Fans always have lofty expectations of players. They dream about what somebody could be rather than realistically looking at what he is. Sure, there is a possibility their hopes are realized, but more often than not, it's always below the bar. That is not to say said players are bad. It is merely important to remember that great players are rare. When he arrived in April, Chicago Bears fans weren't sure what to make of Ozzy Trapilo. He was the second of their three 2nd round picks and the eighth offensive tackle taken.
In circumstances like that, it was difficult to get overly excited. There is no way seven other teams completely missed the possibility he might be a good player. Yet from how you hear people inside Halas Hall talk, Trapilo is anything but a project. He's big, long, athletic for his size, and far more mature than he gets credit for. Adam Jahns of CHGO has covered the Bears for a long time. He's watched plenty of offensive linemen come and go. He admitted on a recent podcast that Trapilo reminds him of a beloved fan favorite.
Ozzy Trapilo becoming Kyle Long would be incredibly fortunate.
It has felt like the Bears' offensive line has lacked a player of Long's caliber for years. They never really replaced him after he retired in 2020. He's been their best blocker by a considerable margin in the past decade. The interesting part is he was a guard. Ozzy Trapilo is a tackle. If the Bears somehow got the tackle version of Long, that would be remarkable good fortune. He could lock down their left tackle spot, giving them two highly capable blockers on the edges for the first time since Jimbo Covert and Keith Van Horne. It also might be an indicator that Jahns and others see him as an option to move inside. Don't forget Long was a tackle in college. He made the transition to guard easily. Trapilo can too.
