The Seattle Seahawks quietly made a big roster trade-off in the middle of their playoff push. Seattle signed former Chicago Bears center Doug Kramer to the practice squad and released running back and Washington Huskies legend Myles Gaskin to make room, the team announced Thursday.
Seahawks Add Ex-Bears Center, Move On From Myles Gaskin
The Kramer signing is a classic late-season Seahawks move: a low-key transaction that screams “insurance policy” more than headline splash. Kramer joins the practice squad as interior offensive line depth, specifically at center, where Seattle has taken multiple injury hits.
Starting center Jalen Sundell is on injured reserve with a knee injury, and the Seahawks have also been dealing with issues at guard, forcing them to shuffle roles for backups who can snap in an emergency. The Kramer move lets Seattle bring in a pure center with NFL experience rather than continuing to lean solely on versatility from younger linemen.
To create the opening, the Seahawks released Gaskin from the practice squad, ending — at least for now — the latest chapter of the former Husky’s homecoming. Gaskin had been depth behind a running back room built around Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, George Holani and making him the logical odd man out when Seattle decided it needed another center more than a fifth running back.
What Doug Kramer Signing Means for Seahawks’ Offensive Line
On paper, Kramer is “just” a practice-squad addition. In reality, with the Seahawks in a tight NFC race and already dipping into their depth up front, he is one more injury away from being asked to snap the ball in meaningful games.
Olu Oluwatimi remains the starter at center, but Seattle has been one more setback away from having to rely on a guard or inexperienced backup to handle protections and shotgun snaps. Kramer gives them a more traditional safety net: a center who can come in, call out fronts and get the ball to Sam Darnold cleanly if something goes wrong.
The timing is also notable. Seattle visits the Tennessee Titans in Week 12, a road game against a physical front where one bad snap or miscommunication can flip momentum fast. Shoring up the middle of the line days before that matchup is a clear signal that the Seahawks are not willing to gamble with their protection, even if it means saying goodbye to a popular local running back.
Who Is Doug Kramer? Background on Seahawks’ New Center
Kramer, 27, was a sixth-round pick by the Bears in the 2022 NFL draft out of Illinois, where he was a multi-year starter at center. He’s listed at 6-foot-2 and just over 300 pounds, a compact build that fits the leverage game teams like in the middle of the line.
His rookie year in Chicago was wiped out by an injury that landed him on injured reserve, but he fought back to appear in 18 games over the past two seasons, mostly as depth and on special teams. He has also spent time on the practice squad and briefly with the Arizona Cardinals before rejoining the Bears.
For the Seahawks, Kramer’s appeal is simple: he is a true center with recent NFL snaps who can pick up protections quickly and step in if needed, while still being manageable as a practice-squad stash. In a season where one bad injury streak could derail a playoff run, that kind of under-the-radar move is exactly the kind of Seahawks news that ends up mattering in December.
What’s Next for Seattle
Seattle’s roster juggling is rarely finished this time of year, and the Kramer-Gaskin swap likely won’t be the last move before the regular season wraps. If injuries hit the running back room, Gaskin could always re-emerge as a candidate to return, just as other familiar faces have cycled on and off the practice squad under John Schneider and Mike Macdonald.
For now, though, the story is clear: the Seahawks chose center depth over a fan-favorite running back as they gear up for a bruising stretch that starts in Tennessee.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Seahawks Cut Ties With Huskies Legend to Add Ex-Bears Draft Pick Before Titans Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.