The Chicago Bears revamped their offensive line by bringing in veterans in key spots this offseason after seeing starting quarterback Caleb Williams sacked 68 times during his rookie year.
While veteran blockers like Joe Thuney and Drew Dalman should help shore up the interior of the offensive line, one player is lurking in the shadows behind both of the team's starting offensive tackles, waiting for his opportunity to come.
With Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright winning the starting jobs out of camp as the bookends of the offensive line, they will need to perform at a high level as soon as Chicago's offense steps on the field in Week 1. Any potential slip-ups could not only cost the Bears a possession against their NFC North rival, the Minnesota Vikings, but they would also provide first-year head coach Ben Johnson with all the motivation he needs to put the team's second-round pick, Ozzy Trapilo, into the lineup.
It Could Take Just 1 Play for Braxton Jones, Darnell Wright to Lose Starting OT Spot in Week 1
The Bears appear to be priming Trapilo for this exact opportunity by having him focus more on being a swing tackle option for Chicago as a reserve. General manager Ryan Poles did not select the OT with the team's second-round pick for him to sit on the bench for long, though. Whether it is Jones or Wright, Trapilo will be ready and waiting for his opportunity to come if either of those two starters slips up during the season opener.
After seeing the way that Williams was beaten up during his rookie season, there won't be too long a leash for either of the starting tackles on the Bears' roster. For this offense to hum along in the manner that HC Johnson expects, Williams must remain upright and have time to deliver the ball to his receivers. As the top line of protection for Chicago's QB1, Jones and Wright have to be up to the task every single snap that they are on the field for.
Both Jones and Wright finished with the 17th-best (80.8) and 29th-best (75.4) Pro Football Focus pass block grades among 80 OTs. If there is one thing we can say about Johnson, though, since he arrived in the Windy City, it is that he demands and expects as close to perfection as he can out of his roster every single day they take the field. Clearly, the pass-blocking duo must be as good as they were, if not better, to impress their new coach.
That approach alone should motivate Jones and Wright to be the best possible version of themselves starting this weekend. If one of the two fails in that endeavor, Trapilo will be right there, waiting in the wings for his number to be called.