The Chicago Bears signed veteran defensive back Cam Lewis in the offseason because of his versatility to play both corner and safety. Lewis started out training camp practicing as a nickel, but now, because of the injury to safety Coby Bryant, Lewis has focused on safety.
This is Lewis’ first year working with Chicago’s defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, whose defenses are known for their violence and physicality. That is one aspect of the Bears’ defense that Lewis has appreciated so far in training camp.
“He’s very passionate about his defense and that’s what you want out of a defensive coordinator,” Lewis said. “You don’t want a defensive coordinator to be passive, soft. He wants to attack. That’s what you want in this league. You want teams to fear your defense: ‘Oh, we’ve got Chicago on the schedule. It’s going to be a headache-type of game. Their defensive line is going to come off the ball. DBs are going to break on the ball.’ Our linebackers are going to play downhill and make some plays. That’s the type of defense we want and that’s the type of defense we’re striving to be.”
Chicago certainly established themselves as a physical defense that could give teams headaches last season with the amount of takeaways the Bears had. However, they struggled in nearly every other defensive category.
The defensive injuries have been piling up already between Bryant, cornerback Kyler Gordon still being on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and four other players on the PUP list. Even Lewis suffered an injury during Saturday’s practice, although the extent is unknown.
In addition, three depth players in Chicago’s secondary, Dallis Flowers, Gervarrius Owens and K.C. Eziomume sustained injuries in training camp, with the Bears parting ways with all of them and welcoming three newcomers to the roster in Xavier Woods, Brandon Hill and William Wright.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Cam Lewis praises Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s mentality
Reporting by Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ariana Pensy, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
