Windy City Gridiron
Braxton Jones, Kiran Amegadjie, and Ozzy Trapilo are proving that Ben Johnson can’t go wrong in naming a starter.
Ben Johnson has made competition central to his mission to turn around the downtrodden Bears, and after watching the Jones/Amegadjie/Trapilo pressers, there should be zero question as to why.
Before we get any further, go ahead, watch these three young men talk. If it doesn’t quite restore your faith in humanity, it will at least help to restore your faith in the Chicago Bears:
Have you ever seen a more cordial camp battle? Three behemoths duking it out for the chance to protect Caleb Williams’ blindside. Three men showing candor, respect, and dignity throughout.
Perhaps the most important camp battle, the Left Tackle spot is the lone starting job left on a re-worked OL. From left to right you have:
Jones/Amegadjie/Trapilo - Thuney - Dalman - Jackson - Wright
Whoever emerges victorious is going to be the final touch on the best Bears OL (on paper) in decades. Each player presents some degree of risk. Ozzy Trapilo is a rookie - always a risk when going up against grown men. Kiran Amegadjie is a 2nd year player who looked every bit a rookie in his first two NFL starts. Braxton Jones is recovering from a serious ankle injury, and despite being a solid to good LT in his career, that injury will not help his lack of anchor going into his 4th season.
But we already know all of that. I am here to spread some positivity. Propagate some good vibes. No matter who emerges victorious in this camp battle, the Bears are going to win.
Look, I know that in a sport that values grit and toughness, a camp battle rooted in kindness might not resonate with everyone. However, let’s not confuse kindness with apathy. These three men are already getting praise out of camp for their effort.
Beyond the positive returns, each guy has proven to be cerebral.
It’s clear that Ryan Poles values smarts when it comes to drafting Left Tackles - and this will pay dividends as each player learns a complex Ben Johnson system.
In the press conference on Thursday, sportsmanship stood side by side with competition.
Trapilo cited “camaraderie” and said that Amegadjie and Jones are the “first ones to help anytime you have a question about technique.”
Amegadjie noted that while they are “competing on the field, they are teammates at the end of the day” and that “we want to see the best thing for the team.”
Jones finished the presser, stating that he is “helping the other guys learning” and that when “you’re green you grow but when you’re ripe you rot.”
I have no idea who will win the competition and final spot along the 2025 Bears’ OL. In many ways, I don’t...
