The Chicago Bears came into training camp thin at the safety position, and through the first eight practices of training camp it’s only gotten worse.
The Bears lost their top safety Coby Bryant to a knee injury, which is reportedly expected to sideline him 8-10 weeks (although Chicago is still information gathering), and Elijah Hicks remains on the physically unable to perform list. That caused some shuffling at safety with veteran free-agent addition Cam Lewis shifting from the competition at nickel to filling that starting safety role in Bryant’s absence.
“At first I was just splitting time from nickel and safety and then a little portion at dime as well, so [it’s] trying to learn everything,” Lewis said. “What happened with Coby a couple of days ago, [I] got told to focus a little more on safety so I’ve just been studying that. It’s been going good. I’ve been playing safety for four or five years now. I like the position but just learning the defense here, the communication, running the show back there, just getting adjusted to it.”
Lewis spent the past six years with the Buffalo Bills. He was known for his versatility on their roster, being able to play at safety and cornerback. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen highly values players that can be used in multiple positions and Lewis’ ability to play any position in the secondary is really coming in handy for Chicago right now.
Despite having been in the league since 2020 and played in every regular season game for the Bills the past three seasons, Lewis has never been a regular starter. He played only 38 percent of the defensive snaps last year while also contributing on special teams.
Lewis’ history would suggest that he is not a long-term solution at safety although he is a useful depth piece. Therefore, Chicago should still be looking to add a safety to their roster before the regular season begins.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears’ Cam Lewis reacts to switch to safety amid Coby Bryant injury
Reporting by Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
