Battle in the Trenches: Bears Rookie Aims for the Starting Spot
The offensive line has been a massive issue for the Chicago Bears recently. However, there are high hopes for this upcoming year. There was a massive rehaul of the interior of the line once the offseason began, with the interior of the line remade, and the focus turned to the tackles. The right tackle spot is locked up by last year's first-round selection, Darnell Wright. However, the battle for left tackle is wide open, with the candidates being returning starter Braxton Jones, second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo, and 2024 third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie.
This becomes a crucial battle heading into training camp to see who will protect Caleb Williams' blind side. Jones has the most experience among the three competitors, having started a total of 40 games, including 12 last season. While Jones may be the returning starter, he begins at a disadvantage. He underwent surgery this past season for an ankle injury, and while he is expected to have a full recovery, he will not be fully present and healthy for camp. This means that Amegadjie and Trapilo will have the opportunity to start with the first team offense. These reps allow coaches to see the progress Amegadjie has made, as well as the chance to test out Trapilo at the left tackle position.
Amegadjie is the wildcard in the race. As a third-round pick, he had high hopes when drafted in 2024. This did not amount to a whole lot of success this past year, as he started only one game for the Bears. In addition to that, it was under the previous coaching regime that resulted in the current staff having no attachments to him. He may have the most uphill battle of the three, but he remains in the race with Trapilo to unseat Jones and win the left tackle battle.
The final competitor, Trapilo, finally agreed with the Bears after the delayed second-round signings. This allows him to be fully present throughout training camp. As previously mentioned, the first team reps are up for grabs right now. Trapilo’s high draft capital investment, being a second-round pick, bodes well for his chances to be granted these opportunities. He may hold some of the most optimism of the three, being an early-round selection out of Boston College. Unfortunately for him, he does have the disadvantage of being a rookie transitioning from primarily right tackle to left tackle, which he did play a little in college. While Trapilo may have the health advantage over Jones and the investment advantage over Amegadjie, it is still a wide-open race. This competition to round out the starting line and protect Williams is one that is sure to be monitored closely throughout training camp.
