The Bears did as general manager Ryan Poles said he expected, giving rookie second-round offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo reps at left tackle.
For Trapilo, it was something that came easily for him.
Bears OL Ozzy Trapilo Lines Up at LT in 1st Rookie Minicamp Practice
Ozzy Trapilo Looking to Get on Field for Bears
Trapilo has lined up at every position along the offensive line except for center, even tight end, and noted he would take extra reps after practice at Boston College.
“Throughout college, I knew that I wanted to play in the NFL. So, doing so, you have to be versatile. That’s the quickest way to get on the field,” Trapilo told reporters on Friday. “So, after practice, even though I was a right tackle the last two years in college, working left, making sure that it’s still smooth, still feels good. Especially after the season, I was working more left than right, just because catching up for lost time. So, it felt good today.”
Notably, the Bears will likely be without starting left tackle Braxton Jones when the whole team gets together for OTA and maybe even into training camp.
That is a lot of time for Trapilo to make an impression.
“We want to see what we have in the young rookie, with Ozzy, in terms of what that looks like at left, Poles said on “Kap & J. Hood” on May 1. “We still want to see Braxton returning from his injury, as well as Kiran [Amegadjie]. So, there’s a lot of options.”
Potential Ripple Effects of Bears’ Decision Loom
Former Bears guard Kyle Long lumped Trapilo in with Bears starters Drew Dalman at center and left guard Joe Thuney.
Long said the trio “fires me up” and that “blitz meetings could be very quick!”
“Joe Thuney Ozzy Trapillo and Drew Dalman have to be the smartest trio in OL,” Long said in a post on X on May 10. “Thuney is a chess master trapillo wearing 75 and is BC guy and dalman is a Stanford man.
Fires me up. Blitz meetings could be very quick!
Jones’ health and immediate future are one thing. The potential ripple effect of having Trapilo move to left tackle is another for the Bears.
For one, it would keep starting right tackle Darnell Wright in his spot. The Bears’ previous coaching regime under Poles stressed moving as few pieces around as possible. It could also mean that 2023 third-round pick Amegadjie is headed inside to guard after spot duty at LT in 2024.
At any rate, Trapilo delivered on Poles’ previous sentiments.
The next part of Poles’ plan is settling on a five before the season, so that they are not having to adjust. That, too, could benefit Trapilo if he shows well as the Bears’ LT with the reps he gets.