Former Player Urges Risky Change To Chicago Bears O-Line

Tom Thayer played offensive line for several years in the NFL. All of that was with the Chicago Bears. It must be killing him to see the team’s front five struggling so much this season, especially along the interior. This is not the way to help a quarterback like Caleb Williams excel. People are scrambling for ideas on how to fix the problem. It is unlikely the team will find a savior from the outside. Free agency is depleted this time of year. That means any solution, if there is one, must be found inside Halas Hall.

Regarding the guard positions, there isn’t much for the Bears to do with Ryan Bates on IR. Their best option is to see if veteran Matt Pryor can give them a little more size and power by rotating him in. However, Thayer’s most surprising idea involved the center spot. Coleman Shelton hasn’t been the worst of the interior blockers thus far, but it is clear he has significant limitations. Thayer believes it might be time for the Bears to give an opportunity to one of their forgotten draft picks.

Doug Kramer has patiently awaited his Chicago Bears opportunity.

Thayer’s logic is simple. Shelton is only 285 lbs, which is light for an offensive lineman, especially against bigger defensive tackles. Kramer is 300 lbs, which would give him more mass to hold his ground against power rushes. He was a 6th round pick out of Illinois in 2022. Unfortunately, an injury slowed his progress that season and he never really got back into the mix at center. Shelton’s early struggles at least crack the door back open. One of the Bears’ best scouts loves his low center of gravity and strong punches, which consistently aided him in pass protection.

There are signs that Kramer has developed well. He has logged 95 snaps across the previous two preseason and did not allow a single quarterback pressure. Obviously, the preseason isn’t the best measuring stick, but it offers some hope that he might be ready for his opportunity. They could use more nastiness in the middle. Shelton won’t be replaced yet. The Chicago Bears are trying to find some continuity up front. Still, if the struggles continue, going to Kramer might be something to try.