The preseason is all about players taking advantage of the opportunity. Whether it is a roster spot or a depth chart spot, there is always a chance to be taken before the season starts. For the Chicago Bears, there are some players who will have one of the best opportunities of their career in week two of the preseason.
3. Doug Kramer may not get more experience at center with the Chicago Bears
Doug Kramer is a seventh-round pick from Illinois entering his second season in the NFL. Kramer played about 20 snaps in his preseason debut last year and suffered a season-ending injury. He tried to play through the injury, and you could tell because it impacted his play in that game.
So, his rookie season was a wash. He entered year two but saw Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick ahead of him on the depth chart. Fortunately for him, those two have a long history of injuries, and they are both getting older. Patrick has not practiced in over a week, while Whitehair just went down on Thursday this week.
Whitehair only played seven snaps in the preseason opener, and with Justin Fields sitting out, Whitehair probably was not even going to play in week two at all. Now, it is pretty official with the injury.
So, last week, Kramer got to play a career-high 41 snaps in the preseason. He tied Larry Borom and Alex Leatherwood for the most snaps in the game. This week, he is expected to start, and he may end up playing the entire game.
Josh Lugg saw eight snaps last week, and Whitehair played seven. Those are the only snaps that Kramer did not play. Whitehair is out, and the Bears really need to see more from Kramer than Lugg anyway. If Kramer does not play the full game, it will be a few fourth-quarter snaps that he sits. This will be the most snaps he gets to play in the NFL and his first start as well. This is his chance.
2. Can Greg Stroman steal a roster spot?
Greg Stroman is an interesting name to watch rise up the depth chart. He started off as a practice squad member last year, but this year he is really pushing to make the team. In 2018, he had a strong year for Washington, but 2019-2021 were filled with injuries. He spent 2022 just staying healthy, and adapting to the Chicago Bears scheme. Now, in 2023, he is a sleeper to make the team.
The big thing that Stroman has going for him is that he can play the slot. Kyler Gordon will start in the slot, but he has been the best player in camp and only played ten snaps last week. He may not even play this weekend. That would open the door so wide for Greg Stroman to get immense work.
Josh Blackwell was and is the backup slot, but Blackwell was and is banged up. He is not going to play this weekend, making it two straight weeks he has been out. With Blackwell out, Stroman has stepped in to be the backup slot cornerback.
Stroman played 27 snaps last week, all of them in the slot. He played well and has shown the continued ascent from last season. Now, he has a shot to lock it down. Macon Clark was the only slot who played after Stroman, and he will not make the roster. If the Bears wanted, Stroman could play the first three quarters or nearly a full game.
The combination of his rise and the fall of Blackwell has made this interesting. This week will show us plenty.
1. The Chicago Bears should play Tyson Bagent a ton in preseason week two
The Chicago Bears already announced that Justin Fields will sit the second preseason game. Fields only played seven snaps in the preseason opener, but that does open more chances to play for Tyson Bagent. When looking at the roster, the team would be wise to play Bagent more.
The Chicago Bears played Fields for seven snaps, PJ Walker for seven snaps, and then Nathan Peterman got 16 snaps with Bagent finishing up with 17. You would assume the team wants to see Walker in an extended role since he will make it as the backup. However, that would be the first quarter, and maybe a bit into the second. He would probably be done by the two-minute drill before halftime.
The Chicago Bears could play Bagent in the two-minute drill if they felt strong. However, they could also play Peterman in that high-leverage spot and then have him lead the team out. These are two areas where Bagent may be best to watch a veteran anyway. Then, from the second drive of the third quarter through the end of the game, Bagent should throw as many passes as he likes.
The Bears would be wise to give him at least a full quarter of action, and he should leave this game with the most experience of his career. This will be a huge moment.