Dan Roushar Already Creating Intrigue With Latest O-Line Decision

Dan Roushar was hired because he's one of the best offensive line coaches in the business. The Chicago Bears were fortunate he was relatively available, having left the New Orleans Saints two years ago to join the staff at Tulane. Ben Johnson knew he would need a great coach at that spot to ensure his offense had the best chance to succeed. The Bears were also smart to invest heavily in the group from the moment he arrived. In two months, they added three new starters at both guard spots and center. That left him with only one problem to untangle.

What does he do at left tackle?

Braxton Jones is still recovering from the broken ankle that ended his 2024 season. He may not be back in time for the start of training camp, leaving the spot open for the time being. How Roushar divvies up the practice reps could indicate where he and Johnson are leaning. Early practices at OTAs were certainly hard to ignore. It appears Kiran Amegadjie, the team's 3rd round pick from last year, got all the reps with the first-team offense while rookie 2nd round pick Ozzy Trapilo worked with the second-team.

Dan Roushar hinted at liking Amegadjie early.

Last month, he was asked about the left tackle's tough rookie season. The coach quickly pointed out that Amegadjie had no preparation for the season. He missed OTAs, minicamps, and training camp while recovering from a quad injury. Asking him to play under those conditions was asking for trouble. Talent isn't the problem. Dan Roushar loves his length, athleticism, and lower body power. The challenge is getting his fundamentals polished enough to handle NFL pass rushers. A full offseason and training camp will be instrumental to that. It seems the Bears are eager to see how he handles going against the #1 defense in drills, even if it's not in pads. A positive showing there could lead to further opportunities in July and August.