logo
Amedgadjie, Trapilo Look To Take Over As The Bears' Left Tackle

Amedgadjie, Trapilo Look To Take Over As The Bears' Left Tackle

Forbes18-07-2025
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 22: Braxton Jones #70 of the Chicago Bears reacts after an apparent ... More injury against the Detroit Lionsduring the second quarter at Soldier Field on December 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by)
Braxton Jones was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2022 draft after spending his college career with the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, who play in the Big Sky Conference. He would have been a success if he started one NFL game but somehow enters his fourth season having been a full-time starter since his arrival.
Yet it seems nobody except the forensic analysts who break down game films has ever truly bought into his ability to protect a quarterback's blind side. After all, how solid can any of the linemen be given the collapsing pockets in front of Caleb Williams and Justin Fields?
To make matters more precarious for Jones, the 310-pound tackle broke his left fibula in gruesome fashion last December, forcing him to be carted off at Soldier Field. He's first going to have to show he's healthy when training camp begins, then win back his position.
A three- or possibly four-headed battle for the No. 1 left tackle's job is among the intriguing storylines that will play out in three exhibition games and shared practices where they will scrimmage with the Dolphins and Bills.
General Manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson overhauled the interior of the offensive line in March by importing Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman and used a second-round pick to select a versatile lineman, the 6-8 Ozzy Trapilo from Boston College. It's notable they didn't target the tackle spot more significantly.
That's a sign they haven't given up on Jones' ability to line up opposite right tackle Darnell Wright, a 2023 first-rounder entering his third season.
Jones has consistently received solid grades from Pro Football Focus. He ranked 21st among 81 qualifying tackles in his 12 games last season after ranking 19th as a rookie and 31st in 2023. His 80.8 pass-blocking grade in '24 was a career high. PFF reports he allowed a pressure on a career-low 6.4 percent of pass plays.
The massive Wright (6-6, 330) was a four-year starter at Tennessee and played more than 1,000 snaps in both of his NFL seasons, missing only one game to injury. He made a notable step forward toward future Pro Bowl consideration in 2024.
PFF graded him 16th among 81 qualifying tackles after ranking him 52nd as a rookie. But Wright's best trait was run-blocking, which may be why he isn't immediately being viewed as competition for Jones at left tackle.
With Jones not yet cleared to practice, Johnson and Poles gave both second-year tackle Kiran Amegadjie and Trapilo first-team reps at left tackle this spring. . There's a clear battle between the two to see who becomes the leading alternate if Jones can't reclaim his spot.
Amegadjie is listed as 6-5, 326 pounds. He played at Yale, where his junior season was ended early due to surgery to repair a torn tendon in his quad, and was viewed as a project when Poles selected him in the third round of the 2024 draft.
Amegadjie played only a total of 125 snaps in six games last season but has impressed with his off-season work. He seems like a reach as a starter, as PFF ranked him 125th among 130 tackles last season.
Trapilo started at left tackle for Boston College in 2022 but moved to right tackle for his final two seasons. He could be an ideal depth piece on both sides of the line but Johnson is giving him a chance to start at left tackle.
'The cool thing to see is Ozzy, for a guy that's a young player, he's really polished in terms of the mental aspect of the game,' Johnson told reporters during OTAs. 'We're looking to key up some things, quicken up his steps, his identification process, and Kiran's done a nice job for the little bit we're had him as well.''
Johnson says he's 'pretty comfortable' keeping Wright on the right side of the line. But if he and his line coaches believe Trapilo has a better chance to succeed on that side they could experiment with Wright on the left side.
'To me, the No. 1 job of an offensive tackle — doesn't matter right or left — is to pass protect,' Johnson said. 'You need to be able to block their best pass rusher one-on-one … We've got to find out who the best pass protector is, the most consistent pass protector, and really that's for all five guys up front.'
Motivation won't be a problem for Jones when he is cleared to return. He's been a high-motor player since his days at Southern Utah, and that doesn't figure to change with him positioned for a lucrative long-term contract if he can retain his position in an upgraded line.
There will be higher-profile position battles in other camps but much of the focus in Chicago is on what's happening at left tackle. Jones will get first dibs when he returns but the Bears look positioned to move forward if he doesn't look like himself when he gets back on the field.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Shedeur Sanders unfazed by lack of first-team reps at Browns camp
Shedeur Sanders unfazed by lack of first-team reps at Browns camp

Yahoo

timea minute ago

  • Yahoo

Shedeur Sanders unfazed by lack of first-team reps at Browns camp

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — If Shedeur Sanders is frustrated about not receiving any snaps with the first team during the first week of the Cleveland Browns' training camp, he isn't showing it. Sanders said on Friday that it is out of his control and not his place to answer why he has worked mainly with the third and fourth teams during the first three days of practice. 'I'm not even going to think about that or have that even in my thought process of why it is,' Sanders said. 'It doesn't make me feel down or it doesn't make me feel left out or anything because I know who I am as a person. I know who I am as an individual, and I know what I could bring to this team.' Sanders — selected by the Browns in the fifth round after a precipitous fall in April's draft — did get some work with the second team for the first time on Friday. He had one of the best throws of the 80-minute practice on a completion down the middle to tight end Blake Whiteheart during 11-on-11 drills. Sanders showed he could bounce back after a bad day of practice. He was unable to throw a pass during a four-play red zone drill on Thursday after snap issues on two plays, a false start, and what would have been a sack. 'I know whenever I get my opportunity, I've got to maximize it,' he said. 'I just got to think about what I could do to get better even if I'm not getting reps.' Coach Kevin Stefanski didn't say if Sanders would receive any first-team snaps. Stefanski did note, though, that he has been happy with Sanders' progress over the past couple of months. 'Yeah, I think Shedeur does a nice job of keeping the main thing, the main thing. He's working hard and keeping his head down,' Stefanski said. There have been 13 sets of 11-on-11 drills during the first three days. Joe Flacco has had the most work with the first team with seven, Kenny Pickett has had five and third-round pick Dillon Gabriel one. Flacco and Pickett are the two main combatants in the four-man competition to see who will be the starter for the Sept. 7 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. All four are getting plenty of snaps on the two practice fields, but there is a difference in who they are working with. Sanders said the one advantage of not getting many snaps is that he has had the opportunity to learn more in-depth about everything instead of on the fly like he did at Jackson State and Colorado, where his father, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, instantly made him the starter. Shedeur Sanders added that the area where he has made the most improvement is being more comfortable with the playbook. 'It's always consistent growth, and it always feels like I just solved a puzzle or anything, like, all the time,' he said. Quarterback coach Bill Musgrave — who was Deion Sanders' teammate during San Francisco's Super Bowl-winning season in 1994 — has been impressed with Sanders' ability to call the play in the huddle as well as calling plays under center. He also added he has seen the same progress from Gabriel, a third-round pick. When it comes to the outside pressures Sanders might face — including heightened expectations from fans — Musgrave said that everyone has pressure, but the approach has to remain the same. 'The focus has got to be on the techniques, the five-step drop, the seven-step drop, being accurate with our throws,' Musgrave said. 'If we can focus on our trade, the external factors take a back seat, which is where they should remain.' While some may waver from the expectations, Sanders has embraced them. He has made a couple of appearances in the Cleveland area, including hosting a community event to benefit residents displaced after an apartment complex fire. He also accepted responsibility for two speeding tickets last month. However, things that are happening off the field are the last thing on Sanders' mind over the next five weeks. 'The external is cool. I'm thankful for it,' he said. 'But hey, when I get out there, I'm not thinking about external. I'm thinking about more, in the organization, thinking about getting the play calls, executing my job, and doing what I've got to do.' ___ AP NFL:

Braves activate third baseman Austin Riley from injured list
Braves activate third baseman Austin Riley from injured list

Yahoo

timea minute ago

  • Yahoo

Braves activate third baseman Austin Riley from injured list

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Atlanta Braves activated third baseman Austin Riley from the injured list on Friday ahead of a weekend series at Texas. Riley hadn't played since straining an abdominal muscle while making a throw on July 11 against St. Louis. The 28-year-old was hitting .274 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs at the time of the injury. The two-time All-Star's return comes with Atlanta fading as the trade deadline approaches. The Braves entered Friday 10 games out of the last wild-card spot in the National League and were 3-5 during Riley's absence. To make room for Riley on the 26-man roster, Atlanta optioned infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. to Triple-A Gwinnett. ___ AP MLB: The Associated Press

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store