Injuries have been the story of training camp for the Chicago Bears, especially in the secondary. These injuries led the Bears to sign safety Xavier Woods who started 10 games with the Tennessee Titans last year.
This will be Woods’ tenth year in the league. He was originally drafted in the sixth round by the Dallas Cowboys. After spending four years with the Cowboys, Woods spent a year with the Minnesota Vikings before his three-year stint with the Carolina Panthers. In the past three years, Woods has a total of eight interceptions, proving he is still someone who can make a difference in the secondary.
His performance in training camp so far has been impressive including having an interception during the team period of practice on a hail mary attempt. Woods is already getting the attention of head coach Ben Johnson for his pro mentality and how well he has taken to the system.
“He’s a pro, and you can see he’s got that approach about him,” Johnson said. “He knows what his body needs. He knows all these schemes that ‘DA’ has. I think he’s really taken to the system. You throw him in there with the 1s, and we’re not missing a beat on the back end right now. That’s encouraging to see.”
Chicago is already down safety Coby Bryant potentially for most of the season. Cam Lewis, who was moved from nickel to safety, was injured in training camp as well. When he returns, he could factor into the nickel cornerback role. So it’s possible that Xavier Woods will be the starting safety opposite rookie Dillon Thieneman this season.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ben Johnson shares impression of new Bears safety Xavier Woods
Reporting by Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
