The Chicago Bears will have starting left tackle Braxton Jones available for the first time since September when they face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
The Bears officially activated Jones off injured reserve on Saturday in a series of roster moves leading up to their Week 9 road game. They also waived 2022 sixth-round pick and second-year center Doug Kramer Jr. to clear room for Jones on the 53-man roster.
Jones injured his neck in Week 2’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and missed the next six games while recovering from his injury on the reserve list. The return of the 2022 All-Rookie selection brings the Bears another step closer to having their offensive line at full strength for the first time this season. They will still be without right guard Nate Davis against the Saints, though, as he remains out with a knee injury.
The Bears also elevated undrafted rookie linebacker Micah Baskerville from the practice squad to the game-day roster against the Saints. The temporary promotion will give the Bears more depth at the position with starting middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds already ruled out for Sunday’s game with a knee injury.
The Bears will kick off against the Saints at Caesars Superdome at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Braxton Jones’ Future Could Hinge on 2023 Finish
The return of Jones should provide the Bears with better protection on the blindside. Jones had allowed just four pressures over 126 pass-blocking snaps before his injury, earning a sturdy 80.4 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. Larry Borom has also not been living up as his replacement, holding the Chiefs to just one pressure in his first start before allowing two sacks and 22 pressures over his next five games.
If Jones still wants to be a “cornerstone” for the franchise at left tackle, though, he will need to be a rock-solid player for the Bears over the final nine games of the season.
Jones seemed to be on track for a breakout sophomore season with the Bears before injuring his neck. While penalties — five in two games — were a problem for him, he was highly effective as a pass blocker and showing signs of growth as a run-blocker as well. The problem is the Bears are potentially going to have a pair of top-10 draft picks in their possession for the 2024 NFL draft, giving them a shot at one of the top left tackles.
Now, that does not mean the Bears are going to use one of their top picks on a new left tackle, but it does mean Jones cannot afford to have a poor finish to the 2023 season. The Bears stuck by him in the 2023 offseason and opted to draft first-round right tackle Darnell Wright to solidify a different part of their line, but he might not get the same courtesy if the Bears are having doubts about him heading into the 2024 offseason.
Could Doug Kramer Return to Bears’ Practice Squad?
The Bears inevitably had to cut someone from their 53-man roster to make room for Braxton Jones’ return, but it is a little surprising to see them cut ties with Kramer.
The road has been rough for Kramer since the Bears drafted him out of Illinois in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve with a lower leg injury he sustained in training camp. He then suffered another injury in 2023’s camp; although, the Bears decided to carry him on the 53-man roster before placing him on IR this time to give him a shot at returning during the season.
And return Kramer did. The Bears activated him off injured reserve on October 21, and he played his first regular-season snaps the very next day in Week 7’s blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He was one of the only members of their game-day roster not to see any snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8, though, and now finds himself on the waiver wire with just two offensive snaps played in his career.
The Bears might look to re-sign Kramer to their practice squad if he clears waivers, but it is strange to see them cut him in the first place given their evident need for a new center. Kramer might not have been the answer, but keeping a development talent and a recent draft pick at a position of need seems like good business. It would at least make more sense if they got him back on the practice squad to continue his growth.
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Bears Activate Braxton Jones, Cut Ties With Young O-Lineman