The Chicago Bears made a clear commitment to strengthening their offensive line this offseason. With key additions through both free agency and the NFL Draft, the roster is shaping up nicely for what promises to be an exciting first season under new head coach Ben Johnson.
Even some Bears legends have taken notice of the team’s efforts, including Kyle Long, who took to X to share his excitement about some of the newest faces on the line.
“Joe Thuney Ozzy Trapilo and Drew Dalman have to be the smartest trio in OL. Thuney is a chess master Trapilo wearing 75 and BC guy and Dalman is a Stanford man. Fires me up. Blitz meetings could be very quick!”
More than Just Smarts on the Offensive Line
GettyBears new addition Joe Thuney will bring more than just his smarts.
Make no mistake: Thuney is a future Hall of Famer. Last season, he was one of just two offensive linemen to log at least 200 snaps at both guard (850) and tackle (210). Projected to start at left guard for the Bears, Thuney allowed just a 4.4% pressure rate, the third-lowest among all qualified left guards, proving he’s still among the league’s elite even at age 32.
A much-needed addition, Dalman will step in and immediately become a cornerstone of the Bears’ offensive line. He was left one-on-one on 45.4% of pass-blocking snaps (second-highest rate among centers), yet allowed just a 4.0% pressure rate, ranking fifth in that group. Dalman is also an outstanding run blocker, earning a 93.0 outside zone blocking grade since 2022. That’s only behind Trent Williams (97.5), Chris Lindstrom (96.1), Frank Ragnow (94.9), and Penei Sewell (94.1).
While Thuney and Dalman are proven veterans, seeing a rookie like Trapilo earn similar praise has to be a huge confidence boost. Standing at a massive 6’8″ and 316 pounds, Trapilo is regarded as a technically sound player with real potential to contend for the starting left tackle spot.
Competition Brewing at Left Tackle
GettyBears rookie Ozzy Trapilo is focused on getting on the field as soon as possible, even if that means at left tackle.
Despite playing at right tackle during his time at Boston College, Trapilo is focused on getting on the field as soon as possible, even if it means at left tackle.
“My main goal is to go out there and show who I am as a player,” Trapilo said after his first Bears practice. “Just put it out there. Then let the coaches make decisions of where, when, how I fit with whatever it is.”
Ben Johnson also gave Trapilo some high praise, noting, “He’s exactly who we thought he was going to be. He’s super smart. We had a meeting last night with (the players) and a meeting this morning with them, and he was able to apply those concepts to the field immediately. He’s very advanced in that regard.”
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this was Trapilo’s motivation to be successful at the NFL level, stating, “Throughout college, I knew I wanted to play in the NFL. To do so, you have to be versatile. That’s the quickest way to get on the field. So after practice, even though I was at right tackle the last two years in college, I was working (on the) left, making sure that it’s still smooth, that it still feels good.”
For quarterback Caleb Williams, all this positive momentum around the offensive line should be music to his ears, knowing the unit in front of him is drawing praise and preparing to give him the protection he didn’t have last season.
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