The left tackle battle for the Bears was on hold Saturday for one of the three involved because of injury, and at this stage it wouldn't be surprising if it meant a two-player battle.
Kiran Amegadjie missed practice with a leg injury. He had a strong end to practices during the week prior to Friday's off day. However, with the camp now headed toward preparation for the first preseason game any prolonged absences can't be good.
Instead, Ozzy Trapilo handled left tackle Saturday. The rotation still is in effect but it has Trapilo and Braxton Jones until Amegadjie is able to go again.
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The Bears are approaching a point when they need to start to have an offensive line together and working as a cohesive group. On Wednesday and Thursday, the issue had been guard as both starter Jonah Jackson and backup Bill Murray were out. Now it's tackle and Jackson was back with the starters Saturday.
"At some point in time, yeah, we’ll have to narrow it down and really focus in 'oh, here are the guys we’re going with,' offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said. "Right now we’re just working through the rotation. There’s a lot of football left to play in the preseason. That’s where we’re at."
Coach Ben Johnson had said earlier in the week that the practices prior to Friday's off day were critical for the tackles and also that padded practices like Saturday's would be big.
Trapilo's ability to stay healthy and hold his own against the rush has impressed considering he's a rookie.
“I think he’s playing with speed," Doyle said of the second-rounder. "He’s playing fast. You see it on the tape. You see it through the first two weeks. That’s the most important thing, that he’s going as fast as he can, trying to put pressure on the defense and I’ve been really pleased with Oz.”
The ability Trapilo has shown is no surprise to Johnson because of his college background.
"I think that's the beauty of a program like Boston College," Johnson said. "They are, and they've been known for a number of years, to produce offensive linemen that are pro ready. They run a pro system with (coach) Bill O'Brien and Will Lawing, the offensive coordinator. He is a good buddy of mine. He gave me great insight on Ozzy, not only as a player, but also the type of person that he is.
"Everything that he told me about Ozzy has really rung true. Guys like that, they usually find a way to use their physical ability to their advantage. I said it the other day, what he does well, what he doesn't do well, he knows what those are, and he maximizes that.”
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