The Chicago Bears have many position battles they need to get figured out at training camp.
From the left tackle spot to the edge rusher, there are so many questions about who will start and who will be the backups. The Bears are hoping to have some of these resolved within the next week or two.
All of a sudden, they have created another position battle that could really impact how the first month of the season goes for Chicago. One simple signing could be the difference between a winning record and falling behind early in the NFC North.
Bears have a massive position battle between Xavier Woods and Cam Lewis
Chicago needed more depth at safety after three defensive backs, including starter Coby Bryant, went down with injuries. The Bears placed Dallis Flowers on IR and signed 10-year veteran Xavier Woods to a contract.
Woods is no slouch of a player, though, with over 100 starts to his NFL career. He has racked up 660 tackles, 50 pass deflections, 15 interceptions, 11 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, five forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and two sacks in 134 games.
This means that Cam Lewis, who was originally going to be Bryant's replacement, is now in jeopardy of losing his job. The Bears need a safety to hold strong for the next eight to 10 weeks while Bryant recovers from his injury.
Lewis will have the advantage early on, since he has been with the team since offseason workouts and knows defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's scheme. The good news for Woods is he knows Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris from their time together with the Dallas Cowboys.
That leaves Allen and Bears head coach Ben Johnson with a very difficult decision to make at safety. Woods and Lewis both have a lot of NFL experience and could fill in for the first month of the regular season if needed.
It all comes down to how each player looks in the preseason. They will have to earn their right to start by creating some plays and taking chances to stand out from the others.
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This is not exactly an ideal situation and one the Bears would rather avoid, but they have no choice but to pick between Lewis and Woods. Bears fans will have to watch this training camp battle to see who comes out on top by the end.
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