CincyHSfootball
Well-known member
Since the other thread on Tommy is locked I thought I would start a new one focused on his journey of making an NFL team. Tuesday at 4ET is the cutoff for all teams to name their 53 man roster.
Tommy is with the Detroit Lions and has held his own. Here is a Lions reporter today talking about his chances of making the 53 man roster.
All the best to Tommy. If not Detroit there is a good chance another team in need of OL could pick him up.
Which player is a dark horse to make the 53-man roster?
My answer: I think Tommy Kraemer is an unexpected candidate that could make the roster.
Kraemer has seen plenty of action this preseason, including playing every single snap in the game versus the Colts. The undrafted rookie guard has performed decently, although not amazingly. What makes Kraemer a possible roster candidate is the injury bug that has plagued the offensive line.
The most serious injury occurred to tackle Dan Skipper, who was having an outstanding preseason. He was forced to leave the Colts game on a cart, which does not bode well for his chances of playing any time soon. Additionally, Tyrell Crosby has also been nagged by injuries so far in training camp. While Kraemer does not play tackle, those injuries could result in Matt Nelson playing exclusively at tackle—Nelson saw action at guard in Game 1 against the Bills.
Logan Stenberg is the top guard backup, but he, too, suffered an injury against the Colts. He was able to walk off the field, but he did not look comfortable. Suddenly, that injury could thrust Kraemer into the role of top reserve guard. The remaining offensive line depth includes Evan Brown, Evan Heim, and Darrin Paulo. Brown is a center by trade and seems likely to make the team as Frank Ragnow’s backup. Heim has been shifted around in preseason from guard to center, indicating that the team is trying to find a spot for him—not a great sign. Paulo is a tackle, and hasn’t done enough in preseason to warrant keeping him.
If the Lions are concerned about Stenberg, they could keep Kraemer on the 53-man roster if they do not want to risk him getting claimed on waivers. Lions could opt to cut both of their kickers, as I suggested earlier, and that would free up an extra roster spot for Kraemer. Then, once the roster was established, they could move Stenberg to the Injured Reserve and bring back a kicker.
Jeremy had Kraemer on his 53-man roster prediction, and I am inclined to agree. I don’t know if Kraemer would last the entire season on the active roster, but I think he could sneak onto the initial roster.
Tommy is with the Detroit Lions and has held his own. Here is a Lions reporter today talking about his chances of making the 53 man roster.
All the best to Tommy. If not Detroit there is a good chance another team in need of OL could pick him up.
Which player is a dark horse to make the 53-man roster?
My answer: I think Tommy Kraemer is an unexpected candidate that could make the roster.
Kraemer has seen plenty of action this preseason, including playing every single snap in the game versus the Colts. The undrafted rookie guard has performed decently, although not amazingly. What makes Kraemer a possible roster candidate is the injury bug that has plagued the offensive line.
The most serious injury occurred to tackle Dan Skipper, who was having an outstanding preseason. He was forced to leave the Colts game on a cart, which does not bode well for his chances of playing any time soon. Additionally, Tyrell Crosby has also been nagged by injuries so far in training camp. While Kraemer does not play tackle, those injuries could result in Matt Nelson playing exclusively at tackle—Nelson saw action at guard in Game 1 against the Bills.
Logan Stenberg is the top guard backup, but he, too, suffered an injury against the Colts. He was able to walk off the field, but he did not look comfortable. Suddenly, that injury could thrust Kraemer into the role of top reserve guard. The remaining offensive line depth includes Evan Brown, Evan Heim, and Darrin Paulo. Brown is a center by trade and seems likely to make the team as Frank Ragnow’s backup. Heim has been shifted around in preseason from guard to center, indicating that the team is trying to find a spot for him—not a great sign. Paulo is a tackle, and hasn’t done enough in preseason to warrant keeping him.
If the Lions are concerned about Stenberg, they could keep Kraemer on the 53-man roster if they do not want to risk him getting claimed on waivers. Lions could opt to cut both of their kickers, as I suggested earlier, and that would free up an extra roster spot for Kraemer. Then, once the roster was established, they could move Stenberg to the Injured Reserve and bring back a kicker.
Jeremy had Kraemer on his 53-man roster prediction, and I am inclined to agree. I don’t know if Kraemer would last the entire season on the active roster, but I think he could sneak onto the initial roster.