Bear Digest

What Ozzy Trapilo's inability to take Bears left tackle job means

Analysis: Some might be disappointed the second-round rookie from Boston College hasn't seized a chance to oust Braxton Jones, but should they?
Gene Chamberlain|
Braxton Jones seems in a strong position now in the left tackle battle but the trick for him will be proving he should keep the spot.
Braxton Jones seems in a strong position now in the left tackle battle but the trick for him will be proving he should keep the spot. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

There's every reason to think Braxton Jones has won the starting left tackle spot, or perhaps retained it is the proper phrasing.

Coach Ben Johnson hasn’t said it yet, but Theo Benedet took no first-team snaps at left tackle on Wednesday in the last practice before Friday night's last preseason game with Kansas City. If that continues into and through the time starters leave the 7 p.m. game against the Chiefs, consider it a case closed.

Benedet has been a wonderful story as an undrafted Canadian with only 32 1/8-inch arms playing left tackle, unless you're Kiran Amegadjie.  It was Amegadjie who was supposed to be the prototypical left tackle type with his 36 1/8-inch arms.

Instead, he's playing as third-team left tackle and his fate is in the wind with cutdown day approaching. He should be safe since it's only his second year. Then again, no one can be certain what the coaching staff thinks of his abilities.

As for second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo, there will be some disappointment in how he quickly faded out of left tackle consideration, how he wasn’t consistently quick enough from his stance according to what Johnson said.

"It's really play speed there," Johnson said. "There are times where the feet have gotten a little bit slow, at times, both in the run game and in pass pro (protection).

"The mental of just speeding up, ball snapped, let's go ahead and get in a good physical position here to block the man in front of me. It's been a little bit of up and down."

Trapilo might even be labeled a poor pick by GM Ryan Poles as a result.  This would be far too premature a conclusion to draw.

It can't even be called a disappointing effort by Trapilo yet.

Trapilo isn't much different than what most second-round offensive linemen have done.

In the 2023 and 2024 drafts 12 offensive linemen went in Round 2 of the draft and seven didn't have starting jobs on opening day.

The average first start of a second-round pick is Week 3 of the regular season. Second-round offensive linemen averaged 11 starts as rookies.

Trapilo could very well wind up starting, although it might need to be at right tackle.

Benedet was talked about by GM Ryan Poles as a potential guard candidate in an interview last week on the team's flagship station, ESPN AM-1000. If he winds up at guard, Trapilo could still be a left tackle if they put Benedet at guard.

It's easy to be disappointed in how Trapilo didn't take the left tackle job when it was there, and had an undrafted Canadian fit into the  spot ahead of him.

Then again, it's easy to be disappointed you didn't win the lottery, too.  Nobody gets everything they want.

The truth is, for second-rounders it's been less than a 50-50 shot for opening day the last two years and they'll get only 11 starts as rookies.

So no need to be disappointed Trapilo couldn't start yet.

Save the disappointment for Jones if he fails to hold onto the position or struggles to get the job done after his battle back from a broken ankle.

It seems likely to be his job and they need him to at least be what he was last year or better.

If he isn't, it's going to be Caleb Williams who will be more disappointed than anyone.

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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.