Bears’ left tackle competition remains unclear after Dolphins game

So much for the first preseason game helping clarify who the Chicago Bears‘ left tackle will be.

The training camp competition between Braxton Jones, rookie Ozzy Trapilo, and Kiran Amegadjie is no closer to being settled now than it was in April. Perhaps the only thing we do know is that Amegadjie is falling behind in the three-man race.

Week 1’s preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins wasn’t great for either Jones or Trapilo. Neither had the kind of performance that could slam the door on the competition. At least, not according to the analytics giant Pro Football Focus.

According to PFF’s grades, Jones scored a 57.9. Meanwhile, Trapilo ended the Dolphins game with a 54.9.

It was Jones who had the most embarrassing moment of the afternoon when he whiffed in pass protection during Tyson Bagent’s touchdown pass. It was that whiff that contributed to his horrid 44.3 pass protection grade.

Trapilo earned higher marks in the passing game; he scored a 58.3.

Neither left tackle was great, which raises a critical question worth asking: Do the Chicago Bears have a problem at one of the most important positions on the offensive line?

It’s too soon to sound the alarm, especially for Trapilo. It was his first exposure to the NFL; he’ll adjust. In fact, I thought his performance was promising. He’s definitely strong enough to handle NFL power. He just has to adjust to the speed of the game.

The same can be said for Jones, who was playing in his first game since suffering a serious ankle injury in December. He’ll get back to full speed soon enough.

Both Braxton Jones and Ozzy Trapilo will get another crack at NFL defenders on Sunday, Aug.17, when the Chicago Bears welcome the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 of the NFL preseason.

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