Bear Digest

Kiran Amegadjie works to even out odds in three-way tackle battle

The second-year Chicago Bears tackle is trying to beat out Braxton Jones and Ozzy Trapilo, and could be the team's most improved player.
Gene Chamberlain|
Chicago area native Kiran Amegadjie addresses the media about his threeway battle for starting Bears left tackle.
Chicago area native Kiran Amegadjie addresses the media about his threeway battle for starting Bears left tackle. | Chicago Bears On SI Photo: Chicago Bears Video

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Chicago Bears

It's probably a coin flip for worst coaching decision made by the Bears since the Mike Ditka era: Giving tackle Kiran Amegadjie his first start at Minnesota last year or giving Justin Fields a game plan without extra blocking at Cleveland in his starting debut.

Amegadjie experienced a terrible fate at a noisy indoor stadium, without being given much advance notice or practice time for the start, and also after spending his first offseason and training camp unable to participate due to rehab from quad muscle surgery.

Amegadjie on that day allowed a sack and four pressures according to Pro Football Focus. He also had two holding penalties, a false start and another flag for being downfield illegally. The Bears have definitely had players with more smashing debuts.

From looking at him now, it doesn't seem like the same player. If he’s not the most improved Bear over last year, he’s in the top two.

"Yeah, you know I would say that those are things that you look at and that you learn from those situations," Amegadjie recalled about his start vs. the Vikings. "At the end of the day, you have to be ready when your number is called.

"So, on the back of that, this offseason it was, how do I get myself in a position where, no matter what the circumstances, if my number is called upon, can I go out there and perform as well as whoever was out there before me if I’m not the one out there? So, you know, I think those are learning opportunities that I grew from and those are last year. And I’m a completely different person and a different player this year, I feel like."

Locked in a three-way battle with Braxton Jones and Ozzy Trapilo for left tackle, the new Amegadjie does truly look like a different player. He is more confident and uses his physicality while knowing the blocking assignment.

"So, obviously not every game is going to be perfect, but I think I’ll be in a position to bounce back a lot better than I was last year," Amegadjie said.

This year Amegadjie has had the opportunity to work all offseason and get better instead of rehabbing.

While everyone else is going through the physical torture of camp in the heat and humidity, Amegadjie is one who smiles about it because he remembers when he lacked this luxury, as tough as it is.

"My body might feel a little worse than it did at this point," Amegadjie said. "But yeah, I think that’s the main difference. It’s been a pleasure, really. I wish I had this opportunity last year. I’m really enjoying competing. I’m really enjoying playing with all these guys and learning."

To Amegadjie, last year was disappointing because he says he usually thrives in situations like he faced in Minnesota. But he was moving up to the NFL after playing just a year-plus at Yale.

"I’ve always kind of prided myself on that," he said. "Whatever the situation was, whether it was in college or coming out last year, whatever it was I tried to do my best to control what I can control. That’s all you can do.

"When you start to worry about outside factors that’s kind of when you get led astray a little bit. So, it’s not that much of a challenge. For me, I think it’s helping me, actually to just be able to focus on what I need to do."

The Bears knew they needed to bolster Amegadjie's confidence heading into OTAs. Line coach Dan Roushar and coach Ben Johnson said as much then. The physical part has come along nicely as he has those 36-inch-plus arms working in his favor against pass rushers.

Coach Ben Johnson has his own way of judging the three-way batt.e.

"I said in the springtime, tackles to me have to be able to pass protect one-on-one on a regular basis and win those one-on-one matchups," Johnson said. "So, guys that are out there that we're not having to be conscious of with a play call to give them help all the time, that would be ideal.

"It certainly is not the case everywhere I've been over the years, you've had to help them out with the play calls, but those guys that can block a defensive end one-on-one, they'll be really at a premium.”

Amegadjie's technique seems ready.

"I think I’m moving pretty well right now," Amegadjie said. "I think I’m using my length better than I did last year. My set looks cleaner to me, just trying to make that more consistent. Just overall looks cleaner.

"And I think in terms of scheme and playbook-wise, I think I’m in a much better position this year than I was last year."

The three-way battle with Jones and Trapilo rages daily and Amegadjie can't be discounted just because Trapilo is a second-round pick and he was a third-rounder, or because Jones has three years experience.

"I mean those guys are amazing," Amgadjie said. "Braxton and Ozzy, great guys, super nice. Yeah, we’re competing on the field, but we’re teammates at the end of the day. I think all three of us want to see the best thing for the team happen at the end of this."

He described a situation in the meeting rooms where the three are helping improve each other's games instead of wishing ill will upon the other guy.

Maybe the other key factor in his improvement is the coaching.

“When we’re in the meeting room, it’s talking me through what they’re seeing and giving me fixes for next time," Amegadjie said. "When I’m doing something great, telling me what I’m doing on that play is what they’re looking for so that I can replicate that the next time.

"And they’re on me every day. They’re pushing me and coaching me hard.”

No one should be able to push him out onto the field again when he's not ready, regardless of the opponent.

A year in the NFL and an offseason and training camp under his belt have seen to this.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.