that Kramer has a lower leg injury and there’s no timetable for his return. But according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears are concerned that Kramer suffered a Lisfranc injury, which would likely end his season.

The Bears are now down two centers with Lucas Patrick sidelined with a broken thumb, although he’s expected to be back for the Week 1 opener.

This would be a brutal blow for the hometown rookie, who made an impression during the spring and summer.

Kramer started training camp as Patrick’s backup center, and he saw reps with the first-team after Patrick was sidelined by an injury. Since then, Sam Mustipher has taken over starting duties at center.

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10 players to watch in the Bears’ preseason opener vs. Chiefs

Here are 10 players we’re keeping an eye on when the Bears take on the Chiefs this weekend.

We’re just hours away from the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City opening the preseason at Soldier Field, marking an important milestone in the countdown to the 2022 regular season. First-year head coach Matt Eberflus will make his unofficial coaching debut against one of the best coaches in the league, Andy Reid.

Preseason football can go many different ways, depending on the play calls and players they want available for the game. Both teams appear to be in sync, however, as they each confirmed their starters will play for at least a few series on Saturday. That means fans will get a chance to see not only how the Bears top players will look, but how they look against the Chiefs starters as well.

Last year’s preseason opener was all about the debut of quarterback Justin Fields, who dazzled fans in attendance at Soldier Field with his ability to make big plays. Fields will still get plenty of attention, but who else is worth monitoring? Here are 10 players we’ll be watching when kickoff gets underway on Saturday, August 13 at 12 p.m. CT.

Bears aren’t close to solidifying starting offensive line

Things are looking clearer along the offensive line, but Luke Getsy said the Bears will continue to experiment with different combinations.

The Chicago Bears have been experimenting with different combinations along the offensive line through the first eight practices of training camp. But things have become pretty consistent over the last few days.

Rookie Braxton Jones has taken all of the starting reps at left tackle for the last three practices while Riley Reiff has started at right tackle, where he’s rotated with Larry Borom. Michael Schofield got the first chance with the starters at right guard, and rookie Ja’Tyre Carter has rotated in. Sam Mustipher, who started the summer at right guard, has been working exclusively at center since Lucas Patrick’s injury.

But offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said the team isn’t close to solidifying the offensive line and will continue to experiment with different combinations heading into the preseason.

“We’re still a ways away for a lot of positions, to be honest with you, and that’s one of them,” Getsy said. “We’ve flipped guys from right to left up front and we’re trying to see whatever combination makes the most sense and which guys are the most flexible for us. So we’ve got a lot of information still to find out.

“This has been a really good week for us, though. You talk about some guys that have stepped up and [we wonderered] how are they going to react when there are pads in the run game. That’s the biggest part. I think they’ve done a lot of really good things.”

While the Bears might not be settled on a starting five, it certainly appears the offensive line situation is starting to become clearer.

At this point, it might be fair to say the left tackle job is Jones’ to lose, especially given he’s worked exclusively at left tackle and has received all of the starting reps since the pads came on. The Bear paid Riley Reiff to come and solidify the tackle position, and right now it looks like that might be right tackle.

As Schofield has ramped up, he certainly appears to be the favorite at right guard. While Patrick will be the starting center once he returns from injury, Mustipher looks to be the emergency backup plan. Then there’s Cody Whitehair, who already has the left guard job locked down.

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10 takeaways after the first full week of Bears training camp

The Bears wrapped their first full week of training camp. Here’s what we learned from the first 7 practices.

The Chicago Bears have concluded their first full week of training camp practice at Halas Hall, where they conducted seven workouts, including two with pads.

There was plenty to take in from the first full week of practice, including the offense’s early struggles, the consistent shuffling along the offensive line, an improved secondary and the Teven Jenkins saga.

The Bears return to the practice field on Friday morning, where they’ll hold three straight practices before another off day on Monday.

But before we look ahead to the second week of practices, here’s what we learned after Chicago’s first full week of training camp:

Position battle updates following first week of Bears training camp

Following the first seven practices of training camp, we’re taking a look at how some of the Bears’ top position battles are shaking out.

The Chicago Bears have wrapped their first full week of training camp with seven practices, including two with pads, in the books.

There’s been plenty of competition at multiple positions on the roster, including some shake-ups along the offensive line and at cornerback, as well as some interesting names emerging at wide receiver.

There are no shortage of roster battles we’ve been monitoring at the start of the summer, and there have been some interesting developments through the first portion of camp.

Following the first seven practices of training camp, we’re taking a look at how some of the Bears’ top position battles are shaking out.

Rookies have been stealing the show at Bears training camp

The Bears have one week of training camp in the books, and it’s been the rookies who have made strong impressions.

The Bears have wrapped their first week of training camp, and it’s been the rookies who have been making strong impressions through the first four practices.

Chicago’s top rookies cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker were among the standouts, where they’re establishing themselves as turnover machines. Both Gordon and Brisker have come away with interceptions of quarterback Justin Fields, where their impressive skillsets are on display.

“Ball hawks; that’s what they are, that’s why we brought them here,” said head coach Matt Eberflus. “A person doesn’t change from college. If they have ball skills in college, they still have it. We enhance them by being fanatical and us practicing the way we practice and the drills we do that we’ve done forever and the new ones that we’re incorporating now. We’ll enhance that skill. But it’s got to be a want-to.”

Both Gordon and Brisker, who are expected to start immediately as rookies, could be a problem for opposing offenses. Brisker will be the starting strong safety opposite Eddie Jackson while Gordon has been getting looks both outside and at nickel cornerback.

Then there’s wide receiver Velus Jones Jr., whose blazing speed and playmaking ability has been obvious. On Saturday, Jones was one of the few positives for the offense. He hauled in two deep balls from Fields, including an over-the-shoulder catch from Fields going against Gordon. He’s getting looks at multiple positions at receiver, with the goal being to get him as many opportunities as they can.

“They’re moving me from Z, F, X,” Jones said. “They want me to know everything, so it’s been really fun getting to work with my QBs and stuff like that. But they know my abilities. They know the reason why they drafted me. I am really good with the ball in my hands. Wherever they need me to be, I’m just going to be there and execute.”

The Bears haven’t been afraid to give all of their rookies some valuable reps, and that was especially true along the offensive line last week. All four rookie offensive linemen were starting at one point during Friday’s practice — due to Lucas Patrick’s injury and Cody Whitehair’s veteran rest day.

But from everything we’ve seen dating back to the spring, Chicago feels comfortable putting these rookies in this position. Braxton Jones is competing for a starting tackle job, Zachary Thomas has been a solid No. 2 behind Whitehair, Doug Kramer has been seeing plenty of reps at center with Patrick sidelined and Ja’Tyre Carter has recently seen an uptick in reps at right guard.

While the Bears might not have any rookies starting on the offensive line, they’re certainly getting their opportunities early in camp.

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Bears rookie Doug Kramer is next man up at center

With Lucas Patrick sidelined indefinitely, Bears rookie center Doug Kramer has a great opportunity in front of him.

The Chicago Bears will be without starting center Lucas Patrick for the foreseeable future after head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed Patrick has a right hand injury.

The injury isn’t expected to hold Patrick out of the season opener, but he’s going to miss most of training camp and the preseason. With Patrick sidelined indefinitely, rookie Doug Kramer is the next man up at center.

“Obviously, it’s a great opportunity,” Kramer said, via The Athletic. “It’s still super early in camp, so right now I’m just trying to stay locked in, learn as much as I can and try to go after that spot, for sure.”

Kramer has been taking second-team reps at center throughout the offseason, and he’s emerging as the favorite to be Patrick’s backup in 2022. But the hope is Kramer develops into a starter for Chicago down the line.

“I’ve worked to try to get to that point, and I’ve put in a lot of time studying the playbook and trying to understand things in great detail and depth so I can be a tool for the other guys on the offensive line,” Kramer said. “And that’s a very similar mindset to what I had in Illinois, and I’m just trying to get back to that understanding of the level of detail that’s needed to be a center in this league.”

Considering Sam Mustipher started all 17 games at center for the Bears last season, it’s been notable that Kramer stepped in for Patrick when he exited practice. Kramer has been the one taking reps at center with the starters while Mustipher has been at right guard. But Mustipher did see some center reps at center during Friday’s practice.

“Super smart. Able to make all the calls,” Eberflus said of Kramer. “Sometimes you think, ‘Well, mentally it might be too big for somebody to make the mike points and change protections with the quarterback and make the line calls and be the point guy on that.’ It’s not. He’s able to do that. Now, the physical side of it, he has to learn leverage and how to play and jump to the second level under control and be able to stick and stay on linebackers, you know, understanding all those things. That’s to be expected.”

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