The struggles of the Chicago Bears offensive line during the 2024 season were well-documented and very real, but a handful of vital personnel changes during the offseason and the continued development of former 1st Round pick Darnell Wright have put the Bears in a position where there is just one spot along the offensive line that remains uncertain.
If you were wondering whether new Bears head coach Ben Johnson could shed some light on who will end up locking down that fifth and final spot along the offensive line, taking on the crucially important job of protected Caleb Williams’ blindside, don’t hold your breath. Whether it’s Braxton Jones, Kiran Amegadjie or Ozzy Trapilo who earns the job is still very much up in the air.
“Every play matters, it all is going to matter as we go through this thing. I can’t tell you I’ve been through a three-man race before, so each play is going to be evaluated and they’ve got to take full advantage of each opportunity that they get,” Johnson said July 24, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “By Week 1, we’ll know exactly who our starting five are going to be, and if that takes three weeks to figure out, great. If that takes six weeks to find out, no problem.”
Ben Johnson’s ‘Blank Slate’ Statement Could Negate Braxton Jones’ Advantage
With Ben Johnson seemingly in no hurry to establish who will be joining Wright, Jonah Jackson, Drew Dalman and Joe Thuney as the fifth starter along the offensive line, that does give Jones, Amegadjie and Trapilo the chance to truly earn the job during training camp. It would be easy to assume that because Braxton Jones has been the starter at left tackle for each of the last three seasons, he’d have the early leg up on his peers, but Johnson says otherwise.
“I would like to think [Jones’] experience will help him, but we’re coming in with blank slates right now,” Johnson said. “And so just because a guy’s played and another guy hasn’t in this league, we’re going to let the competition play out and we’ll see where it goes.”
Braxton Jones, a 5th round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Southern Utah, was unexpectedly named a starter ahead of Chicago’s season-opener during his rookie season, a testament to just how dire things were for the Bears offensive line three years ago. But surprisingly, Jones held up quite well during his first NFL season, and has remained steady in the two injury-impacted seasons since.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jones has been, at minimum, an average offensive tackle since arriving in the NFL, which is a lot more than you can say about many of the other players who the Bears have started on their offensive line in the last three years.
2022 – 75.4 (21st out of 140 qualified tackles), 70.5 Pass Blocking (54th), 79.4 Run Blocking (13th)
2023 – 68.8 (39th out of 137 qualified tackles), 70.8 Pass Blocking (41st), 68.2 Run Blocking (38th)
2024 – 77.4 Overall (21st out of 140 qualified tackles), 80.8 Pass Blocking (17th), 70.2 Run Blocking (35th)
If Jones weren’t returning from offseason ankle surgery, this may not even be a topic of conversation in Chicago. Then again, with Ozzy Trapilo earning rave reviews over the course of the summer, it’s possible he would’ve forced his way into the mix regardless.
Ozzy Trapilo Welcomes The Change From Right to Left Side
It didn’t take long for Ozzy Trapilo to begin earning rave reviews from folks in Chicago, including general manager Ryan Poles, who has called Trapilo “dependable” and “a technician.” This is an impressive development, not only because Trapilo is just a 23-year-old rookie, but also because he’s in the process of making the adjustment of playing right tackle, as he did at Boston College, to left tackle.
But Trapilo has welcomed the challenge of moving from the right to left side, and in the end, it could clear a path for the towering 6-foot-8 rookie to earn playing time right out of the gate as the choice of Ben Johnson to start at left tackle.
“With new technique, in a way it’s a little easier, I would say, because I don’t go flow state like I do if I were to go on the right side,” Trapilo said back in June. “I kind of just get in those habits, whatever I’ve been taught for so long. So on that foreign side … you’re able to really hone in on the minor differences that these coaches want to see. There’s definitely benefits in that.”
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