Between the injuries to safeties Coby Bryant and Cam Lewis, the Chicago Bears needed veteran help in the secondary. That is why they decided to sign safety Xavier Woods, who will be going into his 10th season in the NFL.
In his first full day of action, Woods lined up opposite rookie Dillon Thieneman at safety with the first-team defense, and he made an impression. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had to be pleased with Woods’ first day of training camp with the Bears as he had a physical hit on tight end Colston Loveland, which is impressive given Loveland is 40 pounds heavier than him. Woods also had an interception on a Hail Mary from quarterback Caleb Williams.
“He’s a veteran player. He’s played a lot of football, been in a few different schemes. He’s been a productive player,” Allen said before Sunday’s practice. “[Pass game coordinator / defensive backs coach] Al [Harris] had him in Dallas, so there’s some familiarity there with him. And, I just think, right now, we needed another veteran piece back there in the back end, specifically at the safety position. So, I’m anxious to watch him come out here and compete and see where he falls in the line.”
Depending on the severity of Bryant and Lewis’ respective injuries, and how well Woods performs in training camp, it is entirely possible that Woods could end up being in the starting lineup for Chicago by the first week of the season. Woods had a decent season last year with the Tennessee Titans, recording two interceptions and playing in 73 percent of the Titans’ defensive snaps across the 11 games he was in. In addition, Woods also has the 24th-most interceptions of any active player in the league.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Dennis Allen reacts to 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
